CE 341: Principles of Soil Mechanics

4.00 Credit Hour/ 4 Hours per Week

Department of Civil Engineering,

MIST, Dhaka

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 Principles of Soil Mechanics
THEME STATEMENT
Nearly every Civil Engineering structure – building,
bridge, highway, railway, tunnel, wall, retaining
structures, tower, canal, or dam must rest and be
founded in or on the surface of the earth. As such, Civil
Engineers must be concerned with the interaction of
structure and soil underneath. That is, the strength,
deformation and permeability characteristics of
foundation soil.

Needs Study of Soil Mechanics

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 CE 341: Principles of Soil Mechanics
Course Teachers
Dr. Md. Zoynul Abedin
Brig. Wahid
Col. Mohiuddin
Recommended Reference Books
Foundation Engineering: Peck, Hanson & Thornburn
Principles of Geotechnical Engineering: B.M. Das
Geotechnical Engineering Soil Mechanics: Cernica

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 Principles of Soil Mechanics
Syllabus: 1
❑ Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering
❑ Formation, Type and Identification of Soils
❑ Soil Structure and Fabric
❑ Index Properties of Soils
❑ Engineering Classifications of Soil
❑ Stress-Strain-Strength Characteristics of
Soils
❑ Lateral Earth Pressure
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 Principles of Soil Mechanics
Syllabus: 2
❑ Soil Composition
❑ Soil Compaction
❑ Principles of Total & Effective Stresses
❑ Permeability & Seepage
❑ Compressibility and Settlement Behaviour
of Soils

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 Soil Mechanics & Geotechnical
Engineering
Soil Mechanics is a subset of the broad
subject Geotechnical Engineering

Geotechnical engineering is a specialty of civil

engineering that deals with the properties, behaviour
and use of earth materials and underground water in
engineering works

The earth materials referred to here include both soil

and rock . The term geotechnical is a derived from
Swedish word ‘Geotekniska’ meaning ‘we know it
today’.
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 Soil Mechanics & Geotechnical
Engineering
Geotechnical
Engineering Requires Geology
Integrated Knowledge
of Many Disciplines Material Science &
Testing
Geotechnical Mechanics
Engineering

Hydraulics

Environment Science
& Engineering

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 Soil Mechanics & Geotechnical
Engineering

Aspects or Branches Soil Mechanics

of Geotechnical
Engineering Rock Mechanics
Engineering Geology
Geotechnical Soil Engineering
Engineering
Rock Engineering

Foundation Engineering
Synonymous to
Soil Mechanics Geo-environmental
Engineering
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 Soil Mechanics & Geotechnical
Engineering
1. Soil Mechanics: that concerns with the
Engineering Mechanics and properties of soil. It
applies the basic principles of Mechanics of
materials, Fluid mechanics and Hydraulics to
soils.
2. Rock Mechanics: that concerns with the
engineering mechanics and properties of rock. It
Definitions also uses the basic principles of Mechanics of
Materials, Fluid mechanics and Hydraulics to
rocks, but not necessarily bed rocks.
3. Engineering Geology: that deals with the
formations and features of earth crust including
earthquake that concerns the design and
performance of civil engineering structures.

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 4. Soil Engineering: that applies the knowledge
of Geology, Soil mechanics and Structural
engineering to the design and construction of
Soil Mechanics foundations of any engineering structures.
& Geotechnical 5. Rock Engineering: that applies the
Engineering knowledge of Geology, Rock mechanics and
Structural engineering to the design and
construction of foundations of any engineering
Definitions structures constructed on or with rocks
6. Foundation engineering: that covers a
broader area to include both Soil
Engineering and Rock Engineering.
7. Geo-environmental Engineering: considers
the environmental effects like earthquake,
rainfall, ground water, gravitational
movements, waste disposal, chemical etc. on
the properties of soil and rock.
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 Soil Mechanics & Geotechnical
Engineering
Foundation of structures

Underground and earth

retaining structures

Scope of Geotechnical Embankment, excavation

Engineering and dam

Pavement

Soil subsidence, Soil heave,

Frost action, Soil erosion,
Shrinkage and Swelling
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 Pyramids of Egypt
(2630-2611 BC)
Development of Hanging gardens of Babylon
Geotechnical (605-562 BC)
Engineering The great wall of China
(220 – 206 BC)
Prominent Ancient Civil The leaning tower of Pisa in
Engineering Structures Italy (1175 AD)
of Geotechnical
Importance Large public buildings,
harbours, aqueducts, bridges,
roads and sanitary works of
Romans
Soil subsidence, Soil heave,
Frost action, Soil erosion,
Shrinkage and Swelling
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 Soil Mechanics &
Geotechnical Engineering
1. Pre-classical Soil
Development of Mechanics (1700 to 1776
Geotechnical AD)
Engineering 2. Classical Soil Mechanics-
Phase I (1776 to 1856 AD)

History of Soil 3. Classical Soil Mechanics-

Phase II (1856 to 1910 AD)
Mechanics
4. Modern Soil Mechanics
(1910 to 1927 AD)

5. Recent Soil Mechanics

(After 1927 AD)

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 Henri Gautier (1660-1737),
a Frenchman studied the
natural slopes of soil when
Development of tipped to a heap
Geotechnical
Engineering Bernard Forest de Belidor
(1671-1761), a Frenchman,
published a textbook in 1729
1. Pre-classical Period for military and civil
of Soil Mechanics engineers. He proposed a
(1700-1776 AD) theory for lateral earth
pressure on retaining wall

Francois Gadroy (1705-

1759), another Frenchman,
observed the existence of slip
plane in the soil at failure
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 Wedge theory of earth pressure
published by a Frenchman,
Coulomb (1736-1806) in 1776,
Development of and his works on shear strength
Geotechnical parameters of soil and bearing
Engineering capacity of foundation soil

2. Classical Period of Soil Extension of Coulomb’s theory

Mechanics: Phase I (1776 by a Frenchman Poncelet
to 1856 AD) (1788-1867) in 1840, a
German Culmann in 1866 and
an Austrian Rebhann in 1871

Stoke’s (an Englishman) law of

falling velocity of particles in a
fluid media, 1845

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 Darcy’s (Frenchman) law of
fluid flow through soil mass in
1856
Development of
Geotechnical Rankine’s (1820-1872), a
Scottish, theory of earth
Engineering pressure in 1857

Pauker’s (a Russian) bearing

3. Classical Period of Soil capacity theory, 1859
Mechanics: Phase II
(1856 to 1910 AD) Boussinesq’s (a Frenchman)
theory of stress distribution,
1885
Mohr’s (a German) work on
graphical analysis of stresses in
1887 and failure hypothesis of
real materials in 1900

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 Consistencies of soil and their
limits by Atterberg 1911
Development of
Geotechnical Double shear test in clay by
Engineering Frontard in 1914

Bell’s bearing capacity theory,

1915
4. Modern Period of Soil
Mechanics: (1910 to Slip circle analysis of saturated
1927 AD) slope by Fellinius in 1918

Prandtl’s theory of bearing

capacity, 1920
Terzaghi’s theory of one
dimensional consolidation,
1925

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 Terzaghi’s bearing capacity
theory, 1943
Development of Cassgrande’s works on Atterberg
Geotechnical limits, consolidation of soil,
seepage, soil classification etc.
Engineering 1932-1975
Compaction of soil by Proctor,
5(a). Recent Soil 1933
Mechanics Stability analysis of slope by
Fellenius, 1936; bearing
(After 927 AD) capacity theory, 1939
Taylor’s theory on stability of
earth slope, 1937;
consolidation curve
Newmark’s chart for
computation of stresses in
elastic foundations, 1942
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 Bearing capacity theory by
Development of Meyerhof, 1951
Geotechnical Skempton’s bearing capacity
Engineering theory, 1951; pore pressure
parameters, 1954
5(b). Recent Soil
Mechanics Dynamics of bases and
foundations by Barkan, 1962
(After 927 AD)
Stress path concept of Lambe
and Whitman, 1969

Terzaghi’s Significant Vibrations of soils and

Contribution; Known as foundations by Richart, 1970
Father of Soil Mechanics
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 Definition of Geotechnical
Engineering
Soil is used by different professionals and their
definitions are different
Agriculturist Geotechnical
Geologist Engineers

To a Geologist, To a agriculturist Soil is considered to

all the materials soil is a thin layer include all naturally
mantling the occurring loose or
of loose surface soft deposit overlying
earth crust are materials of the solid bedrock. It is
unconsolidated earth crust, which formed by
sediments is a portion of disintegration of
overlying solid regolith or rocks and
bed rocks called engineering soil, decomposition of
regolith. where plants grow. organic matter.
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 Definitions of Soil

Soil Top soil

Regolith or Mantle
or soil
Soil
Saprolite
Rock

Bed rock Bed rock

(a) Geologist (b) Agriculturist (c) Geotechnical

Engineer
Fig. 1 Definitions of Soil by Various Professionals

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 Formation of Soil
Soil is a product due to disintegration
and/or decomposition of rocks and
organic matters

Disintegration
process is known as
weathering

The earth’s crust consists of both rock and

weathered rock (as soil) up to an approximate
depth of 20 km. A rock is formed of mixture of
several minerals. Minerals have fixed
properties and are formed of several chemical
elements

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 Formation of Soil
Earth Mass: Consists of 3 Major Layers
Crust Mantle Core

Rock: 3 types of rock formed of several minerals

Igneous: Sedimentary: Metamorphic
95% of earth crust 80% of surface
in volume area

Minerals
More than 4000 Minerals Rock forming minerals = 8

Elements
Basic elements = 118 98% of earth crust is made of
8 elements
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Earth Crust Model 01

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Earth Crust Model 02

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Earth Crust Model 03

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Earth Crust Model 04

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Earth Crust Model 05

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 Facts of Earth Crust
Table 1.1 Common Rock Forming Minerals (after Beavis, 1985)
Mineral Species Structural Composition
Group Class
Quartz Quartz Tektosilicate SiO2
Orthoclase (K, Na)AlSi3O8
Feldspar Tektosilicate
Plagioclase NaAlSi3O8 - CaAlSi2O8
Muscovite KAl2(AlSi3O10) - (OH)2
Mica Phyllosilicate
Biotite K2(MgFe)6(SiAl)8O20(OH)4
Amphibole Hornblende Inosilicate (NaCa)2(MgFeAl)5(SiAl)8O22
(OH)2
Pyroxene Augite Inosilicate Ca(MgFeAl)(AlSi)2O6
Olivine Olivine Neosilicate (MgFe)2SiO4
Kaolinite Al4Si4O10(OH)8
Clays Illite Phyllosilicate KAl2(AlSi3)O10(OH)2
Montmorillonite Al2Si4O10(OH)2nH2O
Calcite CaCo3
Carbonates --
Dolomite CaMg(CO3)2
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Minerals and Rocks

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Minerals and Rocks

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Minerals and Rocks

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Facts of Earth Crust

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 Minerals and Rocks

Minerals, the building blocks of rocks, are

inorganic crystalline solids with a specific
internal structure and a definite chemical
composition (varies only within a narrow
range).

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 Minerals and Rocks

Minerals can be formed under a variety of conditions,

such as:
❑ During the cooling of molten materials (steel,
from lavas, igneous rocks).
❑ During the evaporation of liquids (salt, sugar,
reference to evaporites)
❑ The cooling of liquids (saturated solution)
❑ At high temperatures and pressures new
crystals may grow in solid materials (diamonds
from coal, metamorphism)

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 Minerals and Rocks
Rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of
one or more minerals or mineraloids.
For example, the common rock granite is a
combination of the quartz, feldsper
and biotite minerals. The Earth's outer solid layer,
the lithosphere, is made of rock.
Three major groups of rocks are
defined: igneous, sedimentary and
metamorphic
There is a geological rock cycle taking place on
the earth that results in the formation of soil.
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 Minerals and Rocks
Classification of Major Igneous Rocks

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 Minerals and Rocks
Classification of Sedimentary Rocks

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 Minerals and Rocks
Classification of Metamorphic Rocks

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Rocks and Minerals

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 Rocks Cycle
There is a geological cycle continually
taking place on the surface of the earth
that modifies the earth’s surface, destroys
the old rock, creates new rock, adds to the
complexity of ground surface and results
in the formation of soils.
The cycle of events consists of weathering,
transportation, deposition, compaction,
lithification, upheaval and again followed
by weathering.
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Rocks Cycle

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Rocks Cycle

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Rocks Cycle

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 Types of Weathering
Weathering

Physical/Mechanical Biological
Chemical

Periodical Solution Plant Animal

temperature changes Carbonation

Hydration Dehydration
Wedging action of ice

Oxidation Reduction
Splitting action of
plant roots
Hydrolysis Leaching action
Abrasion action of
wind water

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 Accomplished by physical
Physical or forces that break rock
Mechanical into smaller and smaller
Weathering pieces without changing
the rock’s mineral
composition
Coarse Grained Soil
Involves breaking down
Weathering Chemical rock components and
Weathering internal structure and
forming new components

Fine Grained Soil

Accomplished by the
Biological action of plants & animal
due to their secretion of
Weathering enzymes (weak acids) for
their nutrients
Fine Grained Soil

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 Types of Weathering

Factors Affecting Weathering

The types and intensity of weathering
processes, particularly physical and chemical,
depend on the climatic conditions of the area.

Climatic Conditions

Temperature Precipitation

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Types of Weathering

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Physical Weathering:
Stress Relief

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 Physical Weathering:
Temperature Changes- Exfoliation

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Physical Weathering:
Wedging Action of Ice

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Physical Weathering:
Splitting of Roots

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Physical Weathering:
Splitting of Roots

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 Physical Weathering:
Abrasion of Wind & Water

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 Physical Weathering:
Abrasion of Wind & Water

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Types of Chemical Weathering

• Dissolution/ Solution/ Leaching

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Chemical Weathering

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Chemical Weathering

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Chemical Weathering

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Chemical Weathering

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 Chemical Weathering
Hydrolysis: Affected by H2O

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Chemical Weathering

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Chemical Weathering

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Chemical Weathering

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Chemical Weathering

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 Chemical Weathering
DISSOLUTION

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Chemical Weathering

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Chemical Weathering: Oxidation

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Chemical Weathering: Hydration

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Biological Weathering

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Biological Weathering

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 Soil Profile and Soil Horizon
Soil formed due to the process of weathering may
either stay on the parent rock or deposit to
somewhere else by some transporting agents like
water, wind, glacier and gravitational forces etc. In
the former case it is known as residual soil;
whereas, the later is transported soil.
When vertical changes are caused in transported
soils, the resulting layers are called strata; while in
case of residual soil, they are called horizons. The
set of horizon, from soil surface to the original or
physically unaltered parent rock, is known as the
profile.

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Soil Profile and Soil Horizon

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Soil Profile and Soil Horizon

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Soil Profile and Soil Horizon

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Soils of Bangladesh
Madhupur Tract
or Red Soil Tract

Barind Tract

Tista Silt
Seven Soil Brahmaputra
Tracts Alluvium
Gangetic Alluvium
Coastal Saline
Tract
Hill Tracts

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 Soil of Bangladesh

1. Modhupur Tract
Dhaka, Mymensingh and some isolated
10,000 sq km areas in Chittagong, Comilla and Sylhet

2. Barind Tract
Rajshahi, Dinajpur and Bogra. This
13,000 sq km tract belongs to an old alluvial
formation

3. Tista Silt
16,000 sq km Rangpur, Dinajpur, Bogra and Pabna

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 Soil of Bangladesh
4. Brahmaputra Alluvium
Comilla, Noakhali and Sylhet except the
40,000 sq km hilly areas of greater Mymensingh, Dhaka
and Chittagong.

5. Gangetic Alluvium
Jessore and Kushtia and some parts of
27,000 sq km Rajshahi, Pabna, Faridpur, Khulna,
Barisal and Dhaka.

6. Coastal Saline Tract

Barisal, Patuakhali, Khulna, Noakhali
20,000 sq km and Chittagong

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 Soils of Bangladesh

7. Hill Tract
Chittagong Hill Tracts and the Garo
15,000 sq km Hills of the former greater Mymensingh
district

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 Soils of
Bangladesh
Hill Soils

Raised Alluvial
Terrace Deposit
Alluvial Flood
Plain Deposit
Six Types
of Deposits Himalayan
Piedmont Deposit
Estuarine and
Tidal Flood Plain
Deposit
Depression
Deposit

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 Geotechnical Soils of
Bangladesh

Distribution of soils in Bangladesh is

complex and are usually heterogeneous
both in vertical and horizontal direction.
Soils consist of wide varieties of material
ranging from gravel, poorly graded sand to
silt and clay. In general there is a
predominance of silt size materials.

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 Geotechnical Soils of Bangladesh
Typical Soil Boring Logs of Three Major Deposits

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