Judy F.

Abao June 18, 2018

BSCE-IV

1. What is Weathering?
 The action of the weather conditions in altering the color, texture,
composition, or form of exposed objects; specifically : the physical
disintegration and chemical decomposition of earth materials at or
near the earth's surface.
 It is the breaking down of rocks, soil, and minerals as well as wood and
artificial materials through contact with the Earth's atmosphere, water, and
biological organisms. Weathering occurs in situ (on site), that is, in the same
place, with little or no movement, and thus should not be confused
with erosion, which involves the movement of rocks and minerals by agents
such as water, ice, snow, wind, waves and gravity and then being transported
and deposited in other locations.

2. Types of Weathering and explain each.

There are three types of weathering.

 Physical weathering
- In physical weathering the rocks are broken down into smaller pieces,
but the chemical composition of the rock remains the same.
 Chemical weathering
- Chemical weathering occurs when rocks are broken down by a
chemical change. Rainwater can become slightly acidic by absorbing
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and this reacts with the mineral
grains in the rock giving rise to new minerals and salts.
 Biological weathering
- Biological weathering takes place when rocks are worn away by living
organisms. Trees and other plants can grow within the cracks in a rock
formation. As the roots grow bigger they push open cracks in the rocks
making them wider and deeper. Over time the growing tree eventually
prizes the rock apart.

3. Types of Rocks and explain each.

There are three types of rocks.

 Igneous; Igneous rocks are formed when magma (molten rock deep within the
earth) cools and hardens. Sometimes the magma cools inside the earth, and
other times it erupts onto the surface from volcanoes (in this case, it is called
 lava). When lava cools very quickly, no crystals form and the rock looks shiny
and glasslike. Sometimes gas bubbles are trapped in the rock during the cooling
process, leaving tiny holes and spaces in the rock.
 Metamorphic; they are formed through the change (metamorphosis) of igneous
and sedimentary rocks. They can form both underground and at the surface.
Metamorphic rocks are formed under the surface of the earth from the
metamorphosis (change) that occurs due to intense heat and pressure
(squeezing). The rocks that result from these processes often have ribbonlike
layers and may have shiny crystals, formed by minerals growing slowly over
time, on their surface.
 Sedimentary; they are formed through the solidification of sediment. They can
be based off of organic remains (such as limestone), or just form from the
cementing of other rocks. Sedimentary rocks are formed from particles of sand,
shells, pebbles, and other fragments of material. Together, all these particles
are called sediment. Gradually, the sediment accumulates in layers and over a
long period of time hardens into rock. Generally, sedimentary rock is fairly soft
and may break apart or crumble easily. You can often see sand, pebbles, or
stones in the rock, and it is usually the only type that contains fossils.

4. Types of Soil and explain each.

These are the types of soil:

 Sandy Soil
- It has the largest particles among the different soil types. It’s dry and
gritty to the touch, and because the particles have huge spaces
between them, it can’t hold on to water. It is light, warm, dry and tend
to be acidic and low in nutrients. Sandy soils are often known as light
soils due to their high proportion of sand and little clay (clay weighs
more than sand). These soils have quick water drainage and are easy
to work with. They are quicker to warm up in spring than clay soils but
tend to dry out in summer and suffer from low nutrients that are
washed away by rain. The addition of organic matter can help give
plants an additional boost of nutrients by improving the nutrient and
water holding capacity of the soil.
 Silt Soil
- Are light and moisture retentive soils with a high fertility rating. As silt
soils compromise of medium sized particles they are well drained and
hold moisture well. As the particles are fine, they can be easily
compacted and are prone to washing away with rain. By adding
organic matter, the silt particles can be bound into more stable clumps.
Silty soil has much smaller particles than sandy soil so it’s smooth to
the touch. When moistened, it’s soapy slick. When you roll it between
your fingers, dirt is left on your skin.
  Clay Soil
- Are heavy soils that benefit from high nutrients. Clay soils remain wet
and cold in winter and dry out in summer. These soils are made of over
25 percent clay, and because of the spaces found between clay
particles, clay soils hold a high amount of water. Because these soils
drain slowly and take longer to warm up in summer, combined with
drying out and cracking in summer, they can often test gardeners. It’s
sticky to the touch when wet, but smooth when dry.
 Peat Soil
- Are high in organic matter and retain a large amount of moisture. This
type of soil is very rarely found in a garden and often imported into a
garden to provide an optimum soil base for planting. Peaty soil is dark
brown or black in color, soft, easily compressed due to its high water
content, and rich in organic matter. When wet peat soil is rolled, you
won’t form a ball. It’s spongy to the touch and when squeezed, water
could be forced out.
 Chalk Soil
- It can be either light or heavy but always highly alkaline due to the
calcium carbonate or lime within its structure. As these soils are
alkaline they will not support the growth of ericaceous plants that
require acidic soils to grow.
 Loam Soil
- Are a mixture of sand, silt and clay that are combined to avoid the
negative effects of each type. These soils are fertile, easy to work with
and provide good drainage. Depending on their predominant
composition they can be either sandy or clay loam. As the soils are a
perfect balance of soil particles, they are considered to be a gardeners
best friend, but still benefit from topping up with additional organic
matter. It has a higher pH and calcium levels because of its previous
organic matter content.

5. What are the different unit weights of soil?

 Unit weight of a soil mass is the ratio of the total weight of soil to the total
volume of soil.
 Unit Weight, , is usually determined in the laboratory by measuring the
weight and volume of a relatively undisturbed soil sample obtained from a
brass ring. Measuring unit weight of soil in the field may consist of a sand
cone test, rubber balloon or nuclear densiometer.
 Empirical values for g, of granular soils based on the standard penetration
number, (from Bowels, Foundation Analysis).
SPT Penetration, N-
Value (blows/ foot) g (lb/ft3)
0-4 70 - 100
4 - 10 90 - 115
10 - 30 110 - 130
30 - 50 110 - 140
>50 130 - 150

 Empirical values for g, of cohesive soils based on the standard penetration

number, (from Bowels, Foundation Analysis).
SPT Penetration, N-
Value (blows/ foot) gsat (lb/ft3)
0-4 100 - 120
4-8 110 - 130
8 - 32 120 - 140

 Typical Soil Characteristics (from Lindeburg, Civil Engineering Reference

Manual for the PE Exam, 8th ed.)
Soil Type g (lb/ft3) gsat (lb/ft3)
Sand,
loose and
uniform 90 118
Sand,
dense and
uniform 109 130
sand,
loose and
well
graded 99 124
Sand,
dense and
well
graded 116 135
glacial
clay, soft 76 110
glacial
clay, stiff 106 125
 Typical Values of Soil Index Properties (from NAVFAC 7.01)
Soil Type g (lb/ft3) gsub (lb/ft3)
Sand;
clean,
uniform,
fine or
medium 84 - 136 52 - 73
Silt;
uniform,
inorganic 81 - 136 51 - 73
Silty Sand 88 - 142 54 - 79
Sand; Well-
graded 86 - 148 53 - 86
Silty Sand
and Gravel 90 - 155 56 - 92
Sandy or
Silty Clay 100 - 147 38 - 85
Silty Clay
with Gravel;
uniform 115 - 151 53 - 89
Well-graded
Gravel,
Sand, Silt
and Clay 125 - 156 62 - 94
Clay 94 - 133 31 - 71
Colloidal
Clay 71 - 128 8 - 66
Organic Silt 87 - 131 25 - 69
Organic
Clay 81 - 125 18 - 62

 Typical Soil Characteristics (from Lindeburg, Civil Engineering Reference

Manual for the PE Exam, 8th ed.)
Soil Type g (lb/ft3) gsat (lb/ft3)
Sand, loose and
uniform 90 118
Sand, dense and
uniform 109 130
sand, loose and
well graded 99 124
Sand, dense and
well graded 116 135
glacial clay, soft 76 110
glacial clay, stiff 106 125