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Soil and Its Properties

The document discusses various topics related to soil properties including: 1. It defines physical properties of soil such as void ratio, degree of saturation, water content, density, specific gravity, and unit weight. 2. It also discusses chemical properties like pH and presence of silicate clay. 3. Soils are classified as soft, spreading, or hard/rocky. Field identification methods include tests for differentiating sand, silt, clay and organic materials. 4. Consistency is determined by how easily a soil sample can be molded by hand.

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Harsha Harapanahalli
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123 views20 pages

Soil and Its Properties

The document discusses various topics related to soil properties including: 1. It defines physical properties of soil such as void ratio, degree of saturation, water content, density, specific gravity, and unit weight. 2. It also discusses chemical properties like pH and presence of silicate clay. 3. Soils are classified as soft, spreading, or hard/rocky. Field identification methods include tests for differentiating sand, silt, clay and organic materials. 4. Consistency is determined by how easily a soil sample can be molded by hand.

Uploaded by

Harsha Harapanahalli
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Department of Collegiate and Technical Education

Unit-1 - Foundation
CO: Identify the types of soils, to know the properties,
strength of soils, to suggest suitable type of
foundations and to overcome the difficulties
during excavation

(15CE34T- Construction Technology)

Civil Engineering

Civil Engineering – 15CE34T


Soil
“Soil”means the uppermost layer of the earth's crust, which contains the organic as
well as mineral matter necessary for the growth of plants (or)“Soil” is the un-
aggregated or un-cemented deposits of mineral and/or organic particles or fragments
covering large portion of the earth's crust.

Properties of soil

1.Physical properties

2.Chemical properties

Civil Engineering – 15CE34T


Physical properties

void ratio

The void ratio “e” is the ratio of the volume of voids (Vv) (open spaces, i.e. air
and water) in a soil to volume of solids(Vs) in the given soil mass.

Degree of saturation 

The Degree of saturation “S”is the ratio of the volume of water to the volume


of voids.

Civil Engineering – 15CE34T


Physical properties

Water content 

The water content (w), also known as natural water content or natural moisture


content is the ratio of the weight of water to the weight of the solids in a given mass
of soil.

Civil Engineering – 15CE34T


Physical properties

Density of soil

1. Bulk density is an indicator of soil compaction. It is calculated as


the dry weight of soil “M” Divided by its volume “V”, it is expressed
in Kg/m3

2. Dry density of soil  is defined as the ratio of Mass of solids to the


total volume of the soil. 

Civil Engineering – 15CE34T


Physical properties

Density of soil

3. Saturated density When the soil mass is saturated, its


bulk density is called saturated density. Thus, saturated density is the
ratio of the total soil mass of saturated sample to its total volume.

4) Sub merged density The submerged density is the submerged mass


of soil solid (Md)subPer Unit of total volume V of the soil mass

Civil Engineering – 15CE34T


Physical properties

Unit weight of soil mass

i)Bulk unit weight The dry unit weight is the weight of solids per unit of its total
volume (prior to drying) of the soil mass.

ii)Dry unit weight The dry unit weight is the weight of solids per unit of its total
volume (prior to drying) of the soil mass.

iii)Unit weight of solid The unit weight of soil solids is the weight of soil solid (W d)

per unit volume of solids (Vs).

Civil Engineering – 15CE34T


Physical properties

Unit weight of soil mass

iv) Saturated unit weight

When the soil mass is saturated, its bulk unit weight is called the saturated unit
weight. Thus, saturated unit weight is the ratio of the total weight of a saturated
soil sample to its total volume

v) Submerged unit weight

The submerged unit weight ᵞ is the submerged weight of soil solids(Ws) sub per unit
of total volume V of the soil mass.

Civil Engineering – 15CE34T


Physical properties

Specific gravity

The specific gravity of a given material is defined as the ratio of the weight of a
given volume of the material to the weight of an equal volume of distilled water at
that temperature.both weights being taken in air.In other words,it is the ratio of the
unit weiht of soil solids to that of water.

Soil Structure

Color of Soil

Civil Engineering – 15CE34T


Chemical properties
Acidity of Soil (pH)

From engineering as well as an agricultural point of view, determination of the pH of


the soil mass is essential. For healthy plants to grow, the acidic and basic nature of soil must
be known. On the other hand, for construction works, highly acidic soil will affect the
bitumen stability of roads and have adverse effects on concrete strength. (Salinity of soils
will also increase maintenance costs.)

Silicate Clay Presence

The presence of silicate clay materials affects the chemical properties of soil mass. Clay
particles have a large surface area and are the finest materials present in a soil mass. Clay
particle increase the reactivity of a soil mass and affect the stability of the soil mass by
forming compounds with external materials.
Civil Engineering – 15CE34T
Classification of soil
1) Soft soil

2) Spreading soils

3) Hard or Rocky soils

Field identification of soils

Differentiate sand and gravel through visual inspection.

Fine sand and silt can be differentiated by shaking a spoonful of soil mixed with water in a
deep jar (or tube) to make a suspension. Sand would settle in 1.5 minutes, but silt needs 5
minutes or more to settle.

Civil Engineering – 15CE34T


•Field identification of soils
 The above test can be used for clay which requires 10 minutes or more to settle. The
relative quantity of materials (sand, silt, and clay) can be specified by observing the depth
of the materials sediments at the bottom of the jar.

 Inorganic and organic soils can be differentiated using visual inspection.

 Smell test can be used for wood or plant-decay odor.

 Silt and clay can be differentiated using the following steps:

1. Silt lump can be crushed with fingers more easily compared to clay lump.

2. Moisten a spot on the soil lump and rub a finger across it; if it is smooth it is clay, if
marginally streaked-it is clay with silt, and if rough- it is silt.  

Civil Engineering – 15CE34T


Classification of soil
 Consistency of soil can be determined by checking the ease with which a soil lump gets
moulded.

 Stiff consistency: cannot be moulded with the finger.

 Medium consistency: can be moulded by the fingers on strong pressure and readily
indented with a thumbnail.

 Soft consistency: easily moulded with the fingers

Civil Engineering – 15CE34T


MCQ

Civil Engineering – 15CE34T


1. Unit weight of soil mass

a) Dry unit weight

b) Bulk unit weight

c) Saturated unit weight

d) All the above

Answer: d
2. Which one of the following is chemical property of soil?

a) Voids ratio

b) Porosity

c) Acidity

d) Air voids

Answer: c
3. Degree of saturation is defined as

a) Ratio of the volume of voids to the volume of soil solids


in the given soil mass.

b) Ratio of the volume of water present in a given soil mass


to the total volume of voids in it.

c) Ratio of volume of air voids to total volume of soil mass.

d) Ratio of weight of water of solids in a given mass of soil.

Answer: b
4. Consistency of soil can be determined by checking the
ease with which a soil lump gets moulded.

a) Stiff consistency: cannot be moulded with the finger.

b) Medium consistency: can be moulded by the fingers


on strong pressure and readily indented with a thumbnail.

c) Soft consistency: easily moulded with the fingers

d) All the above are true

Answer: d
5 .Find the Fine grained component in the following

a) Gravel

b) Sand

c) Silt

d) Cobble

Answer: c
Thank You

Civil Engineering – 15CE34T

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