Professional Documents
Culture Documents
303322: Soil Mechanics: Introduction &properties of Soil
303322: Soil Mechanics: Introduction &properties of Soil
Definition of Soil
The term soil according to engineering point of
view is defined as the material, by means of which
and upon which engineers build their structures.
The term soil includes entire thickness of the
earth’s crust (from ground surface to bed rock),
which is accessible and feasible for practical
utilization as foundation support or construction
material. It is composed of loosely bound mineral
particles of various sizes and shapes formed
due to weathering of rocks.
Dr. Abdulmannan Orabi IUST 3
Introduction
Leaning Tower,
Dr. Abdulmannan Orabi Pisa IUST 14
Problems in Geotechnical
tfngineering
Seepage
Problems
Teton Dam
Failure
Dr. Abdulmannan Orabi IUST 16
Problems in Geotechnical
tfngineering
Soil subjected to dynamic
load
Physical weathering
Involves reduction of size without any change in
the original composition of the parent rock.
The main agents responsible for this process are
exfoliation, erosion, freezing, and thawing.
Physical or mechanical processes taking place on
the earth's surface include the actions of water,
frost, temperature changes, wind and ice. They
cause disintegration and the products are mainly
coarse soils.
Dr. Abdulmannan Orabi IUST 19
Soil Formation
Physical
weathering
Chemical
weathering
Residual Soils
Residual soils are found at the same location where they
have been formed. Generally, the depth of residual
soils varies from 5 to 20 m.
Chemical weathering rate is greater in warm, humid
regions than in cold, dry regions causing a faster
breakdown of rocks. Accumulation of residual soils
takes place as the rate of rock
decomposition exceeds the rate of erosion or
transportation ofthe weathered material. In humid
regions, the presence of surface
vegetation reduces the possibility of soil transportation.
Dr. Abdulmannan Orabi IUST 24
Residual Soil
Residual Soils
As leaching action due to percolating surface
water decreases with depth, there is a
corresponding decrease in the degree of chemical
weathering from the ground surface downwards.
This results in a gradual reduction of residual soil
formation with depth, until unaltered rock is
found.
Residual soils comprise of a wide
range of particle sizes, shapes
and composition.
Dr. Abdulmannan Orabi IUST 25
Transported Soil
Transported Soils
Weathered rock materials can be moved
from their original site to new locations by
one or more of the transportation
agencies to form transported soils.
Transported soils are classified based on
the mode of transportation and
the final deposition environment.
Transported Soils
Transported soils are classified based on the
mode of transportation and the final deposition
environment.
(a)Soils that are carried and deposited by rivers
are called alluvial deposits.
(b)Soils that are deposited by flowing water or
surface runoff while entering a lake are called
lacustrine deposits. Alternate layers are formed in
different seasons depending on flow rate.
Gravity Soils
Gravity can transport materials only
for a short distance.
Gravity soils are termed as talus these
soils are generally loose and porous.
Partially saturated
soil
Air
Voids
(air or
Water
water)
Idealization:
Three Phases
Dr. Abdulmannan Orabi IUST Diagram 37
Two - Phases System
Fully saturated
soil
Water
Solid Particles
Idealization:
Two Phases
Dr. Abdulmannan Orabi Diagram
IUST 38
Two - Phases System
Dry
soil
Air
Solid Particles
Idealization:
Two Phases
Dr. Abdulmannan Orabi Diagram
IUST 39
Phase Relations of Soils
The soil model is given dimensional values for the solid,
water and air components.
Volume Symbols Weight Symbols
WW Wa ≈ 0
Va
Air
V
V
VW
Water
WT
VT
WS
V
Solid Particles
S
WW Wa ≈ 0
wt = wc + ww (1-
Air
1)
where,
Water
Wt = total weigℎt o f soil
WT
ssanele Wc = weigℎt o f soil
WS
solids Solid Particles
WWwa==weigℎt
weigℎt
o f owater
f air ≈
0
Water content
The ratio of the mass of water present to the
mass of solid particles is called the water
content (wc), or sometimes the moisture
content. ww (1-
wc % = wc × 2)
100%
The water content of a soil is found by weighing a
sample of the soil and then placing it in an
oven at 110 ∓ 5 0 C
Specific Gravity,
The mass of solid particles is usually
expressed in terms of their particle unit
weight or specific gravity (Gs) of the soil
grain solids
The specific gravity of a solid substance is the
ratio of the weight of a given volume of
material to thew weight
y V
of an equal
(1-
volume of
Gc = c c c
water (at 20°C). =
3)
kN
yw = unit=weigℎtyoc fwwater
w = 9.81
n3
Dr. Abdulmannan Orabi IUST 44
yw Vw yw
Weight Relations
Specific Gravity,
Va
Symbols
V
V
3. Degree of saturation
VW
2. (S)
Porosity (n) Water
VT
4. Air content (a)
V t = Vc + V w + Va (1-
V
Solid Particles
S
4)
V V = Vw + V a
e= (1-
V Vv 5)
The void ratio of realc coarse grained soils
vary between 0.3 and 1. Clay soils can have
void ratio greater than one.
Dr. Abdulmannan Orabi IUST 47
Volume Relations
Porosity (n)
Unit weight ( y )
Density is a measure of the quantity
of mass in a unit volume of material.
Unit weight is a measure of the weight of
a unit volume of material.
Both can be used interchangeably. The
units of density are ton/m³, kg/m³ or
g/cm³.
The unit of unit weight is kN/m³.
Unit weight ( y )
The unit weight of a soil is the ratio of the
weight of soil to the total volume.
wt
y= (1-13)
Vt
In natural soils the magnitude of the
total unit weight will depend on how much
water happens to be in the voids as will as the
unit weight of the mineral
grains themselves.
Dr. Abdulmannan Orabi IUST 54
Weight –volume relationship
determined
yd = as
wc = yc yw Gc (1-
Vc 1 + e 1+e = 1+
e
15)
wt ww
wc 1 +w
y= = c
= y d 1 + wc (1-
Vt Vt
Dr. Abdulmannan Orabi IUST
16) 55
Weight –volume relationship
yca t = yw Gc + e
1+e (1-
18)
Dr. Abdulmannan Orabi IUST 56
Weight –volume relationship
ycub
Weight –volume relationship
Summary
Water e e γw
Solid Vs =1 GS γw
yca t = yw Gc + e
1+e
γ = (2.7 + 0.648) 9.81/(1+0.648)
γ =19.93 kN/m3
Worked tfxamples
tfxample 2
Prove the following
relationships:
a yd = 1 − n yw Gc
)
b) y c a t = Gc − n Gc − 1 yw
n yw
c w c(cat) = y c a t − n yw
)
d Gc = y cat
yw − wc y c a t − yw
)
Dr. Abdulmannan Orabi IUST 63
Use
Worked tfxamples
tfxample 3
A soil has void ratio = 0.72, moisture content =
12% and Gs= 2.72. Determine its
(a) Dry unit weight
(b) Moist unit weight, and the
(c)Amount of water to be added per m3 to make
the soil saturated.