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Table 1-2
Description of Soils
(Based on the Unified Classification System)
Sub
Information
Major division
Field identification for complete
division and
description
symbol
Sub
Information
Major division
Field identification for complete
division and
description
Symbol
ORGANIC SOILS Partly Depending on proportion of Color
organic organic material, these soils Consistency
Organic terrain usually have some of the undisturbed
usually near characteristics of their inor remolded
lakes, rivers, ganic counterparts. Usually Plasticity (liquid
marshes ; highly compressible (spongy) and plastic
includes peat and possess characteristic limits)
and peaty odor. Dry strength
soils, muskeg. Structure
1 Natural moisture
content
Content of
organic material
Organic Fibrous structure usually Texture of
1 brown or black when moist.
material organic material
0 Spongy with usually charac
1
teristic odor.
Granular soils well graded, 11'; poorly graded, P; fine grains present, F.
Cohesive soils low plasticity, L; high plasticity, //.
No more than two symbols are used to describe a soil. Thus a silty clay of low
plasticity is CL; an organic, highly plastic clay is OH.
A more detailed table will be found in reference 19. By means of this classifica
tion system, soils may be graded according to their desirability as foundation or
base course materials. Thus, in the group of granular soils, a well-graded material
makes a good to excellent foundation, while a poorly graded soil is only fair. Coarser
material generally performs better in use. More detailed information on the soil's
properties includes the results of tests on the degree of cementation between, and
durability of, the grains, and on compaction, loading, California bearing ratio (a
i test of the soil's bearing capacity), and shearing strength capabilities.
Cohesive soils have only poor-to-fair base course properties, while organic ma
terials are extremely poor. Laboratory tests on such criteria as compaction, con
solidation and shearing strength give information of value in the assessement of a
particular soil.
28 IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS OF SOILS [CHAP. 1
+ Montmorillonite
Clay O Illite
minerals* X Kaolinite
-i Halloysite
> Nontronitc
Silts and
Organic Js silt clays 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
soils Highly elastic silts Liquid limit
and silt clays
Liquid limit
'Data from Kami*1, Soil Technology Summer Session M.I.T., June 1954.
enough so that the grains do not fracture, the shear strength of such a soil is
a result of the surface friction and interaction of many small grains in direct
contact with one another, while the compressibility of the soil is brought
about by the rearrangement of the individual particles under applied stress
or depends on the elastic compression of these grains. The surface friction
properties and compressibilities of most common granular soil-forming
minerals or mineral aggregates are so similar, that, to the small extent to
which they enter into the deformational characteristics of a cohesionless
soil, the soil's behavior is independent of the particular mineral or minerals
present.
However, clay particles are so small that their specific surface is very high,
and in the extremely small distances between particles various large forces
operate. Since these forces vary from soil to soil, depending on the constituent
mineral or minerals, it is found that different minerals give rise to different
characteristic engineering behaviors. The following chapter will be devoted
to a discussion of surface and colloidal chemistry insofar as it applies to clay
soils and to the effects of mineral variation on engineering soil properties.
BibliograpHy
the start of the test, 10 cc of suspension are withdrawn with a pipette at a level of
10 cm below the surface. What dry weight of soil is in the pipette sample? Describe
the soil. Answer: 0.205 gm.
1-10. Derive equations (1-13).
1-11. Define relative density and explain how its value can be obtained in the field.
1-12. A completely saturated sample of clay has a volume of 31.25 cc and
weighs 58.66 gm. The same sample after drying has a volume of 23.92 cc and a
weight of 42.81 gm. Compute the porosity of the initial sample, the specific gravity
of the soil grains, and the shrinkage limit of the sample. Answer: 0.51 ; 2.78; 19.9%.
1-13. Why is the determination of the range of water contents over which a
clay is plastic important in soil mechanics?
1-14. Construct a diagram showing qualitatively the total volume of a clay
sample as a function of water content, in the range of water contents from above
the liquid limit to zero. Mark the points corresponding to the various limits.
1-15. An experiment may be performed in which a quantity of a dry powdered
clay mineral is introduced into a child's rubber balloon from which the air is sub-
v. sequently evacuated. It is then found that the clay-filled balloon will retain any
plastic mass. It has been
it,
a
argued, as consequence, that the presence of water not necessary for the clay
is
a