Particle Shape

 Equally as important as the particle-size distribution because it has significant

influence on the physical properties of a given soil.
Three Major categories:
1. Bulky

2. Flaky

3. Needle shaped

1. Bulky Particles

 Mostly formed by mechanical weathering of rock and minerals.

 Angular, subangular, rounded and subrounded

2. Flaky Particles

 Have very low sphericity – usually 0.01 or less. These particles predominantly
clay minerals.
 3. Needle-shaped Particles
 Are much less common than the other two particles types. Examples of soils
containing needle-shaped particles are some coral deposits and attapulgite
clays.

Mechanical Analysis of Soil

 Mechanical Analysis is the determination of the size range of particles present
in a soil, expressed as percentage of the total dry weight
Two methods:
o Sieve Analysis
o Hydrometer Analysis

Sieve analysis consists of shaking the soil sample through a set sieves that have
progressively smaller openings.
 Sieves used are generally 203 mm(8”) in diameter.
 Soil must be first oven dried and lumps be first broken down
Washed sample in #200

Grain-size distribution
 UNIFIED SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

Example:

Size(mm) % finer
76.2 100 100-100 = 0% gravel
4.75 100 100-62 = 38% sand
0.075 62 62 – 0 = 62% silt clay
Pan 0

Sample for Sieve analysis

Grain-size distribution
o Graphs
o The grain-size distribution obtained from the sieve analysis is plotted in a semi-
logarithmic graph paper with grain size plotted on the log scale and percent finer
plotted on the natural scale.
Poorly-Graded
o A type of soil in which most of the soil grains are the same size.

Well-graded
o A soil in which the particle sizes distributed over a wide range.
Gap Graded
o A soil might have a combination of two or more uniform graded fractions.

Methods of determining % of Gravel, Sand, Silt and clays

Unified Soil Classification System (USCS)

Gravel Sand Fines
76.2 to 4.75mm 4.75 to 0.075mm < 0.075mm

Hydrometer analysis
 Hydrometer analysis is the procedure generally adopted for determination of the
particle-size distribution in a soil for the fraction that is finer than No. 200 sieve
size (0.075 mm). The lower limit of the particle-size determined by this procedure
is about 0.001 mm.
 In hydrometer analysis, a soil specimen is dispersed in water. In a dispersed
state in the water, the soil particles will settle individually. It is assumed that the
soil particles are spheres, and the velocity of the particles can be given by
Stoke's law.