Foundation Engineering

Sample Problem

 A sample of soil is taken from below the

groundwater table. Its moisture content
is 55%. Determine the following
information about the soil.
 Unit weight of the soil in-situ
 Dry unit weight

 Void ratio

 Porosity

 Degree of saturation

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Relative Density
 For granular soils only…
 Degree of denseness in the field
 Dr (%) = emax – e x 100
emax – emin
 e- void ratio in situ
 emax – e at loosest state
 emin – e at densest state

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Atterberg Limits

 Liquid limit (LL):

the water
content, in
percent, at which
the soil changes
from a liquid to a
plastic state.
 Plastic limit (PL): the water content, in percent, at which the soil
changes from a plastic to a semisolid state.
 Shrinkage limit (SL): the water content, in percent, at which the
soil changes from a semisolid to a solid state.
 Plasticity index (PI): the difference between the liquid limit and
plastic limit of a soil, PI = LL – PL.
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Atterberg Limits

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Atterberg Limits

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Soil Classification Systems

Classification may be based on – grain size, genesis, Atterberg
Limits, behavior, etc. In Engineering, descriptive or behavior based
classification is more useful than genetic classification.

 American Assoc of State Highway & Transportation Officials

(AASHTO)
 Originally proposed in 1945
 Classification system based on eight major groups (A-1 to A-8)
and a group index
 Based on grain size distribution, liquid limit and plasticity indices

 Unified Soil Classification System (USCS)

 Originally proposed in 1942 by A. Casagrande
 Classification system pursuant to ASTM Designation D-2487
 Classification system based on group symbols and group names
 The USCS is used in most geotechnical work in USA

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For engineering purposes, soils can also be divided into cohesive and non-
cohesivesoils.

Non-cohesive means the soil has no shear strength if no confinement.

Cohesive soil contains clay minerals and posses plasticity.

In engineering practice, plasticity is defined as the ability to be rolled into

thin thread before breaking into pieces.

Clay is cohesive and plastic. For example, mud sticking on shoes in a rainy
day when one walk in a field.

Sand is non-cohesive and non-plastic.

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Soil Classification Systems

 Group symbols:
G - gravel
S - sand
M - silt
C - clay
O - organic silts and clay
Pt - peat and highly
organic soils
H - high plasticity
L - low plasticity
W - well graded
P - poorly graded Plasticity Chart

 Group names:
several descriptions
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Sample Problem 2

 Classify soil F via USCS

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Solution Problem 2, USCS

 USCS solution:
 From the curve, soil F has approximately
35% fines and the rest is sand.
 The soil is a coarse grained-soil and the first
letter is S.
 Using the LL and the PI (LL-PL) from the
fine fraction, the soil plots below the A-line
on the plasticity chart.
 The fines are silt, symbol M.
 The soil is SM- Silty Sand
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Solution Problem 2, USCS

 USCS solution:
 From the curve, soil F has approximately
35% fines and the rest is sand.
 The soil is a coarse grained-soil and the first
letter is S.
 Using the LL and the PI (LL-PL) from the
fine fraction, the soil plots below the A-line
on the plasticity chart.
 The fines are silt, symbol M.
 The soil is SM- Silty Sand
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