IES-GATE ACADEMY SOIL MECHANICS

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1.ORIGIN OF SOILS
According to
1) Geologist: soil is top surface of the earth crest
2) Agricultural engineering: The upper layer of the mantila is useful for cultivation of crops
Is called soil
3) Definition of soil: soil is an unconsolidated loose crest of the earth

Note: un consolidated having voids

Crest of the earth top surface of the earth
Origin of soil

Decomposition of organic matter weathering of rocks

(Organic soil or cumulose soil) (Inorganic soil)
Cumulose soils: example: peat, humus, muck, etc.

Soil

Organic soil Inorganic soil

(Formed by decomposition (Formed by weathering of rocks)
of organic matter)

Weathering of Rock (powder of rock)

Physical Weathering Chemical weathering

1) Due to physical effects like Due to chemical action like
- Temp changes - oxidation
- Abrasion - hydration
- Wedging action of ice - Carbonation
- Penetration of plant roots - Solution
- Leaching
- Hydrolyses etc.
2) There is no change in chemical Original rock minerals are converted into
Composition of minerals present Clay minerals
Originally in the rock
3) (Type of soil finally)
Results in coarse grained and non Results in formation of fine grained and
Cohesive soils like cohesive soils like

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- Gravel -Clay
- Sand -Plastic silt
-Non plastic silt

Geological cycle:
Weathering of rock transportation deposition upheaval

Pickup the correct one

a) Transportation - Deposition weathering upheaval
b) Upheaval transportation deposition
c) Weathering transportation deposition upheaval ans:c
Classification of soils:
1) Residual soils or sedentary soils: or sedentary soils:
Soil particles resides over or near the parent rock (i.e no transportation)
Example: Black cotton soils, laterite soils

2) Transported soils (or) Sedimentary soils:

Soil particles created at one location, transported and finally deposited in another
location
Transportation of soil:
1) Due to flowing water:
i) Soils deposited by water in rivers are called Alluvial soil
ii) Soils deposited in lakes are called lacustrine soils
iii) Soils deposited in sea are called marine soils
Lacustrine soil

Flowing water Alluvial soil
Marine soil
2) Due to wind: Soils deposited by wind are called Aeolian soils
Example: sand dumes, loess (silt sized particle)

3) Due to glacier (slowly moving ice mass)

Soils deposited by glacier are called Glacier deposits

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Example: Drift, till etc:

4) Due to gravity: Soils deposited by gravity care called Colluvial soils
Example: Talus (means soil particles are deposited at the foot of the hill)
Black cotton soils:-It is a residual soil farmed by chemical weathering, parent (Origin) rock is
Basalt or trap Exhibits large swelling and shrinkage due to the presence of montmorillonite
clay mineral

Note: Gravitational forces (w) body forces are predominant in coarse grained soils like gravel

and sand S = tan where is body force
Surface forces, chemical farces, electrical farces are predominant in clays example: cohesion,

electric charge etc. Shear strength of soil S= c + tan where c = cohesion.
In case of silt both gravitational forces and surface forces may be present

Varved clay: Contains alternate thin layers of clay & silt, generally lacustrine deposit

IES-OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS
01. Match list I with list II and select the correct answer [IES-2000]

List I List II

A. Loess 1. Deposited from suspension in running water

B. Peat 2. Deposits of marine origin

C. Alluvial soil 3. Deposits by wind

D. Mari 4. Organic soil

A B C D A B C D

a. 3 4 2 1 b. 4 3 1 2

c. 4 3 2 1 d. 3 4 1 2

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1. The collapsible soil is associated with [IES-2003]

a. Dune sands b. Laterite soils c. Loess d. Black cotton soils

2. Consider the following statements: [IES-2005]

1. Obtaining reliable properties of soil is very important in geotechnical engineering.

Chunk samples obtained from the field are the best for this purpose.

2. Chunk samples may easily be obtained at all depths below ground level and for all types

of soils.

3. Undisturbed soil samples are enclosed in rugged containers. As such, they do not get

disturbed easily during transportation and handling.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a. 1, 2 and 3 b. 1 only c. 2 and 3 d. 1 and 3

PRACTISE QUESTIONS
1. Soils are basically
(a) Organic Materials (b) Inorganic Materials (c) Mineral Materials
(d) Organic and Inorganic Materials Ans:d

2. Cohesionless soils are formed by

(a) physical disintegration of rocks (b) chemical weathering of rocks
(c) consistent blowing of wind in the same direction (d) deposition in a delta region
Ans:a
3. Talus is the soil transported by
(a) wind (b) water (c) glacier (d) gravitational force Ans:d

4. Loess is silty clay formed by the action of

(a) water (b) glacier (c) wind (d) gravitational force Ans:c

5. Drift is the material picked up, mixed, disintegrated, transported and redeposited by
(a) wind (b) gravitational force (c) glacier water (d) all Ans:c

6. Non-cohesive soil is
(a) sand (b)silt (c) clay (d)clay & silt Ans:a

7. The soil transported by flowing water is called

(a) aeolian soil (b) marine soil (c) alluvial soil (d) lacustrine soil Ans:c

8. The soil transported by wind is called

(a) aeolian soil (b) marine soil (c) alluvial soil (d) lacustrine soil Ans:a

9. Lacustrine soils are those which are

(a) deposited in sea water (b) deposited at the bottom of lakes

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(c) transported by wind (d) deposited due to moving of ice sheets Ans:b

10. Clay can be classified as

(a) highly cohesive soil (b) limited cohesive soil (c) cohesionless soil Ans:a

11. Which of the following is cohesive soil?

(a) Kankar (b) Black cotton soil (c) Loose coarse sand (d) Sand with clay
Ans:b
12. Which of the following will have highest % of loam, loess
a)Sandy clay loam b).Silty clay loam c).Clay d).Silty Clay Ans:a

13. The inventor of the term soil mechanics, was

(a) Kray (b) Dr. Karl Terzaghi (c) Leygue (d) Fellenius. Ans:b

14. Pick up the correct statement from the following:

(a) To an agriculturist, soil is the substance existing on the earths surface, which grows
and develops plants
(b) To a geologist, soil is the material in a relatively thin surface zone within which roots
occur, and rest of the crust is termed as rock irrespective of hardness
(c) To an engineer, soil is the unaggregated and uncemented deposits of minerals and
organic particles covering the earths crust
(d) All the above. Ans:(d)

15. Geologic cycle for the formation of soil,

(a) Upheavel transportation deposition weathering
(b) Weathering upheaval transportation deposition
(c) Transportation upheaval weathering deposition
(d) Weathering transportation deposition upheaval Ans:(d)

16. Chemical weathering of soil is caused due to Ans:(e)

(a) oxidation (b) carbonation (c) hydration (d) leaching (e) all

17. Transporting and re-depositing soils, is done by Ans:e

(a) water (b) glacier (c) gravity (d) wind (e) all

18. Water formed transported soil is

(a) alluvial (b) marine (c) lacustrine (d) loess. Ans:d

19. Talus is the soil transported by Ans:d

(a) wind (b) water (c) glacier (d) gravitational force.

20. In sedimentary soil the individual particles are created at one location, transported and
finally

a) Deposited in another location b) Redeposited in low lying areas

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c) Deposited in low lying areas d) Deposited in desert areas Ans:a

21. A residual soil is one formed in place by the weathering of rock at the location

a) And transported to another location

b) With little or no movement of the individual soil particles

c) And deposited under lake d) And deposited under area Ans:b

22. Soils are basically

a) Organic materials b) Inorganic materials

c) Mineral materials d) Organic and inorganic materials Ans:d

23. The behaviour of silts is normally governed by: Ans:c

a) Mass energy b) Surface energy c) Mass and surface energy d) None

24. The behaviour of clay is governed by Ans:c

a) Mass energy b) Surface cum mass energy c) Surface energy d) Friction

25. Residual soils are formed by:

a) Glaciers b) Wind c) Water d) None Ans:d

26. Lacustrine soil is a. (IES-1995)

a) Soil deposited in sea b) Wind borne soil

c) Soil deposited in lake d) Soil formed by vegetational matter Ans:c

27. Chemical weathering occurs because of

a) Oxidation b) Carbonation c) Hydration d) All the above Ans:d

28. Physical weathering occurs due to

a) Temperature changes b) Wedging action of ice

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c) Spreading of roots of plants d) All the above Ans:d

30. The term soil Mechanics was coined by

a) Terzaghi b) Cassagrande c) Newmark d) Rankine Ans:a

31. Cohesionless soils are formed due to

a) Oxidation or rocks b) Leaching action of water on rocks

c) Blowing of hot and cold wind d) Physical disintegration of rocks Ans:d

32. Peat is composed of

a) Clay and Sand b) Decayed vegetable matter

c) Inorganic silt and silty clay d) Synthetic chemicals Ans:b

33. Talus is the soil transported by

a) Gravitational force b) Water c) Glacier d) Wind Ans:a

34. Varved clay is Ans:c

a) A mixture of sand, silt, caly b) A chemically bonded soil mixture

c) Alternate thin layers of silt and clay d) Decomposed volcanic ash deposit

35. Black cotton soil is

a) A chemically weathered residual soil b) A physically weathered residual soil

c) A Colluvial soil d) An organic soil Ans:a

36. Black cotton soil exhibits large swelling and shrinkage due to presence of the following

clay mineral (GATE 93, APSEB 91) Ans:c

a) Kaolinite b) llite c) Montmorillonite d) Halloysite

37. When the product of rock weathering are not transported as sediments but remain in place

a) Alluvial soil b) Glacial soil c) residual soil d) Aeolian soil Ans:c

38. Aeolian soils are . (GATE-1995)

a) Residual soils b) Wind deposits c) Gravity deposits d) Water deposits

Ans:b

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39. Loam means

a) Sandy Clay with a little slit b) Silty Clay with a little sand

c) Sand, Silt and Clay d) Sand, Slit and Gravel Ans:c

40. Fill is deposit made

a) By transported soil b) by weathering of rock in one location

c) By deposition of transported soil d) by the activities of man Ans:d

41. The majority of naturally occurring collapsing soils are

a) Aeolian b) Peat c) Alluvial d) Marine Ans:a

42. Identify the non collapsing soil from the following Ans:d

a) dune sand b) volcanic ash c) loess d) gravel or pebble

43. Pick up the correct sequence of geological cycle for the formation of soil

a) Transportation upheaval deposition weathering

b) Transportation deposition weathering upheaval

c) Weathering upheaval deposition transportation

d) Weathering transportation deposition upheaval Ans:d

44. The most erratic soil deposit is

a) Win load deposit b) river channel deposit

c) Flood plain deposit d) Glacial deposit Ans:d

45. The most uniform soil deposit is Ans:a

a) Wind laid deposit b) Delta deposit c) Share deposit d) glacial deposit

46. In black cotton soils the seasonal moisture changes bring in volume changes upto a

maximum depth of about

a) 1.0m b) 1.5m c) 2.0m d) 3.0m Ans:b

47. Match list I with list II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:

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List I List II

(Soil deposit) (Soil Name)

A. Gravity 1. Stratified drift

B. Lake 2. Talus

C. Glacial 3. Loess

D. Wind 4. Lacustrine

a) A 1, B 3, C 2, D 4 b) A 2, B 4, C 1, D 3

c) A 3, B 4, C 1, D 2 d) A 4, B 3, C 2, D 1 Ans:b

50. Loess is

a) a clay deposit b) Fine sand sized particles

c) silt size particles d) colloidal particles Ans:c

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