14.

330 Soil Mechanics - Geology

NATURAL SOIL DEPOSITS

Soils are produced by weathering of rock.
Weathering is the physical or chemical breakdown of
rock.
Physical Processes: Chemical Processes:
- Unloading - Oxidation
- Frost Action - Hydration
- Organism Growth - Hydrolysis
- Crystal Growth - Carbonation
- Abrasion - Solution

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 14.330 Soil Mechanics - Geology

ROCK-SOIL RELATIONSHIPS
•  Igneous Rocks
•  Granite > silty sands
•  Basalts > clayey soils
•  Sedimentary rocks
•  Shales > clays and silts
•  Sandstones > sandy soil
•  Limestone > coarse or fine grained soils
•  Metamorphic rocks
•  Gneiss > silty sands
•  Slate > clayey soils
•  Marble > fine grained soils
•  Quartzite > coarse grained soils

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 14.330 Soil Mechanics - Geology

SOIL FORMATION METHODS

Two Main Groups:
Residual Soils Transported Soils
Rock material weathered in place Soils transported from place of
via mechanical and chemical origin via three main processes:
processes (chemical usually
dominant factor). 1. Water
2. Glacial
As a result of this process, and 3. Air
because the rock material may
Most soils are transported soils.
have an assorted mineral structure,
the upper layers of soils are usually
fine-grained and relatively Example: Cape Cod.
impervious to water.
Example: Piedmont (Eastern US).

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 14.330 Soil Mechanics - Geology

RESIDUAL SOILS
TYPICAL WEATHERING PROFILES

(a)  Mudstone, Shale, (b) Gneiss and Schist (c) Granite to Gabbro;
and Slate
from Sowers, G.F. 1988. Foundation problems in residual soils. Proceedings, Engineering Problems of Regional Soils: 154- 171. Beijing,
China and Sowers, G.F. (1994). "Residual soil settlement related to the weathering profile." Vertical and Horizontal Deformations of
Foundations and Embankments, ASCE GSP 40, 1689-1702.
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 14.330 Soil Mechanics - Geology

RESIDUAL SOILS
TYPICAL WEATHERING PROFILES
ZONE (a) Metamorphic Rocks (b) Intrusive Igneous Rocks ZONE
Colluvium of other
transported soils; Colluvium etc.
“pebble marker”
common here IA IA
A horizon

IB IB
I B horizon
Residual
Soil
IC
C horizon IC
(Saprolite)

IIA
Transition
IIA
from
Saprolite to
Weathered
Rock
II
Weathered
Rock IIB IIB
Partly
Weathered
Rock

III
Unweathered III
Rock

Revised 1/2012
Figure
Figure3-2. from
3-2. Typical NHI-06-088
weathering (afterandDeere
profile for metamorphic and
igneous rocks (DeerePatton, 1971).
and Patton, 1971).
Slide 5 of 17
FHWA NHI-06-088 3 – Subsurface Explorations
Soils and Foundations – Volume I 3-8 December 2006
 14.330 Soil Mechanics - Geology

RESIDUAL SOILS – PIEDMONT PROVINCE

Covers ~1/3 of
SC and NC.

Eastern Border of
Province called
Fall Line

“Georgia Red
Clay” – Residual
Soil
Figure from Finke, K.A., Mayne, P.W. & Klopp, R.A. (2001). Piezocone penetration testing in
Atlantic Piedmont residuum. Journal of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Engineering 127 (1).

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 14.330 Soil Mechanics - Geology

TRANSPORTED SOIL DEFINITIONS

Glacial Soils: formed by transportation and
deposition of glaciers.
Alluvial Soils: transported by running water and
deposited along streams.
Lacustrine Soils: formed by deposition in quiet lakes.
Marine Soils: formed by deposition in seas/oceans.
Aeolian Soils: transported and deposited by the wind.
Colluvial Soils: formed by movement of soil from its
original place by gravity (e.g. landslides).
from Das, B.M. (1998). Principles of Geotechnical Engineering, 4th edition, PWS Publishing Company.
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 14.330 Soil Mechanics - Geology

TRANSPORTED SOILS
Meander and
Erosion along
Rivers

Meander
Development &
Cutoff

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 14.330 Soil Mechanics - Geology

TRANSPORTED SOILS

Oxbow Lake Deposits

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 Address Northampton, MA

14.330 Soil Mechanics - Geology

TRANSPORTED
SOILS

Oxbow Lake
Example
Northampton, MA

Revised 1/2012
Map courtesy of Google.com Slide 10 of 17
 14.330 Soil Mechanics - Geology

TRANSPORTED SOILS

Major Floodplain Features

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 14.330 Soil Mechanics - Geology

NEW ENGLAND GEOLOGY

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 14.330 Soil Mechanics - Geology

NEW ENGLAND GEOLOGY

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 14.330 Soil Mechanics - Geology
NEW ENGLAND GEOLOGY

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 14.330 Soil Mechanics - Geology

NEW ENGLAND GEOLOGY

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 14.330 Soil Mechanics - Geology

NEW
ENGLAND
GEOLOGY

Surficial Geologic Map of

the Ashby-Lowell-Sterling-
Billerica
11-Quadrangle Area
(Stone and Stone, 2007)

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 14.330 Soil Mechanics - Geology

Revised 1/2012 Slide 17 of 17