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CE 323
Geotechnical Engineering-I

Instructor
Prof. Dasaka S Murty
Department of Civil Engineering
IIT Bombay

Ground variability

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Geological anomaly?

Course content
 Origin of soils and grain size
 Basic relationships
 Soil description
 Engineering classification
 Properties of soil aggregate
 Soil structure
 Soil compaction
 Permeability
 Seepage
 In-situ stresses
 Stresses in soil due to surface loads
 Contact pressures

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Course Evaluation
• Quiz 1 - 10% (24th August)
• Quiz 2 - 10% (19th October)
• Mid-sem. - 20% (16-24 Sept)
• Final - 45% (Full syllabus) (16-26 Nov)
• Assignments - 10%
• Group project - 5%

Important:
• Attendance- MUST (Institute rules apply)

Father of Soil Mechanics

Karl von Terzaghi (2nd October, 1883- 25th October 1963)

An Austrian Civil Engineer and Geologist

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Recommended Study Material

• Karl Terzaghi, R.B. Peck, G. Mesri (1996): Soil
Mechanics in Engineering Practice, Third Edition,
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
• Holtz, R.D. and Kovacs, W.D. An Introduction to
Geotechnical Engineering, Prentice-Hall
Publication.
• Braja M. Das (2006): Principles of Geotechnical
Engineering, Fifth Edition, Thomson, Brooks/Cole.
• Craig, R.F. (2006): Craig’s Soil Mechanics, Seventh
Edition, Spon Press, Taylor and Francis Group.

• Donald P. Coduto (2007): Geotechnical

Engineering: Principles and Practices, Pearson
(Prentice Hall) Publications.
• Atkinson, J. (2007): The Mechanics of Soils and
Foundations, SPON Text Series, Second Edition.
• Indian Standard Codes of Practice (IS 2720: Part 1
to 42)
• Relevant International Codes of Practice
(ASTM,BS, GEO)

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Terzaghi et al. (1996)

Braja M.Das (2006)

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Craig (2006)

Atkinson, J. (2007)

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Useful Reading

Geotechnical Engineering
The art of selecting, designing, and
constructing structural support systems based
on scientific principles of soils and engineering
mechanics incorporating accumulated
experience with such applications.

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Geotechnical Engineering

The art and science of molding materials we do

not fully understand into shapes we can not
precisely analyze to resist forces we can not
accurately predict, all in such a way that the
society at large is given no reason to suspect of
our ignorance.

Adapted from Coduto (1994)

Mineral
• A mineral may be defined as a natural,
inorganic, homogeneous, solid substance
having definite chemical composition and
regular atomic structure.

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Rock
• A rock is a solid natural object composed of
one, or in most instances, a combination of
minerals.

“Soil”
• Any uncemented or weakly cemented
accumulation of mineral particles formed by
the weathering of rock, the void space
between the particles containing water and/or
air.

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Field applications
• Foundations of sensitive and high-rise
structures
• Foundations of dams and other water
retaining structures
• Foundations of offshore structures
• Slope protection and landslide mitigation
• Earth retaining structures

Field applications
• Road, rail and air pavements/embankments
• Municipal solid and Nuclear waste disposal
structures
• Deep excavations and underground structures
• Machine foundations
• Foundations of rocket launching pads
• …..

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Rock Cycle
• The rock cycle is the natural process in which rocks transform from one rock type
into another rock type over time, a type of natural recycling.

Types of rocks based on origin

• On the basis of mode of origin:
• Igneous rocks, Sedimentary rocks, and metamorphic
rocks:
– Formed by solidification of molten magma ejected from
deep within the earth’s mantle.
– Composition of magma and rate of cooling decide the type
of formation of new minerals, viz. Quartz, Feldspar, Biotite,
Muscovite, Plagioclase, Pyroxines, Olivine, etc.
Mineral: A natural, inorganic, homogeneous, solid substance
having a definite chemical composition and regular atomic
structure. Under favourable conditions the regular internal
atomic structure of minerals results in the development of
definite external geometrical shapes, i.e., crystal form.

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Types of rocks based on origin

– When entire body of ejected magma solidifies,
with forming of different minerals, different types
of igneous rocks are formed, depending on the
proportions of various minerals.
– Granite, Basalt, etc.
• Sedimentary rocks
– Limestone, Sandstone, Shale, Laterite, etc.
• Metamorphic rocks
– Marble, Slate, Gneiss, Schist, Quartzite, etc.

General characteristics
• Fresh (Grade I): Not broken easily by geological hammer; Makes a ringing sound
when struck by geological hammer; No visible signs of decomposition (i.e. no
discolouration)
• Slightly decomposed (Grade II): Not broken easily by geological hammer; Makes a
ringing sound when struck by geological hammer; Fresh rock colours generally
retained but stained near joint surfaces
• Moderately decomposed (Grade III): Cannot usually be broken by hand; easily
broken by geological hammer; makes a dull or slight ringing sound when struck by
geological hammer; completely stained throughout.
• Highly decomposed (Grade IV): Can be broken by hand into smaller pieces; makes
a dull sound when struck by geological hammer; not easily indented by point of
geological pick, does not slake when immersed in water; completely discoloured
compared with fresh rock
• Completely decomposed (Grade V): Original rock texture preserved; can be
crumbled by hand and finger pressure into constituent grains; easily indented by
point of geological pick; slakes when immersed in water; completely discoloured
compared with fresh rock
• Residual soil (Grade VI): Original rock texture completely destroyed; can be
crumbled by hand and finger pressure into constituent grains

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Weathering Grades

Source: Geoguide 3 (GEO)

weathering zones
Rock mass

Source: Geoguide 3 (GEO)

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Transportation of weathering products

• Residual soils: Soils formed by the weathered
products and deposited at their place of origin
• Transported soils: Soils formed by the
weathered products, which are transported
and deposited at places away from the place
of origin. The agents of transportation being
gravity, wind, water, and glaciers.

Transported Soils
Depending on mode of transport and deposition:
• Alluvial Soils – Transported by running water and
deposited along rivers and streams
• Marine Soils – Formed by deposition in the seas
• Aeolian Soils – Transported and deposited by wind
• Colluvial soils – Formed by movement of soil from its
original place by gravity, such as landslides
• Glacial soils – formed by transportation and deposition
of glaciers

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Soil Deposits in India

Source: Ranjan and Rao (2000)

Origin of Soils
• The mineral grains form the solid phase of a
soil aggregate, and they are product of rock
weathering.
• Many of the physical properties of soil are
dictated by the size, shape and chemical
composition of the grains.

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Coarse-grained soils Soil type based on grain sizes

• Boulders: A more or less rounded block or fragment of rock and of average
dimension 300 mm or greater.
• Cobble: A rock fragment, usually rounded or semi-rounded, with an
average dimension between 80 and 300 mm
• Gravel (G): Angular, rounded or semi-rounded particles of rock or soil of
particle size between 4.75 mm and 80 mm.
• Sand (S): Cohesionless aggregates of angular, sub-angular, subrounded,
rounded, flaky or flat fragments of more or less unaltered rocks, or
mineral of size between 4.75 mm and 75 microns
• Silt (M): Fine-grained soil portion of soil which exhibits a little or no
plasticity and has a little or no strength when air dried. The portion of a
soil finer than 75-micron IS Sieve and coarser than 0.002 mm
Fine-grained soils

• Clay (C): An aggregate of microscopic and submicroscopic particles derived

from the chemical decomposition and disintegration of rock constituents.
It is plastic within a moderate to wide range of water content. Portion of
the soil finer than 0.002 mm.

Source: IS 2809: 1972

Other soils
• Organic matter (O): Soil with high organic content. In general, organic soils
are very compressible and have poor load sustaining properties (no
specific size)
• Peat (Pt): A fibrous mass or organic matter in various stages of
decomposition, generally dark brown to black in colour and of spongy
consistency (no specific size)

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Soil Fractions on the basis of grain sizes

Coarse-grained soils Fine-grained Soils

Boulder Cobble Gravel Sand Silt Clay
Coarse Fine Coarse Medium Fine
>300 300 80 20 4.75 2.0 0.425 0.075 0.002 <0.002
mm mm

Smallest particle visible to the naked eye

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