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Sub: Engineering

Topic: Civil Engineering

Classification of Soils
If organic matter, which is present only in small quantities in most locations, is ignored, the earths crust consists mainly of mineral (i.e., inorganic, noncombustible) matter. The earths mineral matter is generally classified as rocks and soils. In rocks, the mineral particles are firmly bonded together. Soil consists of either individual particles or a conglomerate of several easily separable particles that have resulted from the weathering of rocks. In most locations, the top layer of the ground consists of soil; rock generally occurs deep under the surface. In most situations, the soil has adequate strength and other characteristics to support a building. When this is not the case, building foundations must bear on bedrock. There are a number of characteristics that must be considered in determining the ability of a soil to support building loads. One important characteristic is soil classification based on the size of soil particles. The size of soil particles is measured by passing a dried soil sample through a series of sieves, each with a standardized opening size. Uniqueness of clay (swelling and shrinking)the expansive soils Apart from the particle size, a major factor that distinguishes clay from other soil constituents is the particle shape. Gravel and sand particles are approximately equi-dimensional; that is, they are approximately spherical or ellipsoidal in shape. This is because gravels and sands are the result of mechanical weathering. Clay particles, on the other hand, are the result of

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Sub: Engineering

Topic: Civil Engineering

chemical weathering. They are, therefore, not equidimensional but have flat, plate-like shapes. Because of their flat particle shape, the surface-area-tovolume ratio of clays is several hundred or thousand times greater than the corresponding ratio for gravels and sands. The characteristics of silt particles lie between those of clay and sand. The behavior of clayey soils is greatly influenced by the electrostatic forces that develop between plate-like surfaces. In the presence of water, these forces are repulsive, which increases the space between plates. Therefore, in the presence of water, clayey soils swell, and as water decreases (i.e., when they dry), they shrink. Soils that are predominantly clayey are unstable because they expand and contract, depending on the amount of water present in them, and are referred to as expansive soils. If foundations supported on expansive soils are not designed to account for the soils instability, significant structural damage may occur, particularly to lightweight buildings, such as wood light frame buildings. Cohesive and non-cohesive soils One factor that distinguishes fine-grained from coarse-grained soils is the property of cohesion. Fine-grained soil particles adhere to each other in the presence of water and are, therefore, called cohesive soils. Coarse-grained soils are typically single-grained, lacking cohesiveness, and are referred to as non-cohesive soils. Clayey soils are more cohesive than silts. It is due to its

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Sub: Engineering

Topic: Civil Engineering

cohesiveness that a potter can mold objects from wet clay, and excavated (cut) faces in a clayey soil can remain vertical without collapsing for a greater depth than other soil types. Even shallow excavations in non-cohesive soils must be sloped for stability or shored by a support system.

Civil Engineering Homework Help from Classof1.com

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Sub: Engineering

Topic: Civil Engineering

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