Sie sind auf Seite 1von 7

GEOTCH1

CHAPTER 1: GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING –A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Geotechnical Engineering
 subdiscipline of civil engineering that involves natural materials found close to the
surface of the earth

What is the difference between soil and dirt ?


 If you can grow food in it, get paid to analyze it, or get college credit for playing with it,
it’s soil; otherwise it’s dirt.

Branches of Geotechnical Engineering


 Soil Mechanics
 Rock Mechanics
 Foundation Engineering
 Geoenvironmental Engineering
 Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
 Geologic Engineering

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

Typical Geotechnical Project

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

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE 1


GEOTCH1

 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.

CHAPTER 2: ORIGIN OF SOIL AND GRAIN SIZE

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.

2.1. ROCK CYCLE AND THE ORIGIN OF SOIL

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.

Examples of this rock type include conglomerate and limestone.

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.

Examples of this rock type include gneiss and marble.

CHAPTER II: WEIGHT VOLUME RELATIONSHIPS

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE 2


GEOTCH1

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE 3


GEOTCH1

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

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE 4


GEOTCH1

Degree of Saturation, S
- The ratio of the volume of water to the volume of voids
- It s commonly expressed as a percentage

Relationship Between Void Ratio and Porosity

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

Dry Unit Weight, γd


- Weight per unit volume of soil excluding water

Relationship of Unit Weight, Dry Unit Weight and Moisture Content

Density Equations

RELATIONSHIPS AMONG UNIT WEIGHT, VOID RATIO, MOISTURE CONTENT, AND


SPECIFIC GRAVITY
If the volume of soil solids is one, then the volume of voids is numerically equal to the void ratio, e.
The weights of soil solids and water can be given as

DERIVED FORMULA:

Saturated Unit Weight,γsat

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE 5


GEOTCH1

- Obtained unit weight when the soil sample is saturated, that is, the void spaces are
completely filled with water

Also, if the soil sample is fully saturated, S = 1

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.

2. A clay sample has the following properties:


Porosity = 0.35 (in situ) Maximum Void Ratio = 0.85
Minimum void ratio = 0.42 Specific gravity = 2.72
Moisture content = 62%
Determine the dry unit weight of the soil in its natural state, in pcf.

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

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE 6


GEOTCH1

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE 1

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen