Importance of Soil Testing in Civil

Engineering

by
Dr. G. JANARDHANAN Ph.D (USA)., E. I
Associate Professor
Centre for Environmental Management
National Institute of Technical Teachers Training & Research
Chennai, India
Soil Mechanics Laboratory
BIS Code of Practice
 Soil Mechanics Laboratory
BIS Code of Practice

Soil Testing

Engineering
Classification
Parameters
Tests
Tests

Proctor
Particle Size Atterberg Consolidation Permeability
Compaction Strength Tests
Distribution Limits Tests Tests
Tests

Lecture 1 Lecture 2
Cohesive Granular soils or
soils Cohesionless soils

Clay Silt Sand Gravel Cobble Boulder

4.75 63 200
Grain size (mm)
Fine grain Coarse grain
soils soils
 Particle Size Distribution

To develop a systematic way to describe

and classify soils;
To group soils of similar geotechnical
characteristics; and
To assign symbols (GW,GP, SP,
SW,SC)
 Particle Size Distribution

The data obtained from grain size distribution

curves is used in the design of filters for earth
dams and
To determine suitability of soil for road
construction, air field etc.
Information obtained from grain size analysis can
be used to predict soil water movement although
permeability tests are more generally used.
 Grain Size Distribution
Determination of GSD:
In coarse grain soils ... By sieve analysis

In fine grain soils ... By hydrometer analysis

hydrometer
stack of sieves

sieve shaker

soil/water suspension

Sieve Analysis Hydrometer Analysis

 Step: 1 Stack the sieves in the order

Sieves Coarser Sieves Finer

than 4.75 mm than 4.75 mm

300 mm 2 mm
80 mm 0.85 mm
40 mm 0.425 mm
20 mm 0.150 mm
10 mm 0.075 mm
4.75 mm Pan
Pan
 Grain Size Distribution Curve
100

80
hydrometer sieve
% Passing

60
fines sands gravels

40

D10 = 0.013 mm
20
D
30
D30 = 0.47 mm
D60 = 7.4 mm
0
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100

Grain size (mm)

can find % of gravels, sands, fines

define D10, D30, D60.. as above.
 Well or Poorly Graded Soils

Well Graded Soils Poorly Graded Soils

Wide range of grain sizes present Others, including two special cases:
(a) Uniform soils grains of same size
Gravels: Cc = 1-3 & Cu >4
(b) Gap graded soils no grains in a
Sands: Cc = 1-3 & Cu >6
specific size range

22
 Atterberg Limits

Border line water contents, separating the

different states of a fine grained soil

water content
0 Shrinkage Plastic Liquid
limit limit limit

brittle- semi- plastic liquid

solid solid

29
 Atterberg Limits

Liquid Limit (wL or LL):

Clay flows like liquid when w > LL

Plastic Limit (wP or PL):

Lowest water content where the clay is still plastic

Shrinkage Limit (wS or SL):

At w<SL, no volume reduction on drying
 Plasticity Index (PI)

Range of water content over which the soil

remains plastic

Plasticity Index = Liquid Limit Plastic Limit

water content
0 Shrinkage Plastic Liquid
limit limit limit

plastic 31
 Atterberg Limits

Characteristic Equal LL, Increasing PI Equal PI, Increasing LL

Compressibility About the same Increases
Permeability Decreases Increases
Rate of Volume Change Decreases ---
Toughness near PL Increases Decreases
Dry Strength Increases Decreases
 Liquid Limit Tabulation

Test No. 1 2 3

Can #

Mass of can, W1 (g)

Mass of can + moist soil, W2 (g)

Mass of can + dry soil, W3 (g)

Moisture content w%

# of blows
Liquid Limit Calculation
 Plastic Limit Tabulation

Can #
Mass of can W1 (g)
Mass of can + moist soil, W2 (g)
Mass of can + dry soil, W3 (g)
PL
Plastic Limit Calculation
Atterberg Limit - Movie
 Classifying Fines
Purely based on LL and PI
Intermediate plasticity

60 Low High
plasticity plasticity

40
Liquid Limit

Clays

20 Silts

0
0 20 35 50 100

Liquid Limit
 IS Classification

coarse grain soils fine grain soils

% of fines
0 5 12 50 YB 100
XY
e.g., SM e.g., CH

XA
XA-XY
e.g., GP
e.g., GP-GC

X: Coarse Y: Fines A: Gradation B: Plasticity

G = Gravel M = Silts W = well graded H = LL > 50
S = Sands C = Clays P = poorly graded I = 35 < LL < 50
L = LL < 35
 Classification Test

Sieve analysis for coarse grain soils

Hydrometer analysis - for fine grain soils

Classify coarse by GSD and

fines from Atterberg limits (PI-LL chart)

.
Proctor Compaction Calculation
Proctor Compaction Calculation
Proctor Compaction Calculation
Proctor Compaction Calculation
Proctor Compaction Movie
 Any doubts??
Further comments ??
Unanswered questions ??

Unresolved issues