Reporter: Aragon Khier Exyle Y.

Highway Engineering 12:30-1:30A

SOIL AND ITS ORIGIN

From the earliest civilization up to the present time, soil is the most important
material that influenced mankind in his struggle for survival. The material where man
grows his food, build his homes, roads, and ultimately his final destination.
The soil referred to in this study, is the material used to build with, or on that acts in
combination with other forces of nature to make structures and land forms. The material
classified under the field of Geotechnics.
Soil may be defined as the accumulation of unconsolidated sediments and deposits
of solid particles as a result of the integration of rocks. On the other hand, rocks maybe
defined as natural aggregate of minerals connected by strong bonding of attractive forces
classified as consolidated materials.
Scientifically, most of the non-organic materials identified as soil has originated
from rocks as the parent material. Rock types are classified into three major classes in
accordance with their own origin or method of formations.

IGNEOUS ROCK
Is the result from the cooling and hardening of molten rock called magma that has
originated from deep within the earth.
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
Are formed from accumulated deposits of soil particles or remains of certain
orgasms that have harden by pressure or cemented by materials.
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
Are rocks resulted from metamorphism due to changes in temperature, pressure
and plastic flow, changing the original rocks structure and mineral composition of the rock.

CATEGORIES OF SOIL
RESIDUAL SOIL or SEDIMENTARY SOIL
 Is formed from the weathering of rocks or accumulation of organic materials
remained at the location of their origin. Weathering process may be attributed to
mechanical, chemical or solution weathering.

MECHANICAL WEATHERING
Refers to physical disintegration due to effects of wind, rain, running water
or tectonic forces (earth quake).
CHEMICAL WEATHERING
Is decomposition of rock due to chemical reactions that occur as a result of
exposure to atmosphere, temperature changes, reaction with water or other materials.
TRANSPORTED SOIL
Are those materials transported from their places of origin. Transportation may
result due to the effects of gravity, wind, water, glaciers of human activity.
TYPES OF SOIL
The major categories of soil are gravel, sand, silt, clay. Gravel and sand are
universally known as coarse grain soil because of their individual particles that large
enough to distinguish without magnification. On the other hand, silt and clay are
considered as fine grain soil because of their tiny particles.
Particles larger than gravel are commonly referred to as cobbles or boulders. Thus,
it is apparent that particles size alone is the basis of classifying sand, gravel, cobbles and
boulders. On the other hand, fined grain soil is classified as either silt or clay not on the
basis of particles size but on the plasticity or non-plasticity of the materials.
Over a varying range of moisture content, clay soil is plastic and sticky. When dried,
possesses strong resistance to crushing. Silt soil has little or no plasticity and when dried
has very little or no strength at all. If small amount of moist silt sample is shaken on the
palm of the hand, the water will appear on the surface of the sample but disappear when
shaking stops. This phenomenon called dilatancy.

REFERRENCE
Max B. Fajardo jr. ; elements of roads and highways (2ns edition); page 79-82