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review
Week 1
15/09/2014
Introduction
• One of primary tasks of a geotechnical engineer is to
collect, classify, and investigate the engineering
properties of soils for geotechnical engineering
practice.
The wet mass of a soil is 120 grams. Its dry mass is 100 grams.
The water content (%) is
1. 16.7
2. 20
3. 83.3
Quiz 2
1. 0.80
2. 0.20
3. 0.25
Quiz 3
1. 0.80
2. 0.20
3. 0.25
Example – calculation of void ratio and
porosity
V 2.83 × 10−3
γw 9.8
Solving for e, we get=e Gs =
γd
− 1 2.7 =
15
− 1 0.764
Example – calculation of void ratio and
porosity
e 0.764
=n = = 0.43
= 43% 20–40 80–60
60–30
Loose
Medium dense
1 + e 1 + 0.764 40–70
1. 245
2. 355
3. 220
Quiz 2
1. 0.1
2. 0.08
3. 0.9
Quiz 3
1. 0.41
2. 1.3
3. 0.9
Determination of the liquid limit
Liquid limit using the Casagrande Cup
Method—ASTM D 4318
• A dry powder of the soil is mixed with
distilled water into a paste and placed to a
thickness of about 12.5mm in the cup.
• The soil surface is smoothened.
• A groove is cut into the soil using a standard
grooving tool.
• The crank operating the cam is turned at a
rate of 2 revolutions per second and the
number of blows required to close the Apparatus
groove over a length of 12.5mm is counted 1. A semi-spherical brass cup that is
and recorded. repeatedly dropped onto a hard rubber
• A specimen of soil within the closed portion base from a height of 10 mm by a cam
is extracted for the determination of the operated mechanism
water content. 2. Grooving tool.
Determination of the liquid limit
Coefficient of uniformity
D60
CU =
D10
Coefficient of curvature
D302
CC =
D60 D10
USCS – fine-grained soils
USCS – coarse-grained soils
(ASTM D2487)
USCS – fine-grained soils
(ASTM D2487)
Example: soil classification
A sieve analysis was conducted on a soil sample and the results
are as follows.
Percent of particles greater than 0.075 mm 80
Gravel fraction (%) 60
Sand fraction (%) 20
Silt fraction (%) 15
Clay fraction (%) 5
Soil classification is a useful engineering tool to assess qualitatively the behaviour of a soil
and its use as a construction material
Further study
• Read book sections 4.0 – 4.7
• Watch videos for the plastic limit and
liquid limit tests
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
xD1LxWWdc1c
• Visit the student companion site:
http://bcs.wiley.com/he-
bcs/Books?action=index&itemId=047
0556846&bcsId=6154 and try the
quizzes and interactive problem
solving exercises