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A- Soil Characteristics
B- Soil Classification
C- Embankments
D- Soil Compaction
The information listed in this lecture is mainly taken from; Standard Specifications
for Engineering Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing (AASHTO, 2013),
Iraqi General Specifications for Roads and Bridge (SCRB, 2007), Traffic and Highway
Engineering (Garber and Hoel, 2009) and Highways (OFlaherty, 2007).
A- Soil Characteristics
The basic characteristics of a soil are usually described in terms of its origin,
formation, grain size, and shape. The principal engineering properties of any soil are
mainly related to the basic characteristics of that soil.
- Origin and Formation of Soils (weathering)
- Surface Texture (fine and coarse)
Basic engineering properties of soils
Highway engineers must be familiar with those basic engineering properties of soils
that influence their behaviour when subjected to external loads. Highway engineers
must always keep in mind that the behaviour of any soil depends on the conditions
of that soil at the time it is being tested.
- Phase Relations (includes; porosity, void ratio, moisture content, degree of
saturation, soil density)
- Atterberg limits (includes, PL, SL and Liquid limit.
- Permeability (DArcy law v = k i)
- Shear strength (S = C + tan )
Lecture 10 & 11
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B- Soil Classification
Soil can be classified according to their probable engineering characteristics. It helps
as a means of identifying suitable subbase materials and predicting the probable
behaviour of a soil when used as subgrade material.
The most commonly used classification system for highway purposes is the
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
Classification System. The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) also is used to a
lesser extent.
Lecture 10 & 11
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Lecture 10 & 11
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Highway Eng.
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Under the AASHTO system, granular soils fall into classes A-1 to A-3. A-1 soils consist
of well-graded granular materials, A-2 soils contain significant amounts of silts and
clays, and A-3 soils are clean but poorly graded sands.A-4 to A-7 are silty to clayey
soils.
Classifying soils under the AASHTO system will consist of first determining the
particle size distribution and Atterberg limits of the soil and then reading the Table
from left to right to find the correct group. The correct group is the first one from
the left that fits the particle size distribution and Atterberg limits and should be
expressed in terms of group designation and the GI. Examples are A-2-6(4) and A6(10).
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The table below gives commonly used relative density values for different
embankment heights. The relative density is given as a percentage of the maximum
dry density obtained from the standard AASHTO (T99) test.
Lecture 10 & 11
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D- Soil Compaction
Compaction equipment used in the field can be divided into two main categories.
The first category includes the equipment used for spreading the material to the
desired layer or lift thickness, and the second category includes the equipment used
to compact each layer of material.
Lecture 10 & 11
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Lecture 10 & 11
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