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Geotechnical Engineering
subdiscipline of civil engineering that involves natural materials found close to the
surface of the earth
Soil Mechanics
Branch of science that deals with the study of the physical properties of soil and the
behavior of soil masses subjected to various types of forces
Soil Engineering
Application of the principles of soil mechanics to practical problems
Applications:
a. design of foundations
b. retaining structures
c. earth structures
Soil
- defined as the uncemented aggregate of mineral grains and decayed organic matter (solid
particles)
With liquid and gas in the empty spaces between the solid particles. Soil is used as a construction
material in various civil engineering projects, and it supports structural foundations. Thus, the civil
engineers must study:
Properties of soil
Origin of the soil
Grain size distribution
Ability to drain water
Compressibility
Shear strength
Load bearing capacity
ASSIGNMENT:
In your formatted bond paper, discuss the history of geotechnical engineering prior to the 18 th century
up to the present and identify the significant persons and their respective contributions to the evolution
of geotechnical engineering.
Soils are formed by weathering of rocks. The physical properties of a soil are dictated primarily by the
minerals that constitute the soil properties, and hence, the rock from which it is derived.
The mineral grains that form the solid phase of a soil aggregate are the product of rock weathering.
The size of the individual grains varies over a wide range. Many of the physical properties of soil are
dictated by the size, shape, and chemical composition of the grains. To better understand these
factors, one must be familiar with the basic types of rock that form the earth’s crust, the rock forming
minerals and the weathering process.
On the basis of their mode of origin, rocks can be divided into three basic types; igneous, sedimentary
and metamorphic. This is called the rock cycle.
Igneous rock
Are formed by the solidification of molten magma ejected from deep within the earth’s
mantle.
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.
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.
From 3.1a shows an element of soil of volume V and weight W as it exist in a natural state. To develop
the weight – volume relationships, we must separate the three phases ( that is, solid, water and air) as
shown in Figure 3.1 b. Thus the total volume of the given soil saple can be expressed as
Assuming that the weight of the air is negligible, we can give the total weight of the sample as
The volume relationships commonly used for the three phases in soil element are :
Void Ratio, e
- The ratio of the volume of voids to the volume of solids
Porosity, n
- The ratio of the volume of voids to the total volume
Degree of Saturation, S
- The ratio of the volume of water to the volume of voids
- It s commonly expressed as a percentage
The weight relationships commonly used for the three phases in soil element are :
Moisture content, w
- The ratio of the weight of water to the weight of solids in a given volume of soil and also
referred to as the water content
Unit Weight, γ
- The weight of soil per unit volume, soil engineers defined it as the moist unt weight
Density Equations
DERIVED FORMULA:
- Obtained unit weight when the soil sample is saturated, that is, the void spaces are
completely filled with water
EXAMPLES:
1. A clay sample has a bulk unit weight of 20.06 KN/m3 with water content of 8.2%. The saturated
unit weight of the sample is 21.58 kn/m3. Determine the porosity of the soil.
SEATWORK: Solve the problem on your formatted bond paper. Use three decimal places for your
answers and enclose it in a box.
The weight of a 1.70 m3 of the moist soil is equivalent to the weight of a cube of water having an edge
dimension of 143 cm. after the drying process, the weight was reduced by 11%. Use unit weight of
water = 9.81 KN/m3. Specific gravity of soil solids is 2.60. determine the following parameters:
a. Water content of the soil at its moist state
b. Moist unit weight of the soil
c. Porosity of the soil
d. Natural degree of saturation of the soil