CE-301 SOIL MECHANICS

LAB Lab Report - 1

Submitted by - Group 6
Anil Kumar
15110017

ANURAG DHEBANA
15110027

Satish Kumar Meena 14110118

Praveen Pandey 13110081

Sai Kiran Bojja

13110104

VISUAL CLASSIFICATION OF SOIL SAMPLES

Different types of soils have distinctive properties which make them reasonable for various
types of construction. Visual classification helps us in choosing what kind of soil is available
and Provide predictions about how soil will behave. Prior to the development of anything we
have to know the kind of soil, commonly we don't have the equipment at the site. The
importance of the characteristics of soil, for example, the size and nature of particles, its
thickness and basic properties, implies soil studies are regularly required to educate plan and
development choices. During this we can know the type and properties through visual
classification.

Properties: -

1. Colour: -

Soil colour is one of the indicators of soil status and depends on many factors like amount of
organic matter and Insight about mineral. Example - yellow or red colour indicates presence
of iron oxides, grey soils are waterlogged or anaerobic, brown soils are well drained and
aerated soils, dark brown or black colour indicates presence of organic matter.

2. Odour: -

Odour is a soil property about smell of that soil. The odour here means odour due to the
organic chemical matter present in the soil.
3. Soil Texture: -

Soil textures are classified by the fractions of each soil separate (sand, silt, and clay) present
in a soil. It determines the individual shape and size of soil particles like. This property has
influence on porosity, permeability, etc. Example- flaky rounded, rough-smooth, gritty-
powdery, sharp, glossy, dull-glittering etc.

4. Grain properties-

Mainly grain properties defined by the size of soil particles. According to ISSCS any soil with
grain size less than 0.075mm is said to be fine soil (<.002 mm is clay and 0.002 to 0.075 is
silt), Coarse soil ranges from 0.075 to 80mm (sand size and gravel size), very coarse soil
being greater than 300 (cobble size and boulder size).

5. Volume change: -

Volume change (expand with water) is mainly caused due the retention capacity of the soil.
The shrink - swell capacity of the soil causes problems during construction because
the swelling or shrinking of the soil inside the wall can cause cracks or complete breaking of
the wall.

6. Dilatancy: -

When a small amount of soil is mixed with water in the palm of the hand then the soil is
mixed (by shaking or roubit) with water and subjected to shear stress then how much fast
(like very fast, fast, slow, very slow) it mixes is called dilatancy.
 Visual soil Identification: -
Observation Table: -

S. No.
Colour Odour Volume change Dilatancy Types
Texture of soil
Grain
Properties

Ochre Odour less

A Rough and gritty coarse No
Very fast sand
B Light brown
Odour less Smooth powdery Fine No
fast silt
White Odour less
C
Brick red Odour less
D Flaky, smooth, powdery
Off-white Odour less Fine No
E Rounded, gritty, dull
Grey Odour less
F Rounded, angular, rough
Hollow spherical, Smooth, slow Clay
gritty, powdery
(kaolinite) Coarse + fine

No fast

Dispersive laterite coarse

No Very fast

sand

Fine No
fast Fly ash
Off-white Odour less
G
Flaky Fine No
Very slow Mica(muscovite)
Brown Odour Smooth, gritty Fine Yes Very slow Bentonite clay
H
Greenish grey
I
Odour less glittering Fine
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Dark brown
J
Odour less Rough, dull gritty coarse Yes
slow
Clayey soil
Grey Odour less
K
Flaky , smooth, dull Fine No
Very slow Marine soil
Brick Red Odour less
L
Sticky , gritty Fine No
f
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M Yellowish
brown Odour less Rough, gritty, dull
Fine + coarse No
slow
Yellow laterite soil
Ochre Odour less
N
Dark Grey Odour less
O Rough, gritty, dull coarse No
Rounded. Angular, flaky f
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Fine + coarse No
Very slow Clayey sand
Light brown
P
Odour less All particles Fine +
coarse No fast
Clayey sand
Conclusion: -

· This is very simplest way to verify between different types of soil. In this we can
easily identify between different types of soils by using our sense organs, like by
visual classification or smelling or by touching the texture of soil. It is best used
at the time of field work and we don’t have equipment to distinguish.