INVESTIGATE THE GEOTECHNICAL PROPERTIES OF

SOIL: A CASE STUDY OF H.U.K. POLYTECHNIC, KATSINA

NIGERIA
By

Samaila Saleh
Department of Civil Engineering
Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic
Katsina State Nigeria
May, 2016

Introduction
Geotechnical characteristic of sub-soil provides relevant data for
use as inputs in the planning, design, costing, construction,
operation and maintenance of engineering structures
Sub-soil geotechnical data if properly utilised can prevent adverse
environmental impact or structural failure/prevention of post
construction problems

Study Area
The study area is Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic located in
Katsina City, the capital city of Katsina State of Nigeria.
The state located b/w lat. 1108'N and 1322'N and long. 652'E
and 920'E.
It is bounded by Niger Republic to the north, by Jigawa and
Kano States to the east, by Kaduna State to the South and by
Zanfara State to the West.
Geology of cretaceous sediments overlap the crystalline rocks
The area is flat to gently undulating surface
The underlying rocks are overlain by coarse sandy 'drift' deposits
These soils are easily worked and well suited to crops such as
millet and groundnut.

Materials and Methods

Twelve (12) representative samples were collected from 12 trial
pits at depths of 1.2 to 2.0 m within HUK polytechnic campus.
The laboratory tests carried out as per standard procedures are as
follows :

Natural Moisture Content Test

Atterberg Limits Tests
Specific Gravity Test
Grain Size Analysis
Moisture Density Relationship and
CBR tests.

Methodology
Natural Moisture Content
The natural water content was determined using standard
procedure of IS 2720 Part II: 1973 by oven drying selected wet
soil for 24 hours at a temperature of 110 50C.
The water content of the soil was computed as the ratio of the
mass of water to the measured mass of solid particles

Methodology cont..
Specific Gravity Test
The specific gravity, G is the ratio between the unit weight of soil
solid and unit weight of equal volume of distilled water at room
temperature of 27 0C.
The tests for the specific gravity of the soil samples were
conducted as per the standard procedure of IS 2720 Part III: 1980.

Methodology cont..
Consistency or Atterberg Limits Tests
The water contents at which soil changes from one state to other are
known as consistency or atterberg limits.
Liquid limit, LL

LL is the water content at which soil changes from liquid to the solid
state.
The test for the LL was conducted as per the standard procedure of IS
2720 Part V: 1985 using Casagrandes apparatus
A cut was made with a standard groove and then the cup was dropped
from a height of 1cm until it closes
This trial was repeated with different water content and the water
content for 25 drops was found as the LL

Methodology cont..
Plastic limit, PL
The test for the PL of the soil sample was conducted as per the
standard procedure of IS 2720 Part V: 1985
This test was carried out by adding water in soil and made in to a
ball and rolled with finger on a glass plate until it crumbles at
3mm.
Its then oven dried for 24 hour and its moisture content was
determined as the PL
Plasticity index, PI
The plasticity index was calculated as the difference between
liquid and plastic limit of the soils
.

Methodology cont..
Grain Size Analysis
Grain size analysis was conducted to quantitatively find the distribution
of the grain size of the soil sample.
The soil samples obtained were prepared as specified in IS 2720 Part I:
1983 and the test was conducted as per IS 2720 Part IV: 1985
The fraction retained in the 75 m sieve was oven dried and then put on
the sieve set and agitated using mechanical shaker for 15 minutes. The
amount retained in each sieve was weighed and recorded
The grain size distribution of the fraction passing 75 m Sieve was
determined by performing hydrometer analysis as per IS 2720 Part IV:
1985 standard procedure.
The results of both sieve analyses and hydrometer analyses were
combined together and presented in tab 1 and fig 1

Results
Table 1 Grain size analysis results for soil
Grain sizes, D
(mm)
4.75
2.36
1.18
0.6
0.3
0.15
0.0750
0.0610
0.0440
0.0317
0.0228
0.0164
0.0120
0.0085
0.0060
0.0043
0.0030
0.0020
0.0013
0.0004

Percentage finer (%)

100

100
84
77
73
69.5
67.5
66.1
62.6
60.8
55.1
53.9
51.4
48.2
43.8
37.5
32.4
26.8
19.5
13.5
2.1

Percentage
80 finer (%)

60

40

20

0
0

0.01

0.1

Grain sizes (mm)

Figure 1: Grain size distribution curve of soil

10

Results cont..
Moisture Density Relationship

1.66

The tests was performed as per IS 1.64

2720 Part VII: 1980 standard procedure 1.62
M DD = 1.65 g/cm3
OM C = 12 %
The compaction was applied by Dry 1.60
density (g/cm3)
dropping 2.6 kg rammer from a height
1.58
of 310 mm in three different layers
1.56
with 25 number of blows/layer.
The result of the standard proctor 1.54
6
8
10
12
14
compaction test obtained is shown in
Moisture content (%)
fig. 2

16

Figure 2: Compaction curve of soil

18

Results cont..
California Bearing Ratio (CBR) Tests
The CBR tests were performed
on the soils samples in
accordance with IS 2720 Part
XVI: 1987 standard procedure.
It is a ratio (expressed in %) of
force per unit area required to
penetrate a soil mass with a
circular plunger of 50 mm
diameter at the rate of 1.25
mm/min to that required for
corresponding penetration in a
standard material.

100

Load (kg)

50

6
8
10
Penetration (mm)

12

14

Results cont..
Table 2: Results of soil properties
TRIAL PIT
NO

Water
Liquid Limit
content (%)
(%)

Plastic
Limit (%)

Plasticity
Index (%)

Specific
gravity, G

OMC
(%)

MDD
(g/cm3)

CBR
(%)

TP1

8.9

22.5

12.5

10.0

2.65

13.20

1.66

49

TP2

10.8

19.1

14.7

4.4

2.68

11.50

1.87

51

TP3

11.5

18.0

11.9

6.1

2.70

10.53

1.71

51

TP4

8.3

22.0

15.0

7.0

2.66

14.00

1.69

52

TP5

10.6

24.5

13.5

11.0

2.68

13.00

1.65

48

TP6

7.2

18.6

14.0

4.6

2.69

14.11

1.66

49

TP7

9.1

21.0

12.1

8.9

2.72

13.22

1.65

49

TP8

7.8

18.9

11.8

7.1

2.66

12.88

1.78

51

TP9

9.9

18.5

15.0

3.5

2.68

13.56

1.82

48

TP10

9.0

21.7

13.7

8.0

2.69

11.97

1.82

48

TP11

9.5

21.8

15.1

6.7

2.71

12.38

1.69

49

TP12

11.0

20.0

12.0

8.0

2.75

10.63

1.78

51

Average

9.47

20.55

13.44

7.11

2.69

12.58

1.73

52

Discussions of results
According to General Specifications (Roads and Bridges), vol. II:
1997, Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a good
construction material should have:

specific gravity ranging from 2.5 to 2.75.

Both subgrade/fill and base, the percentage by weight passing sieve
(75m) shall not be greater than 35%, otherwise the material shall be
rejected.
The minimum strength of base course material shall not be less than 80
% CBR (unsoaked)
The minimum strength for subgrade/fill shall not be less than 10% after
at least 48 hours soaking

From these results, soils samples were classified as per standard procedure of IS:
1498: 1970 as silty sand and clayey sand (SM-SC).

Conclusion
The study shows that soils samples have average values of:
Natural Moisture Content of 9.47%
Liquid Limit (LL) of 20.55 %,
Plastic Limit (PL) of 13.44 % and
Plasticity Index (PI) of 7.11 %.
specific gravity of 2.69,
maximum dry density of 1.73 g/cm3,
optimum moisture content of
13.44 % and
CBR of 52 %.
Generally, this study has shown that the soils samples are suitable for use
as construction material like subgrade and subbase but are not suitable for
use as a base material.