CE 831 Advance Soil

Mechanics
Dr. Muhammad Kashif - TVF
PhD Geotechnical Engineering (USA)
Email: kashif12pk@gmail.com; Ph.:0304-5393438

Clay Mineralogy
The most important grain property of finegrained soil materials is the mineralogical
composition
For soil particles are < 0.002 mm
electrical forces are more significant
If influence of surface charges is
predominant in a material it is said to be in
colloidal state
The colloidal particles of soil consists of Clay
minerals

Clay Mineralogy
All Clay minerals are crystalline hydrous
alumino-silicates
Arranged in layers like pages of book
The arrangement of layers determine the
type of clay mineral

Clay Mineralogy

(a) Tetrahedral layer, (b) Octahedral layer

Clay Mineralogy

Characteristics of Principal
Clay Minerals
Kaolinite: Most common clay mineral in
sedimentary and residual soils
Unit Sheet Thickness = 0.7 nm (nm = 10 9
m)
Composed of 1 aluminum octahedral layer
and 1 silicon tetrahedral layer joined by
shared oxygen

Photomicrograp
h of kaolinite

Characteristics of Principal
Clay Minerals
Illite (fine-grained or weathered mica): Most
common clay mineral in stiff clays, shales
and postglacial marine and lacustrine soft
clay and silt deposits
Unit Sheet Thickness=10-30nm (nm=10-9m)

Photomicrograp
h of illite

Characteristics of Principal
Clay Minerals
Montmorillonite (smectites): Dominant clay
mineral in clays and shales and in refusal
soils derived from volcanic ash
Unit Sheet Thickness=1nm (nm=10-9m)

Photomicrograph of
Montmorillonite

Mineralogical Composition
of Soft Clays

Index Prperties of Soft

Clays

Index Properties of Soil

Undisturbed Fabric of
Boston Blue Clay

Undisturbed Fabric of St.

Hilaire Clay

Index Properties of Soil

Undisturbed Fabric of
Berthierville Clay

Undisturbed Fabric of Vasby

Clay

Index Properties of Soil

Undisturbed Fabric of
LaGrande Clay

Undisturbed Fabric of
Pancone Clay

Index Properties of Soil

Fibrous Middleton Peat

Poriferous Cellular Peat

Soil Structure

Soil Structure = Inter particle forces + Fabric

Inter particle forces: How shear stresses () and
normal stresses are transmitted between soil
particles
Fabric: Distinguish between macro level vs micro
level
v = u
The eff stress is transmitted by forces acting between
soil particles
v = short range stresses due to contact area + long
range stresses due to surface (double layer) forces

Electrical Nature of Clay

Particles

Two faces of all platy particles have a negative charge

The edge of clay particle usually have positive charge
Net charge of clay particle is always negative

Electrical Nature of Clay

Particles

Suspended clay particle in electrical fluid will

move from cathode to anode - electrophoresis

Electrical Nature of Clay

Particles

Since the soil must be electrically neutral:

The negative forces attract exchangeable cations
(Na++, Ca++, Mg++ etc
Positive edge attract exchangeable anions (or
cations if negatively charged)

Surface Charge Density ( )

= No. of Charges / Unit Area = Cation
Exchange Capacity / Specific Surface Area =
CEC / SSA

Adsorbed Water
Relative Humidity (RH%) = Pw/Ps x100
Pw = vapor pr. of water
Ps = saturation vapor pr. at same temperature

Adsorbed Water

Soil Suction (s) = (w*Rg*T/M)*ln(100/RH)

w = density of water (998 kg/m3)

Rg = gas constant (8.314 J/mol K)
T = absolute temperature (273+ tem C)
M = molecular mass of water (18 gm/mol)

S (bar) =1350*ln(100/RH) at 20 C

Diffuse Double Layer

(DL)

Double Layer
Repulsion

Double Layer
Repulsion

Double Layer Repulsion

Effect of Application of
Stress