INTRODUCTION

TO
SOIL MECHANICS

SOIL MECHANICS
SoilMechanicsisdefinedasthebranchofengineeringsciencewhich
enablesanengineertoknowtheoreticallyorexperimentallythe
behaviourofsoilundertheactionof;
1.
2.
3.
4.

Loads(staticordynamic),
Gravitationalforces,
Waterand,
Temperature.

Simplyspeakingitistheknowledgeofengineeringscience,whichdeal
withproperties,behaviourandperformanceofsoilasaconstruction
materialorfoundationsupport

Effectsofstaticloadingonsoilmass
Shear failure of the foundation soil
Settlement of structures
Stability criteria
There should be no shear failure of the foundation soil.
The settlement should remain within permissible limits.

Soilsubjectedtostaticload.

Effectsofdynamicloadingonsoilmass

Impact generation
For Design and construction of roads
following must be considered
COMPACTION CHARATERISTICS
MOISTURE VARIATION

Soilsubjectedtodynamicload.

Effectsofgravitationalforcesonsoilmass
LANDSLIDES
INSTABILITY OF SLOPES

Causes: Major cause is the moisture variation

in;
Reduction of shear strength
Increase of moisture
Increase in unit weight

resulting

Landslideofaparkingareaattheedgeofasteepslope,
mainlyduetoincreaseinmoisturecontent.

Landslidealongtheroadinahillyarea.
Thelandslideoccurredafteraheavyrainfall

Soilsubjectedtoactionofwater(Erosion).

Soilsubjectedtoactionofwater(Erosion).

Effectsofriverwateronsoilmass
Scouring
Causes
Increased flow velocity due to obstruction
Fineness of riverbed material

Stability criteria
The foundation of pier must be below the scour depth

Soilundertheactionofwater(Scouring)

Effectsoffrostaction

onsoilmass
ReductionOfShearStrength
SettlementOfStructureInSummer
LiftingUpOfStructureInWinter

CAUSES
Heaving (due to formation of ice lenses)
Increase of moisture due to thawing (MELTING)

Elevatedgroundsurfaceduetofrost
heave
Depth
of frost
penetra
tion

Maximum frost heave

Original ground surface

Frozen soil
Ice lenses

Unfrozen zone

Frost line

Frost heave
Pavement

Original ground surface

Frozensoil

GWT

Soilsubjectedtolowtemperature(Frostaction)

Ice
lenses
fed by
capillary
water
from
water
table.

Objectives of soil mechanics

Engineering soil surveys

Soil sampling devices and methods
Soil testing devices and methods
Physical properties of soil
Evaluation and interpretation of test results
Behaviour under loads and forces
Soil conservation techniques
Sedimentation control of dam reservoirs
Design and operation of landfills

SOIL

The term soil according to engineering view point is defined as the

material, by means of which and upon which engineers build their
structures
FORMATIONOFSOIL
Soilisgenerallyformedbydisintegrationanddecomposition
(weathering)ofrocksthroughtheactionofphysical,mechanicaland
chemicalagentswhichbreakthemintosmallerandsmallerparticles.

TopSoil(Highly
Organic)

ResidualSoil
(Oldestsoil)

Differentstagesof
weatheringofrocks
andformationofsoil.

Completely
weathered
rock
Highlyweathered
rock
(Mostlysoil)
Moderately
weathered
rock
Slightly
weathered
rock
(SomeFissuresin
theupperzone)
Soundmassive
rock

Differentstagesofweatheringofrocksandformationofsoil.

TYPESOFSOIL

GeologicalConsideration:

1.

Glacialsoil:

2.

Residualsoil:

3.

Alluvialsoil:

4.

WindblownsoilorAeoliansoil

5.

4-a.
DuneorDuneSand:
4-b.
Loess
Colluvialsoil:

Sanddunes

GobiDesert
5percentofthedesertiscoveredwithsanddunes

Sand dunes tower up to 300 m (1000 ft) high

in the Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia.

Sanddunes


Loess(Thedustblownbywindisseenatthetop.)

The Huangtu Gaoyuan (Loess Plateau) in North China

is formed by the accumulation of loess, or fine windblown silt

TYPESOFSOIL
Engineeringconsideration:

Clay
Silt
Sand
Gravels
CobblesorBoulders
OrganicMatter

Particle edges having positive & negative

charges.

Clay particle (not to

scale)

Particle surface having a net negative charge

Electricalchargeonclayparticlesandinter-particle
bonding

Nomenclatureofmaterial(soiltype)andrangeofsizes
Nomenclature
(SoilType)

RangeofSizes
ASTM

AASHTO

75 mm to 4.75 mm
(3in Sieve to No. 4 sieve)

Larger than 2 mm

Coarse Sand

4.75 mm to 2 mm
(No. 4 to No. 10 sieve)

2mm to 0.425 mm

Medium Sand

2 mm to 0.425 mm
(No. 10 to No. 40 sieve)

-------------------------

Find Sand

0.425 mm to 0.075 mm
(No. 40 to No. 200 sieve)

0.425 mm to 0.075 mm

Silt

0.075 mm to 0.005 mm
(No. 200 to .005 mm)

0.075 mm to .002 mm

Clay

Smaller than 0.005 mm

Smaller than 0.002 mm

Colloids

Smaller than 0.001 mm

Smaller than 0.001 mm

Gravel

Extra

Cribtyperetainingwallalongahighwayinmountainousrange

Road Remnants

Colluvium (lean CLAY with gravel)

Retaining Wall

Diversion Bridge

Landslidecausingfailureofagravityretainingwallat
Kuldana-Murree(August2002)

Highwaypassingthroughatunnel

LocationoftheTrans-TokyoBayHighway

OutlineoftheProject
TheTrans-TokyoBayHighwaystructureconsistsoftwo10kmlongtunnels
underKawasakiwaterswheresurfacetraffic(navigatingships)isheavy,anda
5kmlongbridgeoverChibawaterswheresurfacetrafficissparse,andtwo
man-madeislandsinbetween

SalientFeaturesoftheProject
UkishimaAccess

Thebehaviourofsoilasafoundationsupportorasaconstruction
materialisgreatlyinfluencedbythefollowing;

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

The moisture content present in soil pores,

The fluctuation of groundwater table,
Freezing and thawing phenomena,
The presence of organic matter,
History of formation of soil,
Seismicity of the area