Types & Formation of

Soils
In term of composition, soils are generally
considered to consist of 4 main components:

- Gravel
- Sand
- Silts and,
- Clay

Soils are therefore considered as particulate

particulate materials that consist of individual
particles, not a solid mass.

Also known as mineral (or inorganic) soils.

Which is the basis of ‘classical’ soil mechanics.

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Gravel, sand, silt and clay can be identified (and classified) by their particle sizes

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Gravel is the general term used to describe the largest size
of the soil particle. Gravels are spics of rocks with
occasional particles of quartz, feldspar, and other minerals.
Sands are mostly from quartz and feldspar.
Silts are the microscopic soil fractions that consist of very
fine quartz grains and some flaked shaped particles that are
fragments of micaceous minerals.

Clays are mostly flaky microscopic and submicroscopic

particles of clay minerals (Kaolinite, Illite,
Montmorillonite), micas and other minerals.

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Gravels and sands are known as ‘coarse grained soils’

The behavior of coarse-grained soil is influenced not by

the particles size distribution but also by the shape of
the soil particles. These shapes can be described as
angular, sub angular, sub rounded and rounded

Silts and clays are ‘fined grained soils’

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Soils are also considered as 3-phase
materials:
- Solid
- Liquid, and
- Gas

The liquid and gas are contained in the

voids (pores) between solid particles.

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In natural environment, soils rarely
consist of 1 constituents only.

Often a mixture of 2 or more.

E.g. Gravelly sand, or sandy-silty clay

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Soils can also be described based on
their:

- Formation
- Transportation, and
- Deposition

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The categories include:

- Residual soils
- Glacial soils
- Alluvial soils
- Lacustrine & Marine soils
- Aeolian soils
- Colluvial soils
- Organic soils & peat

(Glacial, alluvial, lacustrine, marine, aeolian and colluvial

are aka transported soils)

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 Residual Soils
The soils formed by the
weathering are largely
left in place, thereby
literally called residual
soil. The characterof
which depends on the
parent rock it develops
from.

For examples, residual soil on

weathered granite will initially
be sandy, as sand-sized
particles of quartz and partially
weathered feldspar are
released from the granite.

The entire weathering profile, generally,

indicates a gradual change from fresh rock
to a completely weathered soil.
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Horizons of residual soil

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Strong

Rainfall, cm
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 Transported soils
Transported soils by definition are
soils that are formed from materials
formed elsewhere that have moved
to the present site where they
constitute the unconsolidated
superficial layer.

Glacial soil
Main agents of transportation –
gravity, water, wind.

Dislodged, eroded, transported

soil particles to their present
location.

Alluvial soil
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Aeolian soil

Lacustrine &
Marine soil

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Colluvial soil
 Organic Soils & Peat

Peat and organic soil represents the extreme form of soft

“soil”.

These “soils” are generally regarded as problematic soils

as they are subject to instability such as localized sinking
and slip failure, and massive primary and long-term
settlement when subjected to even moderate load increase.

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Organic soils & Peat
 Any
Questions?