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Sub Grade Soil Investigation
Sub Grade Soil Investigation
and Properties
Stability
Incompressibility
Permanency of strength
Ease of compaction.
Index Properties of Soil
A-5 soils are also silty soils with plasticity index less
than 10% , but with liquid limit values exceeding
40%. These include highly elastic or compressible,
soils, usually of diatomaceous of micaceous
character.
A-6 group of soils are plastic clays, having high values
of plasticity index exceeding 10% and low values of
liquid limit below 40%; they have high volume charge
properties with variation in moisture content.
A-7 soils are also clayey soils as A-6 soils, but with high
values of both liquid limit and plasticity index, (LL
greater than 40% and PI greater than 10%). These
soils have low permeability and high volume change
properties with changes in moisture content.
Factors affecting Sub - grade
soil strength characteristics
Soil type
Moisture content
Dry density
[ Load (or pressure) sustained by the
specimen at
2.5 or 5.0 mm penetration ]
CBR, % = ------------------------------------------------------------------------ x
100
[ Load (or pressure sustained by standard
aggregates at the corresponding penetration level ]
CBR VALUE 3% and less 3% 5% 5% 15%
SUBGRADE Poor Normal Good
STRENGTH
Investigating procedure for
classification of Sub grade soil
In particular , soil and material surveys are
required:
(i) to determine the nature and physical
characteristics of soil and soil profile for design
of embankment and pavement.
(ii) to determine the proper method(s) of
handling soils;
(iii) to classify the earth work involved into
various categories such as rock excavation,
earthwork in hard soil etc.
(iv) to gather general information regarding
subsoil water level and flooding; and
(v) to locate sources for pavement
construction materials and to ascertain their
availability and suitability for use in the different
pavement courses.
Soil investigation for low
embankment
The first operation in the detailed soil survey
is to demarcate the possible borrow areas
along or off the road.
While demarcating borrow areas within the
road land, the directions contained in IRC :
10-1961 “Recommended Practice for
Borrowpitsfor Road Embankments
Constructed by Manual Operation“ should
be kept in view.
The extent of borrow areas should be
commensurate with the volume of work
involved in the embankment.
Test pits 0.5 to 1.0 m.sq. should be dug in the
borrow areas from where the embankment
material is to be obtained.
For borrow pits along the road land, the test pits
should be at intervals of 200 metres but the
intervals may be varied depending on the
uniformity or variability of the soil.
When embankment material is to be obtained from
off-road locations, adequate number of samples
should be taken from each such area.
The depth of test pits should not exceed the likely
depth of the borrow pits by more than 15 cm.
The general character of material excavated from
the test pits should be recorded and tests
conducted on it in the laboratory for properties
mentioned further on.
Where the type of material varies in a single pit, the
tests should be conducted on each type of soil
separately and the horizon of occurrence noted.
Special investigations for high
embankments
The basic objective of investigations in such cases is to
obtain engineering data for soil and rock that are
necessary for a quantitative design of embankment at
the chosen sites.
The details of investigations depend upon the
requirements of design.
Generally for checking stability against slip failures, the
basic properties to be investigated are shear
parameters, unit weight and moisture conditions.
For safety against excessive settlement, consolidation
properties are important.
For investigation of such cases, services of specialists
will often be needed.
Reference may also be made to IRC: 75-1979
‘Guidelines for the Design of High Embankments.
Soil investigations for cut sections
In the same manner as described in paragraph for
embankment materials, soil in cut sections along the
centre line of the road at an elevation corresponding
to the design subgrade level should be tested for the
following general properties :
(i) Gradation
(ii) Atterberg limits
(iii) Field dendity and moisture content
(iv) Proctor denstity.
In the case of rock cuts where necessary, trial pits or
boreholes should be carried out at the foundation level
to make realistic estimates of the type of cutting
involved.
The interval of trial bores may be 30-50 metresor as
otherwise decided by the Engineer-in-Charge
depending on specific requirements.
General guide to the selection of soils on
basis of anticipated embankment
performance
P.R.A. Comparable soil groups in Indian StandardVisual
Soil Classification
description Max.
System
Dry density Optimum Anticipated
Classifica range gm per c.c. moisture content embankment
tion range percent performance.