CHAPTER IX

CLASSIFICATION OF LA TE R ITIC SOILS

FOR ENGINEERING PURPOSES
 Chapter IX

CLASSIFICATION OF LATERITIC SOILS FOR ENGINEERING PURPOSES

Introduction :

Soils in nature s eld om e x is t separately as g r av e l s , sand,

silt or cla y bu t a r e usually found as mixture wi th va rying p r o p o r t io n s of
these components. The Un if ied C l a s s i f i c a t i o n S y s t e m is b a s ed on r e c o g n i ti o n
of the t y p e of p r e d o m i n a n c e of t h e s e c o n s t i t u t e n t s c o n s id e r in g gr ai n size,
g r a d a t i o n , p l a s t i c i t y and c o m p r e s s i b i li ty . This c l a s s i f i c a t i o n is widely used
due to t h e f a c t t h a t t h e s y s t e m is r e l a t e d to the phy sica l p r o p e r t i e s i n h e r e n t
in t h e soil, and is ba sed on soil be h a v io u r , which in t u rn r e f l e c t s t h e ph ysical
properties. This s y s t e m has t h e a d v a n t a g e of its a p p li c a b i l it y for c las sif yi ng
soils fo r c o n s t r u c t i o n . In t h e Un if ied Soil C l a s s i f i c a t i o n S y s t e m , soils a r e
divided into t h r e e m a j o r divisions ( E a r t h Manual, 196 3) viz.(i) c o a r s e g r a i n e d
soils, (ii) fine g r a i n e d soils, (ill) highly o r g a n i c soils.

Coarse grained (gravelly) lateritic soils :

L a t e r i t i c soils whic h c o n t a i n m o re t h a n half of t h e m a t e r i a l

l a r g e r t h a n 0 . 0 7 ^ m m fall in th is division. The r e s u l t s of g rai n size d i s t r i ­
b u t io n, p l a s t i c i t y c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , s h e a r s t r e n g t h and p e r m e a b i l i t y a r e d e s c r i b e d
in pr ev io us c h a p t e r s . Th e se soils belong t o GW, SW, GC and SC groups
( E a r t h Manual, 1 9 6 3) .

Fine grained (concretionary) lateritic soils :

C a s e g r a n d e in 193 2 s t a n d a r d i s e d p l a s t i c i t y values fo r i d e n t i ­
f i c a t i o n and c l a s s i f i c a t i o n of f in e g r a i n e d soils and a p l a s t i c i t y c h a r t , with
t h e help of 'A' line which r e p r e s e n t s an e m p i r i c a l bo u n d ary b e t w e e n ty p ic a l
i n o g ra n i c and plastic soils, containing organic colloids. Further Vall e rg a
e t al ( 1 9 6 9 ) e x t e n d e d this p l a s t i c i t y c h a r t t o l a t e r i t i c soils. P l a s t i c i t y , s he ar
a nd permeability param eters of twenty fou r fine grained lateritic soils
collected from literature (Sahasrabudhe et al, 1 98 0, Gandhi et al, 1982
and P h a d k e , 1 98 2) and during investigations are given in Tab le 9 .1 . The
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Table 9.1

Plasticity, shear and permeability parameters of lateritic soils

Sr. LL PI Cohesion Angle Coefficient Lithology

No. % % kg/cm of of permea­
internal bility
friction cm/sec.

1. 2. 3. 5. 6. 7.

1. 68 31 0.10 33° 0.8x10"^ soft co n cretio n s of

(i earthy hem atite and
2. 67 31 0.09 24° 0.14x10 lim o n it e .

-7
3. 56 23 0.12 30' 0.19x10 m o d e r a t e l y hard c o n c r e ­
tio n s of h em atite
62 29 0.12 29°15' O.^xlO”^ and lim o n it e

-7
5. 62 26 O.iO 22°^7' 0.65x10 m o d e r a t e t o s o f t nodules
of earthy h em atite
-7
6. 57 21 0 .0 7 23°16' 0.34x10 and lim o n it e

7. Gk 27 0 .2 7 29°^r 0.60x10 ^ s o ft nodules of e a r t h y

hem atite and lim o n it e

-7
8. 62 25 0.38 0.48x10 m o d e r a t e l y ha rd c o n c r e ­
t ion s of l im o n it e and
-7
9. 58 27 0.20 2G°3ii' 0.76x10 e a r t h y t o se mi c r y s t a ­
lline h e m a t i t e

-5
10. 59 22 0.10 24°42’ 0.31x10 s o ft nodules of l i m o­
n i t e and e a r t h y h e m a t i t e

-6
11. 63 26 0 .0 8 26°34' 0.16x10 nodules of lim onite
and earthy hem atite
-7
12. 51 14 0.16 23°45' 0.86x10 wi th d e c o m p o s e d z e o l i t e s
 161

1. 2. 3. U. 5. 6. 7.

13. 85 UO 0.45 22°0' 0.14xl0~^ poorly d e v e lo p e d c o n c r e -

^ tions of ii m on it e and
l^f. 83 40 0.45 19°18' 0.43x10” hem atite wi th d e c o m p ­
osed z e o l i t e s
15. 86 44 0.40 25°0'

16. 71 30 0.57 20°33' - poorly d e v e lo p e d nodules

of earthy Iim onite,
17. 68 25 0.70 24°0' - co n sid erab le am ount
of glassy m aterial
and z e o l i t e s

18. 81 36 0.50 25°26' 0 . 1 6 x 1 0 ”^ very poorly d ev e lo p e d

concretions of earthy
Iim onite and hem atite

19. 77 26 0.42 28°49’ - m o d erately hard,w ell

deveioped concretions
20. 72 26 0.20 24°26' - of earth y lI i m
m oo n i t e
and earthy to semi-
crystalline he m a tite .

21. 64 28 0.40 31°46' - m oderately developed

noduJes w ith sem i­
crystalline to earthy
h em atite and earthy
Iim onite wi th zeolites

2 2. 85 39 0.50 25°17' - m oderately developed

, concretions of earthy
2 3. 59 33 0.20 26°34' 0.11x10'^ to s e m i c r y s t a 1l i n e
_-j h e m a t i t e , g o e t h i t e
,o
2 4. 52 25 0.08 24^^42' 0.18x10 ' and Iim o n ite .
 162

pl ots of t h e s e soils on V al ler ga e t al's ( 1 9 6 9 ) p l a s t i c i t y c h a r t i n d i c a t e t h a t

22 samples fall in OH or MH group (i.e. below 'A' line) while 2 s a m p l e s
in CH group, a b ov e 'A' line. T e r z a g h i ( 1 9 5 8 ) and Gidigasu ( 1 9 7 ^ ) p o in te d
o ut that the lateritic soils which plo t below the 'A' line a r e of sp e ci a l
interest on account of the difficulties reported in l i t e r a t u ^ ^ when the
soils a r e used for c o n s t r u c t i o n purpo ses .

N a t u r e of OH group of soils, as d e s c r i b e d in U ni f ie d C l a s s i ­
f i c a t i o n S y s t e m , is " or ga ni c c la y s of m e d i u m t o high p l a s t i c i t y having i m p e ­
rvious c h a r a c t e r and poor s h e a r s t r e n g t h " . Si milarly soils of MH group a r e
described as " in or ga nic silts, m icaceous or diatomaceous fine sandy silty
soils, e l a s t i c soils having s h e a r strength poor to f ai r and s e m i p e rv i o u s to
im p r e v io u s nature". CH gro up is d e s c r i b e d as " in or ga ni c c lay s of high
p l a s t i c i t y and f a t c la y s h aving poor s h e a r s t r e n g t h and i m p e r v io u s n a t u r e " .
L a t e r i t i c soils u nd e r c o n s i d e r a t i o n c o n t a i n v a ri a b le p r o p o rt io n s of h e m a t i t e ,
g o e t h i t e , l im o n it e , b o h e m i t e , gi b b si t e , m a g n e t i t e , i l m e n i t e , q u a r t z , z e o li te s ,
m ic a , e t c . in various f o r m s f r o m e a r t h y to c r y s t a l l i n e , in a d di tio n t o clay
minerals like k a o li n it e , m ontmorillonite, illite, h a llo is ite e t c . E ngi ne erin g
properties such as shear strength and permeability of these soils do not
ta l ly with t h o s e d e s c r i b e d in E a r t h Manual ( 1 9 6 3 ) . Fig. 9.1 shows t h a t fines
in l a t e r i t i c soils on t h e V al ler ga e t al' s e x t e n d e d p l a s t i c i t y c h a r t fai l below
the 'A' line whi ch confirms the r e s u l t s d e s c r i b e d by Evans ( 1 9 5 7 ) , Clare
e t al ( 1 9 6 5 ) , C r u z ( 1 9 6 9 ) and Gidigasu ( 1 9 7 ^ ) . But pl ots of a f e w l a t e r i t i c
soils fall a b ov e 'A' line as shown by R e m ill o n ( 1 9 6 7 ) , C l a r e ( 1 9 6 0 ) , Ac k ro y e d
( 1 9 5 9 ) and De G r a f t - John so n e t al ( 1 9 7 2 ) .

Conclusion :

(i) Liquid lim it of m o st of t h e lateritic soils, r e p r e s e n t i n g

d i f f e r e n t ho riz ons of d i f f e r e n t p ro fil e s d ev e lo p e d ov e r d i f f e r e n t ro ck f o r m a ­
ti o n s , is a b o v e 50 %. Th e se soils ha ve wide r an g e of s h e a r s t r e n g t h f r o m
po or to excellant and pe rvi ous to im p e r v io u s . P l o ts of these soils fall
below 'A' line. However, shear strength and p e r m e a b i l i t y characteristics
of some of the lateritic soils are not comparable to those described in
engineering use c h a r t ( E a r t h Manual, 1 9 6 3) . In view of t h e s e o b s e rv a t io n
it a p p e a r s n e c e s s a r y to c o m p a r e index and e n g in e e r i n g p r o p e r t i e s of l a t e r i t i c
 163

L iq u id lim it %
Fig. 9.1 Extend ed p la s t ic it y ch art afte r V e lle r g a et al (19 69 )

CL In o r g a n ic c la y e y s ilt s i c la y s of lo w p la s t ic it y

MI In o r g a n ic s ilt s , and ro c k flo u r of lo w c o m p r e s s ib ilit y

OL O r g a n ic s ilt s and c la y s

Cl In o r g a n ic c la y s of m o d erate p l a s t i c i t y

ML In o rg a n ic s ilt y c la y s , m o d e ra te ly c o m p r e s s ib le s ilt s

01 O r g a n ic c la y s and c la y s

CH In o r g a n ic c la y s of h ig h p la s t ic it y

MH H ig h ly c o m p r e s s ib le s ilt s , m ic a c e o u s , o r d ia tm a c e o u s s o ils

OH O rg a n ic c la y s and c la y s
soils in t h e light of type and f o r m of m in e r a l c o n s t i t u e n t s which r e f l e c t
a l m o s t all a s p e c t s involved in t h e p r o c e s s of l a t e r i t i z a t i o n . Identification
of t y p e and f o r m of t h e m in e r a l a p p e a r t o be one of t h e i m p o r t a n t basis
to e x t e n d or m od ify t h e C a s a g r a n d e ' s and Valler ga e t al's e x t e n d e d p l a s t i c i t y
chart.
/
(ii) I nf lu en ce of type and form of s e ^ q u io x i d e c o a ti n g s
on c l a y m i n e r a l s also ne e d t o be st u d i e d in this c o n t e x t .

(iii) The p r e s e n t stud y i n d i c a t e s t h a t fin es of well d e v e lo pe d

nodul es c o n t a i n i n g c r y s t a l l i n e t o s e m i c r y s t a l l i n e h e m a t i t e , g o e t h i t e , g ib b si te
a nd limonite with some unaltered m in e r a l s generally fall in Ml gro up ;
and poorly to m o d e r a t e l y formed c o n c r e t i o n s of e a r t h y to semicrystalline
hem atite and p r e d o m i n a n t l y earthy l im o n it e fall in MH group of e x t e n d e d
U ni fie d Soil C l a s s i f i c a t i o n S y s t e m of V al ler ga e t al ( 1 9 6 9 ) .

(iv) On the basis of present stu d ie s, lateritic soils ha ve

been c la s s if i e d for e n g in e e r i n g pur pos es and presented in the following
diagram.

Lateritic soil

Fine concretionary Concretionary gravelly lateritic soils

lateritic soils

Residual/transported, Soft,friable,nodular Indurated,hard,

light brown t o de e p gravels no du lar g r av e l s .
red,earthy,ochreous,
specific gravity Commonly resi­ Residual/tran­
m o d e r a t e t o high d u a l, d a r k to s p o r t e d d a rk brown
OD D and OMC high, light brown, to deep red,specific
s e m i p e r v i o u s to earthy,specific g r a v i t y high,ODD
i m p e r v io u s in n a t u r a l gravity m oderate, h ig h,p er vio us
s t a t e , a n d im pe r v io u s O D D low p a r t i c u ­ in n a t u r a l s t a t e ,
a t OMC and ODD. larly d e ri v e d b u t a t OMC and
from basalt,pervious O D D p e rvi ou s
in n a t u r a l s t a t e , b u t to s e m i p e rv i o u s
a t OMC and
ODD s e m i p e rv i o u s
t o im p er v io u s.