UNIVERSIDAD ESTATAL DEL SUR DE MANAB

Creada el 7 de Febrero del ao 2001, segn Registro Oficial # 261

UNIDAD ACADEMICA DE CIENCIAS TECNICAS

CARRERA DE INGENIERIA CIVIL
Name: Vinces Parrales Jose Fabian

Teacher: Jaime Caarte Avila

THE ROCK CYCLE

Earths crust is not stationary as one may think; it is constantly moving. The dynamic nature of Earths
crust means that as new rock is formed at one location it deteriorates at other locations; this is the rock
cycle. There is an enormous variety of rocks and their constituent minerals present in Earths crust, but all
rock varieties are classified as one of three basic types: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. These
basic types of rock relate to the manner in which the rocks were formed. The mining of rocks and minerals
from Earths crust has provided humankind with many benefits, including building materials, fossil fuels
(oil, coal and gas), and precious metals and minerals for cosmetic and industrial uses

SOIL
Soil is a mixture of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids, and countless organisms that together support
life on Earth. Soil is a natural body called the pedosphere which has four important functions: it is a
medium for plant growth; it is a means of water storage, supply and purification; it is a modifier of Earth's
atmosphere; it is a habitat for organisms; all of which, in turn, modify the soil.
Soil is called the "Skin of the Earth" and interfaces with its lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere,
and biosphere The term pedolith, used commonly to refer to the soil, literally translates 'level stone'. Soil
consists of a solid phase of minerals and organic matter, as well as a porous phase that holds gases and
water. Accordingly, soils are often treated as a three-state system of solids, liquids, and gases.
Soil is a product of the influence of the climate, relief (elevation, orientation, and slope of terrain),
organisms, and its parent materials(original minerals) interacting over time. Soil continually undergoes
development

by

way

of

numerous

physical,

chemical

and

biological

processes,

which

include weathering with associated erosion.

Vinces Jos

31/05/2016

UNIVERSIDAD ESTATAL DEL SUR DE MANAB

Creada el 7 de Febrero del ao 2001, segn Registro Oficial # 261

UNIDAD ACADEMICA DE CIENCIAS TECNICAS

CARRERA DE INGENIERIA CIVIL
Name: Vinces Parrales Jose Fabian

Teacher: Jaime Caarte Avila

INFLUENCE OF SOIL TEXTURE SEPARATES ON SOME PROPERTIES OF SOILS

Property/behavior

Sand

Silt
Medium to

Clay

Water-holding capacity

Low

Aeration

Good

Drainage rate

High

Soil organic matter level

Low

Decomposition of organic matter

Rapid

Medium

Slow

Warm-up in spring

Rapid

Moderate

Slow

Compactability

Low

Medium

High

High

Low

Susceptibility to wind erosion

Moderate (High if fine

sand)

high
Medium
Slow to
medium
Medium to
high

High
Poor
Very slow

High to medium

Low if aggregated, otherwise

Susceptibility to water erosion

Low (unless fine sand)

High

Shrink/Swell Potential

Very Low

Low

Moderate to very high

Poor

Poor

Good

Suitability for tillage after rain

Good

Medium

Poor

Pollutant leaching potential

High

Medium

Low (unless cracked)

Ability to store plant nutrients

Poor

Resistance to pH change

Low

Sealing of ponds, dams, and

landfills

Vinces Jos

Medium to
High
Medium

high

High
High

31/05/2016

UNIVERSIDAD ESTATAL DEL SUR DE MANAB

Creada el 7 de Febrero del ao 2001, segn Registro Oficial # 261

UNIDAD ACADEMICA DE CIENCIAS TECNICAS

CARRERA DE INGENIERIA CIVIL
Name: Vinces Parrales Jose Fabian

Teacher: Jaime Caarte Avila

THE PROCESS FOR SOIL AND ROCK PROPERTY SELECTION

Most geotechnical engineering textbooks provide information related to the mechanics of conducting
field and laboratory tests to obtain soil and rock properties. In addition, the American Society for Testing
and Materials (ASTM) and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
standards provide excellent guidance related to the specific procedures for performing the actual field
and laboratory tests. There are, however, few resources that provide guidance to the design professional
related to a rational process for selecting appropriate critical locations in the geologic deposit and then
developing a specific laboratory and field testing program to obtain soil and rock properties appropriate
for design. The goal of this chapter is to describe a process that has been used on a variety of large and
small projects to integrate the various decision steps necessary to arrive at the final design parameters.
In addition to describing this step-by-step formal process, guidance is provided on the: (1) appropriate
use of correlations to aid in engineering property selection; and (2) use of the Observational Method to
refine and improve selected soil and rock properties used in design.

PROCESS OF SOIL AND ROCK PROPERTY SELECTION

A rational approach for selecting soil and rock properties for engineering design can be summarized as a
logical twelve-step procedure that encompasses the general activities of site investigation and field
testing, laboratory testing and interpretation, and engineering design. This step-by-step process is
presented on the flow chart in figure 1. A brief description of each step of this process is presented below.
More extensive discussion and the methods used to implement these steps are provided throughout the
remainder of this document.

Vinces Jos

31/05/2016