Chapter 5 Classification of Soils 5.

1 Description and classification Distinguish between soil description and soil classification ; Descripton ; is isimply what you see and how the soil responds to simple tests; you may want to describe only single soil sample or soil profile exposed in a cliff face, in a excavation or from a number of samples from a borehole. Classification ; is a scheme for separating soils into broad groups, each with broadly similar behaviour. Various classification schemes for different purposes ; Agricultural classifications based on how soils support crops Geological classifications based on the age of the deposit or the nature of the grains Civil engineering purposes soil classifications should be based mainly on mechanical behaviour 5.2 Description of soils In United Kingdom these are the ritish !tandards for site investigations " ! #$%&'($$$) and for soil testing " ! (%**'($$&) but slightly different schemes are used in other regions. + simple and universal scheme for soil description is as follow ; (. ,he nature of the grains. ,he most important features of soil grains are their si-e and the grading "i.e. the proportions of different si-es), together with the shape and surface texture of the grains and their mineralogy. .. ,he current state of the soil. ,he important indicators of the state of a soil are the current stresses, the current water content and the history of loading and unloading; these are reflected by the relative strength and stiffnesses of samples of the soil. %. ,he structure of the soil. ,his consists of fabric and bonding. /atural soils are rarely uniform and they contain fabric features, such a layers, which are seen in small samples and in large exposures. In some natural soils the grains are wea0ly bonded together. "if the grains are strongly bonded the material has become a roc0.) !oil structure will be discussed further in 1hapter (2. 3. ,he formation of the soil. !oils are formed in different ways. ,hey may be deposited naturally from water, ice or wind; they may be the residual products of roc0 weathering; they may be compacted by machines into emban0ments and fills. 5.3 Soil particles sizes, shapes and gradings

!oil particle shapes also differ considerably. 1lay grains are usually plate4li0e while silt, sand and gravel grains are more rotund. 5ords such as sand, silt and clay are used both to classify grain si-e and to describe a soil which may contain lesser 6uantities of other si-es. ,he distributin of particle si-es in asoil is represented by a grading curve on a particle si-e chart.

If the grading curve is flat the soil contains a wide variety of different particle si-es and is 0nown to engineers as well graded; if the curve is steep and one si-e predominates the soil is poorly graded. ,he grading of soil often reflects its origin. !oils deposited by rivers or wind tend to be poorly graded while boulder clays and tills deposited from ice tend to be well graded with a wide distributin of si-es. 5.4 roperties of fine!grained soils !pecific surface defined as the total surface area of all grains in unit mass.

5.5 Specific volu"e, #ater content and unit #eight 7any important mechanical properties of soil depend on the closeness of the pac0ing of the grains, so that loose soils will be wea0er and more compressible than dense soils. v = V = Vs = e = Vw = Vs = specific volume volume of sample volume of soil grains voids ratio volume of voids volume of soil grains

w = Ww= Ws = y = W = V =

water content weight of water weight of dry soil unit weight weight of sample (Ww+Ws) volume

5.$ %i"its of consistenc& ,here are limits to the water content within which a soil has the consistency of soil rather than the consistency of a li6uid or a brittle roc0. ,est to determine the precise water contents at which soil behaviour becomes li6uid or brittle are the Atter'erg li"its. ,he +tterberg limits apply to fine4grained soils. 8or coarsed4grained sands and gravels the appropriate limits are the minimum density of a very loosely poured sample and the maximum density of a vibrated and heaviliy loaded sample "Kolbus-ews0i, ($39). ,hus the minimum density of a sand is e6uivalent to the li6uid limit of a clay, while the maximum density is e6uivalent to the plastic limit.

5.( Current state !tiffness, steength and specific volume all depend on the current stresses and history of loading and unloading during deposition and erosion. IL = w = liquidity index water content

r = =

relative density specific volume

5.). *rigins of soils ,he mechanical behavior of a soil is determined principally by its nature and its current state, but these are governed, to some extent, by the manner of formation of the soil which may be deposited, residual or compacted by machines. 8ormation of soils on their nature and state ; (. Deposited soils .. :esidual soils %. 1ompacted soils