3/13/2022

Soil Mechanics
‫ﻣﯿﻜﺎﻧﯿﻜﺎ اﻟﺘﺮﺑﺔ‬

Soil Classification

Eng. Farag Abdelgawad Amer

Assistant Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University

 Soil Classification  Grain Size Distribution Curve (GSDC)

Grain Size 100
90
80
70
Passing (%)

Clay Silt Sand Gravel 60

50
40
0.002 mm 0.05 mm 2 mm 30
20

Fine grain soils Coarse grain soils 10

0
100 10 1 0.1 0.01 0.001
Cohesive soils Cohesionless soils Diameter (mm)
Graduation Coefficients percentages of the different
 Grain Size Distribution % =⋯ components
% =⋯
Determination of GSD:
% =⋯ Clay = …… %
In coarse grain soils By In fine grain soils By
sieve analysis hydrometer analysis Effective diameter ( E )
Silt = ….. %
(Dry Analysis) (Wet Analysis) E= %

Uniformity coefficient Sand = ……. %

%
=
% gravel = ….. %
Coefficient of gradation
%
= .
% %

Eng. Farag Amer Soil Mechanics Section No. 2 Page 2/9

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Fig. (1): Illustrates the grain size distribution curves of two different soils. It is required to:
a) Estimate the effective diameter, the uniformity coefficient, and the coefficient of gradation of both soils and comment on these values.
b) Determine the percentages of the different components of the tested soils.

Soil No. (1)

% 0.2 mm
% 0.27 mm
% 0.35 mm
E 0.2 mm
% .
= = 1.75
% .

% .
= = 1.04
% . % . × .

100 % Sand

Eng. Farag Amer Soil Mechanics Section No. 2 Page 3/9

Fig. (1): Illustrates the grain size distribution curves of two different soils. It is required to:
a) Estimate the effective diameter, the uniformity coefficient, and the coefficient of gradation of both soils and comment on these values.
b) Determine the percentages of the different components of the tested soils.

Soil No. (2)

84 % Clay = 14 %

Silt = 84 – 14 = 70 %

Sand = 100 – 84 = 16 %

Sandy Silt with a few of clay

14 %

Eng. Farag Amer Soil Mechanics Section No. 2 Page 4/9

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Question No. 1 For the following test data:

Opening size (mm) 6.68 4.70 3.33 1.65 0.417 0.147 0.074 Pan

retained (gm) 0 4.7 4.7 16.5 51.9 24.8 8.3 7.1

a) Draw the grain size distribution curve

b) What is the effective diameter of the test specimen?
c) What are the uniformity coefficient and coefficient of curvature?

Opening Size Mass Retained

Total mass retained Mass Passing Passing %
(mm) (gm)
6.68 0 0 118 - 0 = 118 (118/118) * 100 = 100
4.70 4.7 4.7 + 0 = 4.7 118 – 4.7 = 113.3 (113.3/118) *100 = 96
3.33 4.7 4.7 + 4.7 = 9.4 118 – 9.4 = 108.6 (108.6/118) * 100 = 92.03
1.65 16.5 25.9 92.1 78
0.417 51.9 77.8 40.2 34.06
0.147 24.8 102.6 15.4 13.05
0.074 8.3 110.9 7.1 6.01
Pan 7.1 118 0 0

Eng. Farag Amer Soil Mechanics Section No. 2 Page 5/9

100
90
Opening Size
Passing %
(mm) 80
70
60
Passing (%)

6.68 100
50
4.70 96
40

3.33 92.03 30
20
1.65 78 10
0
0.417 34.06 0.901 0.38
100 10 0.13
0.1 0.01 0.001
Diameter (mm)
0.147 13.05
1/ Effective diameter ( %) = 0.13 mm
0.074 6.01
% .
2/ Coefficient of uniformity ( )= = = 6.92
% .
Pan 0 .
%
3/ Coefficient of gradation( )= = = 1.23
% . % . × .

Eng. Farag Amer Soil Mechanics Section No. 2 Page 6/9