Geotechnical Glossary

9/12/2016
GeotechnicalGlossary
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AF
A
AASHTOSoilClassification
Asoilclassificationsystemusuallyusedforhighwaydesignand
construction.
Activeearthpressure
Thehorizontalstressexertedbyamassofsoilonaretainingwallasthe
wallmovesawayfromthesoil.
SeethelinktoRetainingWallsforequationsandcalculations.
Active(Rankine)zone
Theareabehindaretainingstructurethatisabovethefailureplane.
Activity
Theratioofplasticityindextopercentbyweightofclay.Thispropertyis
correlatedwiththetypeofclay.
Adhesion
Theshearresistancebetweensoilandastructure(e.g.steel,concreteor
timberpilesalongaretainingwall)
Airvoidsratio
Theratioofthevolumeofairtothetotalvolumeofamassofsoil.
Allowablebearingcapacity
TechnicalResources
Bearing
Capacity
ColdWeather
Engineering
Compaction
Dams
Earthquake
Engineering
Earthwork
Excavation
ErosionControl
FieldTesting
Foundations
Geophysics
Geosynthetics
Laboratory
Testing
Materials
Grouting
Instrumentation
Landfills
Pavement
Analysis
Quality
Assurance/
Control
Reconnaissance
RetainingWalls
Seepage
Settlement
Analysis
SlopeStability
Soil
Stabilization
Subsurface
Investigations
Tunneling
OtherGeotechnical
Links
Thebearingpressurethatcanbeallowedonafoundationsoil,usuallyto
limitsettlements.SeethelinktoBearingCapacityforequationsand
calculations.
http://geotechnicalinfo.com/geotechnical_glossary.html
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Alluvialsoils
Soilsdepositedinavalleyorslightlygradedareabytransporting
sedimentsthroughamountainriverorstreams.
AmericanAssociationofStateHighwayTransportation
Officials'ClassificationSystem(AASHTO)
Asystemofsoilclassificationbasedongrainsize,liquidlimitand
plasticityofsoils.
Angleofinternalfriction
Foragivensoil,theangleonthegraphoftheshearstressandnormal
effectivestressesatwhichshearfailureoccurs.Seethelinktoangleof
internalfrictionforvariousrelationships.
Angleofrepose
Themaximumangle,justbeforefailure,ofaslopecomposedofgranular
material.
Angleofshearingresistance
Theratioofeffectiveshearandnormalstressesmobilizedatanystate
priortofailure.
Angleofslipplane
Theanglereferredtohorizontalofaplaneorothersurfacealongwhicha
discontinuoussliporrupturemayoccur.
Angleofwallfriction
Theangleoffrictionbetweensoilandthesurfaceofaretainingwallor
bottomsideofafoundation.
Angulardistortion
Theratiobetweentherelativedeflectionbetweentwopointsina
foundationandthedistancebetweenthem.
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Anisotropic
Amassofsoilhavingdifferentpropertiesindifferentdirections.
Primarilyreferstopermeabilityorstressstraincharacteristics.
Aquifer
Astratumofsoilwithrelativelyhighpermeabilityawaterbearing
stratumofrockorsoil.
Artesian
Aconditionthatexistswhenthewatertablepiezometricsurfacelies
abovethegroundlevel.
Atrestearthpressure
Thehorizontalstressdevelopedinamassofsoilloadedinconditionsof
zerohorizontalstrain.Theretainingwallneithermovesawayortowards
thesoil.SeethelinktoRetainingWallsforequationsandcalculations.
AtterbergLimits
Thewatercontentsofasoilmasscorrespondingtothetransitionbetween
asolid,semisolid,plasticsolidorliquid.Laboratorytestusedto
distinguishtheplasticityofclayandsiltparticles.
Axialstrain
Directstrainmeasuredalonganaxisofatriaxialtestsample.
Axialstress
Totaloreffectivestress(Bothconfiningandverticalstressescombined)
actingalonganaxisofatriaxialtestsample.
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B
Bearingcapacity
Theabilityoftheunderlyingsoiltosupportthefoundationloadswithout
shearfailure.
Bearingcapacityfactors
Empiricallyderivedfactorsusedinabearingcapacityequationthat
usuallycorrelateswiththeangleofinternalfrictionofthesoil.See
BearingCapacityFactorsforvarioustablesandrelationships.
Bearingpressure
Thetotalstresstransferredfromthestructuretothefoundation,thento
thesoilbelowthefoundation.SeethelinktoBearingCapacityfor
equationsandcalculations.
Bedrock
Strongrockunderlyingsurfacedepositsofsoilandweatheredrock.
Bentonite
Sodiummontmorillonite.
Borrow
Asitethatisusedtosupplysoilsforearthworkconstruction(i.e.gravel
pit).
Boulders
Soilparticlesover12inches(305mm)insize.
Boussinesqequation
Anequationusedtodeterminetheincreaseinverticalpressureata
particulardepththatiscausedbyanapplicationofapointloadatagiven
surface.SeeBoussinesqTheoryforequationsandcalculations.
Bracedexcavation
Theuseofbracingtolaterallysupportthesidewallsoftemporary
trenchesorcuts.
BritishSoilClassificationSystem
Asystemofsoilclassificationbasedonsize,consistencyandstructure.
Bulkdensity
Soildensity.Thetotalmassofwaterandsoilparticlescontainedinaunit
volumeofsoil.(pcf).
Bulkunitweight
Thetotalweightofwaterandsoilparticlescontainedinaunitvolumeof
soil.
BuoyantDensity
Also,submergeddensity.Differencebetweenthetotaldensityandthe
densityofwater.Buoyantdensity=SoildensityDensityofwater.
C
Caisson
Acomponentofaparticularfoundationsystem.
CaliforniaBearingRatio(CBR)
Alaboratorytestthatisusedtodeterminethesuitabilityofofasoilfor
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useasasubbaseinapavementsection.
Capillaryrise
Theheighttowhichwaterwillriseabovethewatertableduetonegative
porewaterpressureorcapillaryactionofthesoil.SeeCapillary
informationinthesettlementanalysisandstressanalysissectionfor
Capillarystresses
Porewaterpressureslessthanatmosphericvaluesproducedbysurface
tensionofporewateractingonthemeniscusformedinvoidspaces
betweensoilparticles.
CircularFooting
Isolated/spreadfootingthatiscircularshaped.Usuallyashallowfooting.
SeethelinktoBearingCapacityforequationsandcalculations.
Clay
Soilparticleswhicharefiner(smaller)than0.002mminsize.
Coarsegrainedsoils
Soilswithmorethan50%byweightofgrainsretainedonthe#200sieve
(0.075mm).
Cobbles
Soilparticlesbetween3inches(76mm)and12inches(305mm)insize.
Coefficientofactiveearthpressure
Theratiooftheminimumhorizontaleffectivestressofasoiltothe
verticaleffectivestressatasinglepointinasoilmassretainedbya
retainingwallasthewallmovesawayfromthesoil.Seethelinkto
RetainingWallsforequationsandcalculations.
Coefficientofcompressibility
Theratioofvoidratiodifferencetotheeffectivepressuredifferenceof
twodifferentloadingsduringprimaryconsolidation.
Coefficientofconsolidation
Therateofchangeofvolumeduringprimaryconsolidation.Units:
ft/day,m/s.
Coefficientofcurvature
Alsocurvaturecoefficient.Ameasureoftheshapeparameterobtained
fromagrainsizedistributioncurve.
CD=(D30)2/D10D60.
Coefficientofearthpressureatrest
Theratioofhorizontaleffectivestressofasoiltotheverticaleffective
stressataspecificpointinasoilmassbehindaretainingwallwhenthe
walldoesnotmove(loadedinconditionsofzerohorizontalstrain).See
thelinktoRetainingWallsforequationsandcalculations.
Coefficientoffriction
Theratiobetweenthetangentialforcerequiredtocauseabody,suchasa
foundationsurfaceoraretainingwall,toslidealongaplaneandthe
normalforcebetweenthebodyandtheplane.
Coefficientofpassiveearthpressure
Theratioofthemaximumhorizontaleffectivestressofasoiltothe
verticaleffectivestressataspecificpointinasoilmassbehinda
retainingwallasthewallmovestowardthesoil.SeethelinktoRetaining
Wallsforequationsandcalculations.
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Coefficientofpermeability
Seehydraulicconductivity.
Coefficientofsecondaryconsolidation
Thechangeinvolumetricstrainperalogarithmiccycleoftimeafter
primaryconsolidationiscomplete.
Coefficientofuniformity
Alsouniformitycoefficient.Ameasureoftheslopeofagrainsize
distributioncurve,andthereforetheuniformityofthesoil.
Cu=D60/D10.
Cofferdam
Atemporarystructureusedtoencloseaconstructionarea,andprevent
soilorwaterfromenteringtheconstructionarea.
Cohesionlesssoils
Granularsoils(sandandgraveltype)withvaluesofcohesioncloseto
zero.
Cohesivesoils
Claytypesoilswithanglesofinternalfrictionclosetozero.Cohesionis
theforcethatholdstogethermoleculesorlikeparticleswithina
substance.
Colluvialsoils
Soilsdepositedatthebaseoffoothillsviagravityorerosion.
Compaction
Volumechangeinsoilswhichairisexpelledfromthevoids,butwiththe
watercontentremainingconstant.Compactionmayoccurdueto
vibration,andselfweight.Inconstruction,compactionisachievedby
rolling,tampingorvibratingfillsoils.SeelinkrelatingtoCompaction
foradditionalinformation,equationsandcalculations.
Compressionindex
(Also,compressibilityindex)Thelogarithmicslopeoftheprimary
consolidationcurve.Theslopeofthenormalcompressionlineand
criticalstatelineoftheCasagrandeMethodofconsolidationcurves.
CompressionTest
Thecompressiontestisperformedinthelaboratoryusingarelatively
undisturbedringsample.Thesampleisloadedwithexpectedbuilding
pressurestoestimatetheamountofcompressionthesoilundergoes.The
sampleistheninundatedwithwaterinordertomeasureadditional
compressionorswelling.
Coneresistance
Theresistanceforcedividedbytheendareaoftheconetip,measured
duringtheconepenetrationtest.
Conepenetrationtest
Apenetrationtestinwhichaconethathasa60pointispushedintothe
groundatacontinuousrate.Resistanceismeasuredbycorrelatingthe
depthpenetratedwiththeforceapplied.
Confinedaquifer
Anaquiferthatiscontainedbetweentwostratificationsoflow
permeabilitysoilorrock.
ConfinedCompressionTest
SeeConsolidationTest
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Consistency
WatercontentofclayrelativetotheAtterberglimits.
Consistencyindex
Ameasureoftherelationshipbetweenthecurrentwatercontentandthe
consistencylimits.
Consistencylimits
SeeAtterberglimits.
Consolidation
Volumechangeduetodissipationofexcessporepressurefromstatic
loads.
Consolidation(settlement)
Thesettlementofafoundationduetosqueezingoutofwaterfromthe
poresasthesoilcomestoequilibriumwiththeappliedloads.
Consolidationtest
Alaboratorytestinwhichresultsareusedtopredictconsolidationofa
soilunderappliedstructuralloads.Alsoknownasconfinedcompression
testsandoedometertests.
Continuousfooting
Alsosee"Stripfooting."Ahorizontallylongfootingsupportingawall.
Usuallyashallowfooting.SeethelinktoBearingCapacityfor
publicationsequationsandcalculations.
Coulombearthpressuretheory
Anearthpressuretheorythatincludesfrictionbetweenthesoiland
retainingstructure,andassumesthatfailureoccursalongaflatplane
behindtheretainingstructureatananglethatisinpartderivedfromthe
angleofinternalfriction.SeethelinktoRetainingWallsforequations
andcalculations.
Coulomb'sequation
NamedafterCharlesAugustinCoulomb,(17361806)Anequation
relatingtheshearstrengthofsoiltothenormaleffectivestressonthe
failureplane.
Counterfortwalls
Typeofretainingwallthatdependsontensionribsbetweenthestemand
theheelinordertoresistflexureandoverturning.
Creep
Timedependentdeformationswhichoccursinsoilatconstanteffective
stresswithoutchangesinvolumeandporewaterpressure.
Criticalcircle
Inaslopestabilityanalyses,theslipcirclethatcorrespondstothelowest
factorofsafety.
Criticalgroundslopeangle
Theangleofthegroundslopethatcorrespondstoafactorofsafetyof1.0
relativetotheslopestability.
criticalheight
Theheightofaslopethatcorrespondstoafactorofsafetyof1.0relative
toslopefailure.
Criticalhydraulicgradient
Thehydraulicgradientatwhicheffectivestressesbecomeszero.Upward
seepage.
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Curvaturecoefficient
Seecoefficientofcurvature.
Cyclicstressratio
Anumericalratingofthepotentialforliquefactioninsands.
D
Darcy'slaw
(AfterH.P.G.Darcy,1856)Theformulausedforlaminarflowofwater
throughporoussaturatedsoils.Velocityofflow=hydraulicconductivity
Xhydraulicgradient.
Degreeofconsolidation
Theproportionofconsolidationthathasoccurredafteragivenelapsed
time.
Degreeofsaturation
Theproportionofthevolumeofwatertothetotalvolumeofvoidsofa
givenmassofsoil.
Density
Theratioofthetotalmasstothetotalvolumeofaunitofsoil.Usually
expressedasaunitweightwhereweightisinterchangedwithmass.
Units:lbm/ft,kg/m.
Densityindex
Also,relativedensity.Thedensityofagranularsoilrelativetothe
minimumandmaximumdensitiesachievedforthatparticularsoil.
Densityofsoilgrains
Theaveragedensityofthemineralorrockofwhichthesoilparticlesare
composed.
Densityofwater
Thedensityofwaterwillvarywithtemperatureandpressure.Values
usedforsoilsanalysisare62.4lbm/ft,9.81kN/mor1000kg/m.A
valueof64.0lbm/ftisthevalueforseawater.
Depthfactor
Oneofthetermsinthebearingcapacityequationthatrelatestodepthof
thefoundation.Theratiobetweenthedepthofaslipcirclebelowthetop
ofaslopeandtheheightoftheslope.SeethelinktoBearingCapacity
forpublications,equationsandcalculations.
Desiccation
Theprocessofshrinkageorconsolidationofthefinegrainedsoil
producedbyincreaseofeffectivestressesinthegrainskeleton
accompanyingthedevelopmentofcapillarystressesintheporewater.
Deviatorstress
Thedifferencebetweentheaxialandradialstressesofatriaxialtest
sample.
Dewater
Removalofwaterfromajobsite.Usuallybypumpingfromexcavations.
Differentialsettlement
Theverticaldisplacementduetosettlementofonepointinafoundation
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withrespecttoanotherpointofthefoundation.SeeSettlementanalysis
informationforfurtherreading.
Directsheartest
Laboratorytestusedtodeterminetherelationshipofshearstrengthto
consolidationstress.Strengthcharacteristicsthatareestimatedfromthis
testincludescohesionandangleofinternalfriction.
Directstrain
Theratioofthechangeinlengthtotheoriginallengthofasoilmass.
Downdrag
Negativeskinfriction.Forcesinducedondeepfoundationsresulting
fromdownwardmovementofadjacentsoilrelativetothefoundation
element.
Drainedloading
Loadingwhichisslowenoughforthewatertodrainfromthesoilasthe
totalstressesincrease.Porepressurewillnotchange,andvolumewill
withloading.
Drawdown
Themagnitudeoftheloweringofawatertable,usuallynearawellbeing
pumped.
Dredging
Removingsoilsfromasea,riverorlakebedinordertodeepenthe
waterwayforwatertravel.
Drydensity
Theratioofthemassofthesolids(soilgrains)tothetotalunitvolumeof
soil.Units:lbm/ft,kg/m.
Dryunitweight
Theweightofsolids(soilgrains)tothetotalunitvolumeofsoil.Units
lb/ft,kN/m.Seeunitweightpageforvarioustablesandrelationships.
Dynamiccompaction
Theuseofhighenergyimpacttodensifyloosegranularsoils.
E
Earthpressure
Theforceperunitareaexertedbysoilonaretainingwall.Seethelinkto
RetainingWallsforadditionalinformation,equationsandcalculations.
Earthpressurecoefficients
Coefficientsusedindeterminingearthpressure.Componentsmay
includeangleofinternalfriction,frictionbetweenthesoilandwallface,
angleofthewallface,andangleoftheslopingbackfill.
Effectivestress
Theportionofthetotalstressthatissupportedthroughgraintograin
contactofthesoil.Thestressinasoilmassthatiseffectiveincausing
volumechangesandinmobilizingtheshearstrengtharisingfrom
friction.Thedifferencebetweenthetotalstressandtheporewater
pressure.Effectivestress=TotalstressPorewaterpressure.See
Effectivestressinformationinthesettlementanalysisandstressanalysis
sectionforequationsandcalculations.
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Efficiencyofapile
Also,pileefficiency.Foragivenpileinagroupofpiles,theratioofthe
averageultimateloadinthegrouptotheindividualultimateloadonthe
givenpile.
Elasticdeformation
Deformationcausedinasoilduetoachangeinloading,andthesoil
recoverscompletelywhentheloadisremoved.
Embankment
Usuallyreferredtoa'builtup'sectionofsoil(engineeredfill)asfor
roadsordams.
Engineeringproperties
Engineeringparametersofasoilsuchaspermeability,shearstrengthand
consolidation.Differentfromindexproperties.SeetheLaboratory
Testinglinkforadditionalinformationconcerningengineeringproperties
ofthesoil.
Engineeredfill
Soilsusedasfill,suchasretainingwallbackfill,foundationsupport,
dams,slopes,etc..thataretobeplacedinaccordancetoengineered
specifications.Thesespecificationsmaydelineatesoilgrainsize,
plasticity,moisture,compaction,angularity,andmanyotherindex
propertiesdependingontheapplication.
EolianSoil
Soildepositsthathavebeentransportedbywind.
Equipotential
Foraflownet,linesconnectingpointsofequaltotalhead.Equipotential
linesareusuallydrawnsothattheinterval,orequipotentialdrop,is
constant.Equipotentialsintersectflowlinesandimpermeableboundaries
atrightangles.
Equivalentfluidpressure
Horizontalpressuresofsoil,oracombinationofsoilandwater,which
increaselinearlywithdepthandareequivalenttothosethatwouldbe
producedbyaheavyfluidofaselectedunitweight.
Excessporepressure
Thatincrementofporewaterpressuresgreaterthanhydrostaticvalues,
producedbyconsolidationstressesincompressiblematerialsorbyshear
strainexcessporepressureisdissipatedduringconsolidation.
Exitgradient
Thehydraulicgradientnearanexposedsurfacethroughwhichseepageis
moving.
ExpansiveClays
Also,ReactiveClays.Claysthataresensitivetowater,causingthemto
swellorexpand.
F
Factorofsafety
Theratioofalimitingvalueofaquantitytothedesignvalueofthat
quantity.SeeFactorofSafetyfortypicalvalueswithrelationto
geotechnicaldesign.
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Failureenvelope
Foragivensoil,thegraphoftheshearstressandnormaleffective
stressesatwhichshearfailureoccurs.
Fault
Ashearfractureinarockmassalongwhichmovementhastakenplace.
Fielddensitytest
AlsoInplacedensitytest.Fieldtestingthatdeterminesdensityof
compactedfilltoverifythatitmeetsspecifications.Typesoftestsmay
includesandcone,rubberballoonornucleardensiometer.
Finegrainedsoils
Siltandclaysoils.SoilscontainingparticlessmallerthanNo.200sieve
or0.075mminsizeaccordingtotheUnifiedSoilClassificationSystem.
Finescontent(fraction)
SoilgrainssmallerthanNo.200sieve(0.075mm),e.g.ClayandSilt.
Fissuredclay
Aclayhavinganinternalnetworkofnarrowcracksorseparations,in
whichthewidthanddepthtendstoincreaseupondrying.
Fissures
Smallcracks.
Flowline
Thepathwaterwillfollowtravelingfromhighheadtolowheadina
seepageflowanalysis.
Flownet
Agraphicalanalysisofseepageflowinamassofsoiltoestimateflow
quantitiesandporepressures.
Flowquantity
Thetotalvolumeofwaterflowinginaseepageanalysis.
Flowrate
Theratiooftotalvolumeofwaterflowingtoaparticularunitoftime.
Flowslide
Shearfailureinwhichasoilmassmovesoverarelativelylongdistance
inafluidlikemanner,occurringrapidlyonflatslopesinloose,saturated,
uniformsands,orinhighlysensitiveclays.
Flowvelocity
Thevelocityofwaterflowthroughasoil.
Footing
Anenlargementatthebaseofafoundationthatisdesignedtotransmit
forcestothesoil.
Foundation
Acomponentofanengineeredstructurethattransmitsthestructure's
forcesintothesoilorrockthatsupportsit.SeethelinktoFoundationsor
BearingCapacityforfoundationtypes,applications,equationsand
calculations.
Foundingdepth
Thedepthbelowthegroundsurfacewherethebaseofafoundationis
located.
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Frictionangle
Seeangleofinternalfriction.
Frictionpile
Apilethatderivesthemajorityofitsloadbearingabilityfromtheskin
frictionbetweenthesoilandthepile.SeethelinktoBearingCapacityfor
publications,equationsandcalculations.
Frostjacking
Apileforcedupwardduetofreezinggroundmovingupwardorrepeated
freezethawevents.
G
Geotextiles
Asyntheticfabricusedtostabilizesoils,retainsoils,preventthemixing
ofdissimilarsoils,provideafilteringfunction,pavementsupport,
subgradereinforcement,drainage,erosioncontrolandsiltcontainment.
SeeGeosyntheticsforadditionalinformationandpublications.
Gradingcurve
Seegrainsizedistributioncurve.
Grainsizedistribution
Seeparticlesizedistribution.
Grainsizedistributioncurve
Acurvedrawnonalogscaletorepresentthedistributionofparticlesizes
inasoil.
Gravitywalls
Retainingwallswhichdependupontheirselfweighttoprovidestability
againstoverturningandslidingusuallymadeofahighbulkstructure.
SeethelinktoRetainingWallsforequationsandcalculations.
H
Historicalmaximumstress
SeePreconsolidationload.
Homogenousearthdam
Anearthdamwhoseembankmentisformedofonesoiltypewithouta
systematiczoningoffillmaterials.
Homogenoussoils
Amassofsoilwherethesoilisofonecharacteristichavingthesame
engineeringandindexproperties.
Horizontalstrain
Strainmeasuredinahorizontaldirection.
Horizontalstress
Totaloreffectivestressactinginahorizontaldirection.
Hveem'sResistanceValueTest
Laboratorytestthatevaluatestheresistanceofaremoldedsoilsampleto
beusedinapavementsection.
Hydraulicconductivity
Also,coefficientofpermeability.Theconstantaveragedischargevelocity
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ofwaterpassingthroughsoilwhenthehydraulicgradientisequalto1.0.
Claysareconsideredrelativelyimpervious,whilesandsandgravelsare
consideredpervious.
Hydraulicgradient
Betweentwopointsinahydraulicflow:thedifferenceintotalhead
(piezometriclevels)dividedbythelengthoftheflowpath(distance
betweenthetwopoints).
Hydrometertest
Laboratorytestusedtodeterminetheamountanddistributionoffiner
particlesofasoilsample.Finesoilsareclassifiedassiltsandclays.
(SoilsthatpasstheNo.200sieve,or0.075mm).
Hydrostaticporepressure
Porewaterpressuresexertedunderconditionsofnogroundwaterflow
wherethemagnitudeofporepressuresincreaselinearlywithdepthbelow
thegroundsurface.
I
Igneous
Rocksthatwereoncemolten.Couldbeintrusive(ex.granite),or
extrusive(ex.basalt).
Illite
Atypeofclaystructurewherepotassiumionsholdtogetherasilica(x2)
andaluminummolecule.
Immediatesettlement
Thesettlementofafoundationoccurringimmediatelyuponloading.See
Immediatesettlementinformationinthesettlementanalysisandstress
analysissectionforinformation,publications,equationsandcalculations.
Indexproperties
Attributesofasoilsuchasmoisturecontent,voidratio,specificgravity,
Atterberglimitsandgrainsizedistribution.Differentfromindex
properties.SeetheLaboratoryTestinglinkforadditional
informationconcerningindexpropertiesofthesoil.
Inplacedensitytest
Seefielddensitytest.
Insitu
Undisturbed,existingfieldconditions.
Instrumentation
Geotechnicalinstrumentsusedtomonitorconditionssuchas
deformations,pressures,loads,etc..withintheground.
Isolatedfooting
Also,spreadorpadfooting.Afootingdesignedtosupportastructural
loadfromasinglecolumn.Usuallyashallowfoundation,andsquareor
circularinshape.SeethelinktoFoundationsorBearingCapacityfor
foundationtypes,applications,equationsandcalculations.
Isotropic
Asoilmasshavingessentiallythesamepropertiesinalldirections.
Primarilyreferstopermeabilityandstressstraincharacteristics.
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K
Kaolinite
Arepeatedsilcaandaluminummoleculeclaystructure.Whitemineral.
Verylittlevolumechangewhendrying.
L
Leaching
Theremovalofsaltsandsolublesubstancesaswaterflowsthroughasoil
medium.Leachateistheleachedliquidfromthesoil,richinminerals.
Liquefaction
Thesudden,largedecreaseofshearstrengthofcohesionlesssoilcaused
bycollapseofthesoilstructure,producedbysmallshearstrains
associatedwithsuddenbuttemporaryincreaseofporewaterpressure.
Usuallyaprobleminsubmergedpoorlygradedsandswithintheupper50
feetofsubgradeinearthquakeproneenvironments.Seethelinkto
EarthquakeEngineeringforliquefactionequationsandcalculations.
Liquidlimit
Thewatercontentabovewhichthesoilwillflowlikealiquid,butbelow
whichitwillhaveaplasticconsistency.
Liquidityindex
Ameasureoftherelationshipbetweenthecurrentwatercontentofasoil
anditsconsistencylimits.
Logspiralearthpressuretheory
Anearthpressuretheorythatassumesthatthefailuresurfaceiscurved
behindaretainingstructure.SeethelinktoRetainingWallsfor
Longtermconditions
Conditionsinthegroundwherefullconsolidationhastakenplaceandthe
soilsarefullydrained.
M
Machinefoundation
Afoundationthatreceivesregularorirregularvibratoryloadsthatare
generatedfromrotatingorimpactmachinery.
Matfoundation
Sometimescalledaraftfoundation.Astructuralslabutilizedasa
footing,whichusuallyencompassestheentirebuildingfootprint.Mat
foundationsareadvantageousoncompressiblesoilsbecausethebuilding
loadsaredistributedoveralargearea.Matsmayalsoprovideadditional
resistancetouplift.SeethelinktoFoundationsorBearingCapacityfor
Maximumdrydensity
AsoilpropertyobtainedinthelaboratoryfromaProctortest.Densityof
soilat100%compaction.
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Meannormalstress
Themeanvalueofthethreeorthogonalstresses.
Metamorphic
Igneousorsedimentaryrockthathaschangedbyheatand/orpressure.
Examplesincludequartztoquartzite,shaletoslate,andlimestoneto
marble.
Micropile
Pileswithrelativelysmalldiameters.
ModifiedProctor
Laboratorytestusedtodeterminemaximumdrydensityandoptimum
moisturecontentofsoils.Testresultsareusedtoestimaterelative
compactioninthefield.Soilsarecompactedinthelaboratoryinfive
layerswitha10poundhammerfalling18inches.
Modulusofsubgradereaction
Also,subgrademodulus.Theratiobetweenthebearingpressureofa
foundationandthecorrespondingsettlementatagivenpoint.Theslope
ofthelineintheloadingrangeencounteredbythesoilinaplatebearing
valuetest.SeethelinktoModulusofsubgradereactionfortypicalvalues
relatingtosoilcharacteristics.
Mohr'scircle
Acircleconstructedinthetriaxialtestusingthemeasuredstresses
(principalstresses)inordertodeterminethestressesonthefailureplane.
Moisturecontent
SeeWatercontent.Theratiobetweenthemassofwaterandthemassof
soilsolids.
w=(wetweightdryweight)/dryweight.
Montmorillonite
Aclaystructurethathasastrongattractiontowater.Mayswell20xits
originalvolumewhensaturated.Arepeatingmoleculestructureof2
silicaatomsandonealuminum.
N
NValue
Also,standardpenetrationresistance.Thenumberofblowsrequiredto
driveasplitspoonsamplerduringastandardpenetrationtestadistance
of12inches(0.305m)aftertheinitialpenetrationof6inches(0.15m).
Negativeskinfriction
Forcesinducedondeepfoundationsresultingfromdownwardmovement
ofadjacentsoilrelativetothefoundationelement.
Nominalbearingpressure
Allowablebearingpressureforspreadfoundationsonvarioussoiltypes,
derivedfromexperiencewhichprovidessafetyagainstshearfailureor
excessivesettlements.
Normalcompressionline
Therelationshipbetweenvoidratioandthenormaleffectivestressfor
soilloadedbeyondthecurrentyieldstressinanisotropiccompression.
Normalforce
Forceactingnormaltotheplaneofreference.Units:lb,N.
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Normalization
Analysisofsoiltestdatatocompensatefordifferentstatesofsamples.
Normallyconsolidatedsoil
Soilhavingacurrentstatewhichliesonthenormalcompressionline.
O
OedometerTest
SeeConsolidationTest
Onedimensionalcompression
Compressiontakingplacewithzeroradialandhorizontalstrain.
Onedimensionalmodulus
Theratioofthechangeinverticaleffectivestresstothechangein
verticalstrain,whenthereiszerohorizontalstrain.
Openlayer
Alayerorstratumofsoilfromwhichporewatermaydrainbothupward
anddownwardintooverlyingandunderlyingpermeablelayers,thus
enablingtwowaydrainage.
Optimummoisturecontent
Thewatercontentatwhichthemaximumdrydensityofasoilisobtained
usingaspecificeffortofcompaction.Optimummoistureofaspecific
soilisdeterminedthroughaProctortest.
Organicsoils
Earthcomprisedoforganicmaterial,peat,muskeg.
OverburdenSoil
Overlyingsoilofadesirablesoilstratum.
Overburdenpressure
(Alsooverburdenstress)Thetotaloreffectivestressatagivendepthdue
totheweightofoverlyingsoilorrock.
Overconsolidatedsoil
Aclayeysoilcarryingahigherloadinthepast.Soilhavingacurrent
statewhichliesinsidethenormalcompressionline
Overconsolidationratio
Theratioofmaximumpastpressure(preconsolidationpressure)tothe
currenteffectivestress.
Overturning
Overturningfailureisaresultofexcessivelateralearthpressureswith
relationtoretainingwallresistancetherebycausingtheretainingwall
systemtotoppleorrotate(overturn).
P
Padfooting
"SeeIsolatedFooting."
Particlesizecharacteristics
Usedinparticlesizeanalysesandgradingspecifications:statedasthe
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maximumparticlesizeofaspecifiedpercentage(smallest)ofthetotal
contentofasoilgradedbymass.
D10=maximumsizeofthesmallest10%oftheparticlecontent(also
referredtoaseffectivesize)
D60=maximumsizeofthesmallest60%oftheparticlecontent
Particlesizedistribution
Soilparticlesizesthataredeterminedfromarepresentativesampleof
soilthatispassedthroughasetofsievesofconsecutivelysmaller
openings.
Passiveearthpressure
Themaximumhorizontalstressexertedbyamassofsoilonaretaining
surfaceasthesurfacemovestowardthesoil.SeethelinktoRetaining
Wallsforpublications,equationsandcalculations.
Peakshearstrength
Themaximumshearstrengthofasoilatagivennormaleffectivestress
andwatercontent.
Permeability
Ameasureofcontinuousvoidsinasoil.Thepropertywhichallowsthe
flowofwaterthroughasoil.Seealsocoefficientofpermeability.Seethe
linktoPermeabilityfortypicalvaluesrelatingtosoiltype.
pHvalue
Ameasureofacidityoralkalinityofgroundwaterorsoilwaterextract
basedonthehydrogenioncontent.
Pier
Adeepfoundationcomponentthatisusuallycastinplace,insteadof
driven,drilledorjettedasapile.
Piezometer
Aninstrumentusedtomeasureinsituporewaterpressures.
Piezometricsurface
Animaginarysurfacecorrespondingtothehydrostaticwaterlevelofa
confinedbodyofgroundwater.
Pile
Aslendermemberofadeepfoundationsystemthatisdriven
(hammered),drilledorjettedintotheground.Pilesareusually
constructedoftimber,steelorprestressedreinforcedconcrete.Seethe
linktoFoundationsorBearingCapacityforfoundationtypes,
applications,equationsandcalculations.
PileDrivingAnalyzer
Amethodtocomputeaveragepileforceandvelocitybyusingwave
equationanalysiswithelectronicmeasurements.
Pileefficiency
Seeefficiencyofapile.
Pilespacing
Thedistancefromcentertocenterofpiles.
Piping
Themovementofsoilparticlesasaresultofunbalancedseepageforces
producedbypercolatingwater.Pipingleadstothedevelopmentofboils
orerosionchannels.
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Planestrain
Atwodimensionalstateofstress,wheretheoutofplanestrain(i.e.the
strainnormaltotheplanebeingconsidered)iszero.Anexampleofa
planestrainsituationwouldbeonacrosssectionthroughalong
structurebeingloadedinthexyplane,suchasanembankmentdam.
Plasticdeformation
Thedistortionofsoilresultinginapermanentandirrecoverablechange
inshapeorvolume.
Plasticlimit
Themoisturecontentinwhichasoilwillhaveaplasticconsistency.
Plasticstrain
Deformationofsoilthatisnotrecovereduponunloading.
Plasticity
Thepropertyofasoilwhichallowsittodeformcontinuously,usuallya
massofclaysizeparticles.
Plasticityindex
Thedifferencebetweentheliquidlimitandplasticlimitofasoilmass.
Platebearingvalue
Afieldtestthatisperformedoncompactedsoilthatprovidesan
indicationofshearstrengthpavementcomponents.
Pointbearingcapacity
Also,tipresistanceorpointcapacity.Thebearingcapacityatthebottom
tipofonememberofadeepfoundationsystem.Seethelinkto
FoundationsorBearingCapacityforfoundationtypes,applications,
Pointbearingpile
Apilethatderivesthemajorityofitsloadbearingabilityfromthesupport
ofthesoillayerbeneaththetipofthepile.
Poisson'sratio
(AfterSimeonPoisson17811840)Theratioofthechangeinstrain
perpendiculartothedirectionofloadingtothechangeinstraincausedin
thesamedirection.
Poreairpressure
Thepressureofairwithinthevoidspaceofapartiallysaturatedsoil.
Porepressure
Also,hydrostaticpressure.Thepressureexertedbythefluidwithinthe
poresorvoidsinaporousmaterialinsaturatedsoiltheporepressureis
theporewaterpressure.SeePorepressureinformationinthesettlement
analysisandstressanalysissectionforequationsandcalculations.
Porepressurecoefficient
Theratioofthechangeinporepressuretothechangeindeviatorstress.
Porepressurecoefficient
Theratioofthechangeinporepressuretothechangeinisotropicstress
inundrainedloading.
Porepressureratio
Atagivendepthofsoil,theratiooftheporewaterpressuretothevertical
overburdenpressure.
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Porespace
Seeporosity.
Porewaterpressure
Seeporepressure.
Porosity
Also,porespace.Theratioofthevolumeofvoidstothetotalvolume.
Expressedin%,orunitless.
Preconsolidationload
Themaximumloadeverimposedonaparticularsoilmassinits
geologicalhistory.
Preconsolidationpressure
Themaximumpastpressureofasoil.
Pressurehead
Theheightofacolumnofwaterrequiredtodevelopagivenpressureata
givenpoint.
Pressureintensioncrack
Thehorizontalpressureexertedinaslopeoragainstaretainingwalldue
tohydrostaticwaterpressureintensioncracks.
Primaryconsolidation
Thelongtermconsolidationofaclayfromthelossofwaterfromthe
voidsduetoahighpressure.
Principalstrains
Thestrainsoccurringinthedirectionsoftheprincipalaxesofstrain.
Principalstresses
Normalstressesactinginthedirectionofprincipalaxesofstress.
Proctortest
Laboratorytestusedtodeterminemaximumdrydensityandoptimum
moisturecontentofsoils.Testresultsareusedtodeterminerelative
densityinthefieldusinginplacedensitytests.Standardeffortor
Modifiedeffortmaybeusedinthelab.SeetheLaboratoryTestinglink
foradditionalinformationconcerningtheProctortest.
Q
Quicksand
Theeffectivestresseswithinamassofsandiszero.
R
RValue
TheRValue,orresistancevalue,ofasoilismeasuredinastabilometer
test,andisusuallyestimatedforpavementdesign.TheRvalueisthe
abilityofasoilmediumtoresistlateralspreadingduetoanapplied
verticalload,suchastireloads.Arangeofvaluesareestablishedfrom0
to100,where0istheresistanceofwaterand100istheresistanceof
steel.SeethelinktoRValuesfortypicalvaluesrelatingtosoiltype.
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Radialstress
Inatriaxialsample,thetotaloreffectivestressactingperpendicularto
thelongitudinalaxis.
Radiusofinfluence
Theouterradiusfromawellthathasadepressionofwaterpressureor
watertableproducedbypumpingofawell.
RaftFoundation
Seematfoundation.Astructuralslabutilizedasafooting,whichusually
encompassestheentirebuildingfootprint.Raftfoundationsare
advantageousoncompressiblesoilsbecausethebuildingloadsare
distributedoveralargearea.Raftsmayalsoprovideadditionalresistance
touplift.SeethelinktoFoundationsorBearingCapacityforfoundation
types,applications,equationsandcalculations.
Rankineearthpressuretheory
Earthpressureanalysisthatdisregardsfrictionbetweenthewallandsoil,
andassumesthatfailureoccursalongaflatplanebehindtheretaining
structureatananglethatisderivedfromtheangleofinternalfriction.
SeethelinktoRetainingWallsforpublications,equationsand
calculations.
Reactiveclays
"SeeExpansiveClays."
Recompressionindex
Thelogarithmicsloperecompression(reloading)line.
Relativedeflection
Thedeflectioninafoundationduetosettlement.
Relativecompaction
Aminimumdensityspecificationusuallydesignatedasapercentageof
themaximumdrydensity.
Relativedensity
Also,densityindex.Thedensityofagranularsoilrelativetothe
minimumandmaximumdensitiesachievedforthatparticularsoil.
RemoldedSwellTest
Usingthesameequipmentasthecompressiontest,thesoilsampleis
remoldedandcompactedinordertoachievesimilarearthwork
conditionsfortheproject'ssoils.Theamountofswellcanbemeasured
afterinundatingthesoilsamplewithwateraftertheappliedloadshave
stabilized.
Residualsoils
Soilsthathavebeenformedinplace.
Resistancevalue
SeeRValue.
Responsespectrum
Informationregardingfrequencydependentenergydistributionofan
earthquakederivedfromtheFourieranalysis.
Resultantforce
Thesingleforceorpressurethatwillproducethesameeffectasseveral
forcesorpressuresactingalongaplane.Usedforeasiercalculations,
suchasanalyzingearthpressures.
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Retainingwall
Walls,usuallyconstructedofconcreteorrock,thatprovideslateral
stabilityoftheearth,thuspreventingthesoilfromsloughingorslope
failure.SeethelinktoRetainingWallsforpublications,equationsand
calculations.
S
Sand
Particlesthatpassthrougha#4sieve(4.75mm),andretainedona#200
sieve(0.075mm).
Sandconetest
Apparatususedformeasuringdensityofsoilinthefield.
Saturateddensity
Densityofsoilwhenthevoidsarefilledwithwater.
Secondarycompressionindex
Thelogarithmicslopeofthesecondarycompressionline.
Secondaryconsolidation
Theconsiderablydecreasedrateofconsolidationfollowingthe
completionofprimaryconsolidation.Seeconsolidationinformationin
thesettlementanalysisandstressanalysissectionforinformation,
Sedimentary
Soilsformedbythedepositionoffinegrainedsoilinwater.
Seepage
Theflowofwaterthroughsoil.Seeseepageforinformationand
publications.
Seepageforce
Theforcetransmittedtoamassofsoilduetotheseepageof
groundwater.
Seepagepressure
Theseepageforceperunitvolume.
Seepagevelocity
Theaveragevelocityatwhichgroundwaterflowsthroughtheporesofa
soil.Theratioofthevolumeflowratetotheaverageareaofvoidsina
soilcrosssection.
Sensitivity
Ameasureofthechangeinultimatestrengthofclaysbetween
undisturbedanddisturbedsamples.
Settlement
Thedownwardmovementofsoil,orthedownwardmovementofa
foundation.Seesettlementinformationinthesettlementanalysisand
stressanalysissectionforinformation,publications,equationsand
calculations.
ShallowFoundation
Referstoafoundationsystemthathasashallowfoundingdepthrelative
tothefoundationwidth.Thesefoundationsusuallyincludespread
footings,continuousfootingsandmats.SeethelinktoFoundationsor
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BearingCapacityforfoundationtypes,applications,equationsand
calculations.
Shapefactors
Factorsusedinageneralbearingcapacityequationwhichprovidesan
adjustmentrelatingtothefootinggeometry.
Shearmodulus
Theratioofthechangeinshearstresstotheresultingchangeinshear
strain.
Shearstrain
Theangulardistortionorchangeinshapeofamassofsoil.
Shearstrength
Themaximumshearstresswhichasoilcansustainunderagivensetof
conditions.Forclay,shearstrength=cohesion.Forsand,shearstrength=
theproductofeffectivestressandthetangentoftheangleofinternal
friction.SeetheLaboratoryTestinglinkforadditional
informationconcerningpropertiesofthesoil.
Shearstress
Theforceperunitareaactingtangentiallytoagivenplaneorsurface.
Sheetpile
Steelsectionpanelsthataredrivenintothegroundtoprovidelateral
support.
Shrinkageindex
Thedifferencebetweentheplasticandshrinkagelimits.
Shrinkagelimit
Thewatercontentcorrespondingtothetransitionbetweenabrittlesolid
andasemisolid.Thewatercontentbelowwhichfurtherreductionin
watercontentcausesnofurtherreductioninvolume.
Sieveanalysistest
Soilparticlesizesthataredeterminedfromarepresentativesampleof
soilthatispassedthroughasetofsievesofconsecutivelysmaller
openings.SeetheLaboratoryTestinglinkforadditional
informationconcerningpropertiesofthesoil.
Siteinvestigation
Processofmethodicallyobserving,soilsamplingandfieldtestinginsuch
amannerthatisbasedonproposeddevelopmentandexistingsite
conditions.
Skinfrictioncapacity
Also,skinresistanceorsideresistance.Thebearingcapacityfortheshaft
ofonememberofadeepfoundationsystem.SeethelinktoBearing
Capacityforequationsandcalculations.
Skinfrictionstress
Theshearstressontheshaftofapile,caissonorconepenetrometer.
Skinresistance
Seeskinfrictioncapacity.
Sliding
Slidingfailureisaresultofexcessivelateralearthpressureswithrelation
toretainingwallresistancetherebycausingtheretainingwallsystemto
moveaway(slide)fromthesoilitretains.
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Slurry
Athickmixtureofsoilandwater.
Soilclassification
Standardizedclassificationschemesthatdelineatessoilcharacteristics
thatareimportantindeterminingsoilbehavior.SeetheLaboratory
Testinglinkforadditionalinformationconcerningpropertiesofthesoil.
SoilNailing
Slopestabilizationmethodthatinvolvesinstallingandusuallygrouting
closelyspacedrebarinthesoilorrockface.
Soilsuction
Seecapillaryrise.
Specificgravity
Theratioofthedensityofabodyorasubstancetothemassofanequal
volumeofwater.Unitless.
Spreadfooting
Also,isolatedfooting.Afootingdesignedtosupportastructuralload
fromasinglecolumn.Usuallyashallowfoundation,andsquareor
circularinshape.SeethelinktoFoundationsorBearingCapacityfor
SPT
SeeStandardPenetrationTest.
SquareFooting
Isolated/spreadfootingshapedasasquare.Usuallyashallowfooting.
StandardPenetrationResistance
SeeNvalue.
StandardPenetrationTest(SPT)
Afieldtestthatmeasuresresistanceofthesoiltothepenetrationofa
standardsplitspoonsamplerthatisdriven12inches(0.3m)witha140
pound(63.5kg)hammerdroppedfromaheightof30inches(0.76m).
TheNvalueisderivedfromthistest.
StandardProctor
SeeProctortest.
Steadystateporepressure
Theporewaterpressureatequilibriumwhenallexcessporepressures
havefullydissipated.
Stiffness
Susceptibilitytodistortionorvolumechangeunderanappliedload.
Strain
Ameasureofthechangeinsizeorshapeofamassofsoilrelativetoits
originalsizeorshape.
Stress
Theintensityofforceperunitareanormalstressisapplied
perpendicularlytoasurfaceorplane,shearstressisappliedtangentially
toasurfaceorplane.Seestressinformationinthesettlementanalysis
andstressanalysissectionforinformation,publications,equationsand
calculations.
Stresshistory
Thepasthistoryofloadingandunloadingofasoilmass.
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Stripfooting
Alsosee"Continuousfooting."Ahorizontallylongfootingsupportinga
wall.Usuallyashallowfooting.SeethelinktoFoundationsorBearing
Capacityforfoundationtypes,applications,equationsandcalculations.
Subgrademodulus
SeeModulusofsubgradereaction.
SubmergedDensity
Also,buoyantdensity.Differencebetweenthetotaldensityandthe
densityofwater.Submergeddensity=SoildensityDensityofwater.
Surcharge
Anadditionalforceappliedattheexposeduppersurfaceofarestrained
soil.SeetheRetainingwalllinkforadditionalinformation,equationsand
calculationsconcerningsurcharges.
Suspension
Athinmixtureofsoilandwater,whereasthesoilparticlesarefloating
withinthewater.
Swell
Increaseinsoilvolumevolumetricexpansionofparticularsoilsdueto
changesinwatercontent.
Swellingindex
Theslopeoftheswelling(unloading)line.
T
Tailings
Crushedrocksfromminesafteroreextraction.
Tensioncrack
Cracksappearingatthesurfaceofasoilmass,oftenadjacenttoa
retainingwallortopofafailingslope.
Tensioncrackdepth
Thedepthofatensioncrackfromthegroundsurfacetoadepthatwhich
thehorizontaleffectivestressiszero.
Tensionpile
Pilesthataredesignedtoresistupwardforces.
Timefactor
Adimensionlessquantitydependentonthedegreeofconsolidationthat
isusedinprimaryconsolidationanalyses.
Tipresistance
Seepointbearingcapacity.
Tolerablevibration
Thelevelofvibrationmagnitudethatastructureisdesigned.Structure
vibrationsrangefromunnoticeabletopersonstostructuraldanger.
Totalhead
Theheightofthefreewatersurfaceaboveagivendatum.
Totalstress
Thestressactingonorwithinasoilmassduetosurcharges,overlying
weight,etc.Totalstress=effectivestress+porewaterpressure.See
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stressinformationinthesettlementanalysisandstressanalysissection
forinformation,publications,equationsandcalculations.
Transportsoil
Soilsthathaveformed,thenmovedtoanotherplaceviawind,water,
glacier,etc...
Triaxialshearstrain
Astrainparameterusedintheinterpretationoftriaxialstresstestresults.
Triaxialstresstest
Laboratorytestssuchastheconsolidateddrained(CD)test,
consolidatedundrained(CU)testandunconsolidatedundrained(UU)
testthatareusedtodeterminethesoils'strengthcharacteristicssuchas
cohesionandangleofinternalfriction.
U
Ultimatebearingcapacity
Thebearingstresswhichwouldcauseshearfailureinthesoilbelowa
foundationdependentupontheshearstrengthofthesoil,appliedloads
andontheshapeanddepthofthefoundation.SeethelinktoBearing
Capacityforequationsandcalculations.
UnconfinedCompressiveStrengthTest
Laboratorytestsimilartotheunconsolidatedundrainedtestperformed
onplasticsoils,usuallyclay.Fromthistest,theundrainedshearstregth
iscalculatedas1/2oftheunconfinedcompressivestrength.Cohesionis
consideredtobeequaltotheundrainedshearstrength.
Undrainedshearstrength
(Alsoundrainedstrength)Theshearstrengthofasaturatedsoilatagiven
watercontent(orvoidsratio,orspecificvolume)underloading
conditionswherenodrainageofporewatercantakeplace.The
undrainedshearstrengthofsoilisindependentofappliedstressesand
thereforecanbemeasuredatanylevelofstress,providedthevoidratio
remainsconstant.TheundrainedMohrCoulombenvelopewillbe
horizontal.
UnifiedSoilClassificationSystem
KnownasUSCS.Asystemofsoilclassificationbasedongrainsize,
liquidlimitandplasticityofsoils.
UniformityCoefficient
Seecoefficientofuniformity.
Unitweight
Theratioofthetotalweightofsoiltothetotalvolumeofaunitofsoil.
Units:lb/ft,kN/m.Seethesoilunitweightlinkforunitweight
relationshipswithsoiltypeanddensity..
Unitweightofwater
Theweightofaunitvolumeofwater
62.4lb/ft,9.81kN/m.
USCS
SeetheUnifiedSoilClassificationSystem.
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V
Vanesheartest
Afieldtestusedtomeasuretheshearstrengthofasoilthatislow
strength,homogeneousandcohesive.
Varvedclays
Claysthatarelayeredwithfineandcoarsevarieties.
Verticalstress
Thetotaloreffectivestressactingverticallyinasoilmassatagiven
depthcausedbythesoil'sownweight.Seestressinformationinthe
settlementanalysisandstressanalysissectionforinformation,
Vibrodensification
Thecompaction(densification)ofcohesionlesssoilsbyimpartingwave
energytothesoilmasssoastorearrangesoilparticlesrelultinginless
voidsintheoverallmass.Suchasusingavibratoryroller.
Vibroflot
Acranesuspendedcylindricalpenetratorwithanopenedwaterjetatthe
tipandactsinconjunctionwithvibrationstodigahole.
Vibroflotation
Amethodtodensifygranularsoilsusingavibroflottodigaholeand
thenbackfilledwithsandorgravelthatisdumpedinfromthesurface
anddensified.
VisualClassification
Afieldtestthatisusedtoestimatesoilcharacteristicssuchastherange
ofparticlesizesandplasticity.
Voidratio
Theratioofthevolumeofvoidstothevolumeofsolids(soilgrains).
Unitless
Volumeofsolids
Volumeofsoilgrainsinatotalsoilvolume.
Volumeofvoids
Volumeofairspaceinatotalsoilvolume.
Volumeofwater
Volumeofwaterinatotalsoilvolume.
Volumetricstrain
Theratioofthechangeinsoilvolumetotheoriginalsoilvolume.
W
Watercontent
SeeMoisturecontent.Theratiobetweenthemassofwaterandthemass
ofsoilsolids.
w=(wetweightdryweight)/dryweight.
Watertable
Thelevelinabodyofsoilatwhichthehydrostaticwaterpressureis
zero.
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Weightofsoilgrains
Thedryweightofsoilgrainsinamassofsoil.
Weightofwater
Theweightofwatercontainedinthevoidspaceofabodyofsoil.
Y
Yieldpoint
Thepointatwhichthesoilloadingbehaviorchangesfromelasticto
inelastic.
Yieldstress
Thestressatwhichyieldingtakesplaceinsoils.Thestressatwhichthe
swellingrecompressionlinejoinsthenormalcompressionline.
Z
Zeroairvoidscurve
Thecurvecreatedbyplottingdrydensitiesofsoilscorrespondingto
saturationateachwatercontent.
Zonedearthdam
Anearthdamembankmentzonedbythesystematicdistributionofsoil
typesaccordingtotheirstrengthandpermeabilitycharacteristics,usually
withacentrallyimperviouscoreandshellsofcoarsermaterials.
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