CAE 570/670

Advanced Foundation Engineering

Clay Minerals
Jean-Pierre Bardet
University of Miami

1
Learning Objectives

1. Identify main types of clay minerals and

sizes
2. Describe the mineralogical structures of
clays
3. Identify structures of clayey soils
4. Apply clay mineralogy to engineering

2
Kaolinite

Electron photomicrograph of well-

crystallized kaolinite from St.
Austell, Cornwell, England.
Picture width is 17 µm (Tovey,
1971).

3
 Halloysite

Electron
photomicrograph
of a Halloysite
from Bedford,
Indiana.
Picture width is 2
micron (Tovey,
1971).
4
 Electron
photomicrograph of Attapulgite
Attapulgite from
Attapulgis, Georgia.
Picture width is 4.7
micron (Tovey, 1971).

SEM micrography of attapulgite

5
 Montmorillonite
Electron
photomicrograph of a
Montmorillonite
(Bentonite) from a
Clay Spur of
Wyoming. Picture
width is 7.5 micron.
(Tovey, 1971).

SEM pictures of Indian

montmorillonite at a
magnification of 1700X
6
 Illite

Lambe (1951)

7
Synthesis of Clay Minerals

8
Silicon Tetrahedron

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Alumina Octahedron and Sheet

10
11
Clay Mineralogy

12
Kaolinite https://virtual-museum.soils.wisc.edu/display/calcite/

13
Smectite

14
Vermiculite

15
16
Double Layer

17
Double
Layer

18
 Clayey Soil Structures

(a) Dispersed; (b) Flocculated; (c), Bookhouse;

(d) Durbostratic; (e) and the natural structure of clay
(after Craig, 1990)
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Expansive Soils

20
Expansive Soils

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Expansive Soils

1. Each year in the United States, expansive soils cause

$2.3 billion in damage to houses, other buildings, roads,
pipelines, and other structures.
2. This is more than twice the damage from floods,
hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes combined.
3. U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimated
$9 billion damages in 1981 resulting from expansive
soils.
4. In Florida, the most expansive clays (also referred to as
"pipe clay") include the smectite group of clay minerals.
Smectite is common in some of the formations of the
Hawthorn Group. These formations occur near the
surface in many parts of north Florida. Contractors may
recommend soil tests for various types of problem soils
including pipe clay before foundation design is finalized.
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Soil Stabilization

1. Portland cement and cement-fly ash

2. Lime and lime fly-ash
3. Fly ash
4. Bitumen and tar
5. Cement kiln
6. Polymer-based products
7. Fiber reinforcements
8. Calcium chloride
9. Sodium chloride

23
Soil Stabilization with Lime

Hydrated high-calcium lime: Ca(OH )2

Monohydrated dolomitic lime: Ca(OH )2 − MgO
Dolomitic quick lime (calcium oxyde): CaO − MgO
CaO + H 2O → Ca(OH )2 + 65.3kJ / mol

Chemical reaction with minerals

Ca(OH )2 + SiO2 → CaO − SiO2 − H 2O
Ca(OH )2 + Al2O3 → CaO − Al2O3 − H 2O

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How Lime Is Made

25
Lime Stabilization

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Main Points
1. Clay minerals include Kaolinite, Illite, Halloysite,
Attapulgite,and Montmorillonite
2. Clay particle sizes are typically in the range 0.1- 1
micron
3. Clay mineralogy are described using two- and
three-layer units made of stacks of tetrahedron and
octahedron.
4. Clay particles are surrounded by a double layer
with anions and cations
5. Some clay particles, e.g., Montmorillonite and
smectite, swell in presence of water
6. Expansive soils cause about $3 billion damage
each year
7. Lime can be used to stabilize fine-grained soils
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