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CLASS NOTES
UNIT-I INTRODUCTION
SYLLABUS: Soil formation-soil structure and clay mineralogy - adsorbed water-mass volume
relationship-relative density - mechanism of compaction - factors affecting – effects of
compaction on soil properties-compaction control.
DAY-1
1. What is meant by Soil Mechanics?
Soil Mechanics is the branch of engineering that deals with the
engineering properties of soils and their behavior under stress.
Oxygen and carbon dioxide which are always present in the air
readily combine withthe elements of rock in the presence of
water.
(b)
This leaves one negative valence charge of the top oxygen atom
of each tetrahedron to be counterbalanced.
Figure b shows an octahedral unit consisting of six hydroxyl
units surrounding an aluminum (or a magnesium) atom. Figureb
shows an octahedral unit consisting of six hydroxylunits
surrounding an aluminum (or a magnesium) atom. The
combinationof the aluminum octahedral units forms a gibbsite
sheet (Figure 2b). Ifthe main metallic atoms in the octahedral
units are magnesium, these sheetsare referred to as brucite
sheets.
When the silica sheets are laid over the octahedral sheets, the
oxygen atoms replace the hydroxyls to satisfy their valence
bonds.
Consider that the Soil mass has a total volume Vand a total
weight W.
Note that:
W=Ws+Ww
V=Vs+Vv+Va
Where
Ws =weight of soil solids
Ww= weight of water
Vs= volume of the soil solids
Vw =volume of water
Va= volume of air.
2. Density, ρ :
Density(or, unit weight) is expressed as mass per unit volume.
There are several commonly used densities. These may be
defined as
The Total (or Bulk), or Moist Density, ρr;
The Dry Density, ρd;
TheSaturated Density, ρsat;
The Density of the Particles, Solid Density, ρs; and
Density of Water,ρw.
Each of these densities is defined as follows
M
Total density, ρt=
V
Ms
Dry Density, ρd=
V
M
Saturated Density, ρsat= (for S = 100%)
V
Ms
Solid Density, ρs=
Vs
Mw
Density of Water, ρw=
Vw
3. Specific Gravity, G:
The specific gravity of a substance is defined as the ratio of its
mass in air to the mass of an equal volume of water at
reference temperature, 4 °C. The specific gravity of a mass of
soil (including air, water and solids) is termed as bulk specific
gravity Gm. It is expressed as
𝛒𝐭 𝐌
Gm= =
𝛒w 𝐕𝛒w
The specific gravity of solids, Gs, (excluding air and water) is
expressed by
𝛒𝐬 𝐌s
Gs= =
𝛒w 𝐕𝐬𝛒w
=> 𝐰 𝐆𝐬
e=
𝐒
S = 1, then
e = w Gs
15.Write the Weight-Volume relations existing between
different phases of a soil mass.
Consider a soil mass that has a total volume (V) and a total
weight (W). To develop the weight–volume relationships, the
three phases of the soil mass is required as shown in block
diagram above.
Consider that the Soil mass has a total volume Vand a total
weight W.
Note that:
W=Ws+Ww
V=Vs+Vv+Va
Where
Ws =weight of soil solids
Ww= weight of water
Vs= volume of the soil solids
Vw =volume of water
Va= volume of air.
Kaolinite 2.62-2.66
Montmorillonite 2.75-2.78
1-na = [(ws/Gsγw)+(Ww/γw)]
1
= [(Ws/Gs) +(Ww/1)]
Vγw
Ws
= [1 +( Gs Ww/Ws)]
G s Vγw
Ws
= [1 +( Gs w)]
G s Vγw
γs Vs γs
=>γd = =>γd = V ------ (3)
V (V )
s
s γ
γd = (1+e) --------- (4)
(Ws + Ww )
γsat =
V
Ws Ww
We have γs = , γw =
Vs Vw
So,
(Ws + Ww ) (γs Vs + γw Vw )
γsat = = =
V V
(b)
= = 17.38 kN/m3
(c) =
= = 19.62 kN/m3
Solution:
(a) e= = = 0.631
(b) γd =
Therefore Gs =
22.Explain in detail about relative density of soil.
Relative density or density index is the ratio of the difference
between the void ratios of cohesion less soil in its loosest
state and existing natural state to the difference between its
void ratio in the loosest and densest states. Porosity of a soil
depends on the shape of grain, uniformity of grain size and
condition of sedimentation. Hence porosity itself does not
indicate whether a soil is in loose or dense state. This
information can only be obtained by comparing the porosity
or void ratio of the given soil with that of the same soil in its
loosest and densest possible state and hence the term,
relative density (ID)is introduced.
The relation between moisture content and dry unit weight for
a saturated soil is the zero air-voids line. It is not feasible to
expel air completely by compaction, no matter how much
Compactive effort is used and in whatever manner.
25.Write the factors that are affecting compaction
For cohesion less soils (or soils without any fines), the standard
compaction tests are difficult to perform. For compaction,
application of vibrations is the most effective method.
Watering is another method. The seepage force of water
percolating through cohesion less soil makes the soil grains
occupy a more stable position. However a large quantity of
water is required in this method. To achieve maximum dry
density, they can be compacted either in a dry state or in a
saturated state.
For these soil types, it is usual to specify a magnitude of relative
density (ID) that must be achieved. If e is the current void ratio
or γd is the current dry density, the relative density is usually
defined in percentage as
Or
Where
emax and emin are the maximum and minimum void ratios that
can be determined from standard tests in the laboratory, and
γdmin and γdmax are the respective minimum and maximum dry
densities
On the basis of relative
density, sands and gravels
can be grouped into
different categories:
It is not possible to determine the dry density from the value of
the relative density. The reason is that the values of the
maximum and minimum dry densities (or void ratios) depend
on the gradation and angularity of the soil grains.
27.Explain how the Behavior of soil is going to be modified w.r.t
to Engineering characteristics after compaction.
(Or)
Write about effects of compaction on Soil properties.
Behaviors of Compacted Soils
The water content of a compacted soil is expressed with
reference to the OMC. Thus, soils are said to be compacted dry
of optimum or wet of optimum (i.e. on the dry side or wet side
of OMC). The structure of a compacted soil is not similar on
both sides even when the dry density is the same, and this
difference has a strong influence on the engineering
characteristics.
Soil Structure
For a given Compactive effort, soils have a flocculated structure
on the dry side (i.e. soil particles are oriented randomly),
whereas they have a dispersed structure on the wet side (i.e.
particles are more oriented in a parallel arrangement
perpendicular to the direction of applied stress). This is due to
the well-developed adsorbed water layer (water film)
surrounding each particle on the wet side.
Swelling
Due to a higher water deficiency and partially developed water
films in the dry side, when given access to water, the soil will
soak in much more water and then swell more.
Shrinkage
During drying, soils compacted in the wet side tend to show
more shrinkage than those compacted in the dry side. In the
wet side, the more orderly orientation of particles allows them
to pack more efficiently.
Construction Pore Water Pressure
The compaction of man-made deposits proceeds layer by layer,
and pore water pressures are induced in the previous layers.
Soils compacted wet of optimum will have higher pore water
pressures compared to soils compacted dry of optimum, which
have initially negative pore water pressure.
Permeability
The randomly oriented soil in the dry side exhibits the same
permeability in all directions, whereas the dispersed soil in the
wet side is more permeable along particle orientation than
across particle orientation.
Compressibility
At low applied stresses, the dry compacted soil is less
compressible on account of its truss-like arrangement of
particles whereas the wet compacted soil is more
compressible.