Professional Documents
Culture Documents
https://www.issmge.org/publications/online-library
Dr . J. W . S d e C R A FT JO H N SO N , A g D irect o r
H .S. BH ATI A, P r i n c i p a l Re se a r ch O f f i c e r
DM C ID I G A SU, Re se a r ch O f f i c e r
Bu i l d i n g an d Ro a d Re se a r ch I n st i t u t e
U n i v e r si t y Bo x 40, Ku m a si ( Gh a n a )
SYNOPSIS A substantial area of Ghana, in West Africa, is under micaceous soils, which are
the in-situ weathering products of muscovite - biotite granite rock. A number of failures
in deep cats and high embankments in such soils have taken place after years of their stable
perforaance. This has necessitated a detailed study of such soils in the laboratory for a
better understanding of their behaviour in the field. Due to the presence of a large propor
tion of fine aica in the soil, the consolidation and shear strength characteristics are
rather peculiar and therefore the application of shear strength parameters to stability
problems warrant careful attention. The study discusses a new approach for the application
of shear parameters to stability problems in such soils.
INTRODUCTION
Micaceous soils are common in many tropical on the consolidation, deformation and shear
countries. They are also found in some characteristics. It is hoped that the study
countries with moderate climate. In the will assist in a better understanding of the
tropics such soils are known to cover sizea behaviour of such soils in earth structures.
ble areas. The micaceous soils are general
ly not considered suitable as material of
construction and all efforts are therefore GEOLOGY
aade to avoid their use in earth structures. The micaceous soils of Ghana are the in-situ
This is due to the fact that such soils are weathered product of coarse grained musco
highly expansive and unstable when saturated vite granite or biotite granite which contain
large quartz veins. Their nature is largely
In Ghana micaceous soils are met over fairly influenced by the amount of leaching, which
wide areas in the Central, Ashanti and North in turn is dependent upon the topography and
Rest of Upper Regions. In the Central the rainfall of an area. The proportion and
Region the soils cover a thin belt along the size of mica on a given site depends on the
coast, whereas in Ashanti they cover a part proportion and degree of weathering of peg
of the forest zone around Kumasi. In the matite and muscovite minerals in the parent
Upper Region they cover a wide area in the rock.
North West of Ghana, known as Interior
Savanna.
PHYSICAL AND MINERALOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The stability of earth structures in mica
ceous soils had been causing some concern The micaceous soils of Ghana have several
to the engineers in Ghana, as a number of colours, pale yellow, pinkish red, and
failures in subgrades, high embankments, and greyish green. Generally all the profiles
cuttings, made in such soils were reported, examined contain white mottles which are
even when the structures were adequately formed by the unweathered felspar crystals
designed using conventional design methods. from the rock. The physical characteris
Only a limited amount of work has been done tics of the profiles from different parts
on such materials in the past and therefore of the country are more or less similar
their physical characteristics and engineer except, that the soils on upper slopes are
ing properties are still not clearly under less plastic than the ones on the bottom
stood . slopes. This is due to the contamination
of profiles at lower slopes with plastic
The main objective of this paper is to colluvials. The particle size distribution
present the general physical properties of and the plasticity characteristics of the
micaceous soils of Ghana, and the results of soils with depth from three different regions
a detailed study on one typical soil from of Ghana are shown in Figures (1) and (2).
the Central Region, with special emphasis
165
GR A F T - JO H N SO N , BHA TIA an d G I D I G A SU
MOISTURE CONTENT-*/.
8 Bolgatanga
Navrongo Road Upper Yellow 67.36 15.84 0.18 a. 30 16.32 - - 31 8 61
Mile 20 ish Red
166
RESIDUAL M I C A C E O U S SOILS
ENGINEERING CHARACTERISTICS
A l a r g e n u m b e r of m i c a c e o u s soils ar e u aed
a a subgrade a a t e r i a l f o r road p a v e a e n t s and
i n t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f e a b a n k a e n t s in G h a n a >
a a t h e r e l a h a r d l y a n y c h o i c e of o t h e r a o i l a
in a a n y p a r t s of the c o u n t r y . Thia paper
w h i c h is a p a r t of a c o m p r e h e n s i v e study on
a i c a c e o u a s o i l s c o n d u c t e d at the B R R I d e a l s
only w i t h the e n g i n e e r i n g characteristics
of c o a p a c t e d a a t e r i a l s . The w o r k conducted
o n u n d i a t u r b e d a a t e r i a l w i l l be p u b l i a h e d in
due courae elaewhere. A t y p i c a l a a a p l e of
a i c a c e o u a s o i l , N o . (3) i n T a b l e I, w i t h a i c a
c o n t e n t o f 77 % f r o a S a l t p o n d B y p a s s o n t h e
Accra-Cape Coast Road w a s selected for
deta i l e d study.
Moisture-Density Relation
Th e a o l a t u r e - d e n a i t y r e l a t i o n e of the t y p i c a l
a i c a c e o u a soil u s i n g t h r e e a o d e s of c o a p a c -
tion a nd t h e i r C B R v a l u e s w e r e o b t a i n e d , as
s h o w n i n F i g u r e 3. It w a s o b s e r v e d t h a t a n
incre a s e of c o a p a c t i v e e n e r g y d o e s not
n e c e s s a r i l y i n c r e a s e the C B R v a l u e a on the
w e t side of o p t iaua. The reduction of CBR
v a l u e s f o r s a a p l e s c o a p a c t e d at h i g h e r c o m -
pactive efforts above optiaua aoisture
c o n t e n t s , in s p i t e o f h i g h e r d e n s i t i e s is
i n d i c a t i v e o f t h e s t r u c t u r e s e n s i t i v i t y of
the a i c a c e o u a soils.
Consolidation Tests
Th e c o n s o l i d a t i o n t e s t s on saaples, 3 inch
d i a m e t e r and % inch, h e ight, w e r e c o n d u c t e d
u p t o a m a x i m u m l o a d of 8 t o n s / s q . f t . It w a s
o b s e r v e d t h a t m i c a c e o u s s o i l s c o n t i n u e to
get consolidated for very long periods under
a s i n g l e load, t h o u g h th e c o n s o l i d a t i o n is M OISTURE -* /.
c o m p a r a t i v e l y l o w u p t o l o a d s of 2 t o n s / s q . f t . ,
b e y o n d w h i c h it s t a r t s i n c r e a s i n g . The
Fig*3 Moisture-Density curves using
laboratory samples showed progressive conso
three m o d e s of c o m p a c t i o n and
l i d a t i o n u p t o 96 h o u r s u n d e r a s i n g l e l o a d ,
their C.B.R. values.
b e y o n d w h i c h it w a s n e g l i g i b l e .
T h e s a t u r a t e d s a a p l e a c o m p a c t e d at t h e s a m e
de n a i t y , bu t at d i f f e r e n t a o i s t u r e c ontents,
b e l o w and ab o v e o p t i m u m a o i s t u r e c o n t e n t s
showed a o r e or less siailar consolidation
characteristics. The typical curves showing
Shear Strength at Various Moisture-Density
t h e s e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s a r e s h o w n in F i g u r e 4.
Conditions
It w i l l b e o b s e r v e d in t h e f i g u r e , t h a t t h e s e
soils have a tendency to rebound and attain A n u m b e r of s a m p l e s c o m p a c t e d at d i f f e r e n t
m o r e or lesa t h e i r o r i g i n a l volume, e ven w h e n d e n s i t i e s b e l o w the o p t i m u a m o i s t u r e c o n
t h e l o a d s a r e r e m o v e d a f t e r l o n g p e r i o d s of t e n t s , b u t s a t u r a t e d in t h e t r i a x i a l c e l l
loading. A f e w of t h e s a a p l e s w e r e k e p t by a p p l y i n g b a c k p r e s s u r e s w e r e s u b j e c t e d
l o aded for ten days, but the u n l o a d i n g once to shear in the t r i a x i a l a p p a r a t u s . The
a g a i n p r o d u c e d r e b o u n d of t h e t y p e s h o w n in l o c a t i o n s of s u c h s a a p l e s o n t h e m o l s t u r e -
Figure 4. Th e c o n s o l i d a t i o n of m i c a c e o u s d e n s i t y c u r v e s a r e s h o w n in F i g u r e 3. The
soils ov e r long p e r i o d s u n d e r low stresses str e s s d e f o r m a t i o n c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of some
a n d t h e i r r e b o u n d a f t e r r e l e a s e o f l o a d la t y p i c a l s a a p l e s a r e s h o w n in F i g u r e 5.
c o n s i d e r e d t o be t h e r e s u l t of t h e b r i d g i n g
of a i c a p a r t i c l e s a c r o s s spaces w i t h i n the The stress-strain relationships for saaples
soil m atrix. Under loading, these particles
of d i f f e r e n t d e n s i t i e s b u t u n d e r t h e s a a e
a r e s u b j e c t e d to b e n d i n g , a n d e l a s t i c d e f o r -
c o n f i n i n g p r e s s u r e ( F i g . 5) s h o w v a r y i n g
aations, rather than bodily d i s p l a c e a e n t s .
peak stress for the saaples of different
O n r e l e a s i n g the load the a i c a p a r t i c l e s
tend to r e turn to th e i r original shape thus d e n s i t i e s , b u t t h e c u r v e s t e n d to c o n v e r g e
b r i n g i n g t h e r e b o u n d a s s h o w n in F i g u r e 4. into a single l ine at h i g h e r strains. The
167
G R A F T - J O H N S O N , BHATIA o n d G I D I G A S U
168
RESI D U A L M I C A CEO U S SOI LS
1 69
G R A F T - J O H N S O N , BHATIA and G I D I G A S U
Casagrdto
construct!
Case U ACC RA - CAPE COAST RD MILE 70
Parameter ►
30 60 90
NORMAL STRESS
Casa I 5ALTP0ND BY-PASS FAILURE
r
£ n lis ‘ different sets of shear parameters and
.—
their resultant factors of safety as
obtained for the two embankment failures
are shown in Figure 9. It would be
seen in the figure that the use of shear
0 30 50 90
ۥ - Psi
120
V 150
parameter C' and 0' obtained from the
deviator stress at a strain of about
25# gave factor of safety at the tiae of
failure very close to one. The other values
either gave very much higher or lower fac
Fig.8 Typical Mohr's diagram of a mica tors of safety. It can therefore be reaark-
ceous soil at strains of 25% ed that the use of deviator stress at a
giving a single set of shear
parameters. Independent of densi
ties and initial moulding moisture
contents.
17 0
RESIDUAL M I C A C E O U S SOILS
TABLE II Showing different shear parameters for the same set of samples of a typical
micaceous soil of Ghana.
3aaple Dry Moul Cell Peak Deviator SHSAE P£RAMKTKR3(PEAK CBTIATOS 3TBB3$
Ho. Denai-^r ding Pressure Deflator Stress -
Looation Lba / o t t Mois Pai. Stress
in tures Strain (1) (2) (3) (4)
W-g. 3 li-# Pai. Psi. ■Ave Low cell
SST <e,-6ÿ
rage
Pressures
High cell Ca»agrande's Strain -
SS! C 0 C' 0" Pressures fams-trufitrinn
C 0 C fC C 0 C' 0'
2. Ï *
0
171
G R A F T - J O H N S O N , B H A TI A a n d G I D I G A S U
to the resilient nature of mica particles. (3) Casagrande, A. and Hirschfeld R.C.,
(2) During shear, the stress-deformation (1960) "Stress deformation and
curves of micaceous soils at different den strength characteristics of a
sities, register higher peak devlator clay compacted to a constant dry
stress with higher densities. The curves unit weight." Res.Conf.shear
however tend to converge to a single line strength of cohesive soils;
at a strain of about 25$. The deviator Am.S.C.E.
stress at this strain gives the ultimate
strength expected of a micaceous soil. The (4) deGraft-Johnson, J.W.S., et al; (1968)
deviator stress at this strain for different "The engineering characteristics
confining pressures, gives a set of shear of lateritic residual clay of
parameters, which remain unaffected by the Ghana for earth dam construction".
density of micaceous soils. Sym. Earth and Rock Fill Dams,
Ind.Nat.Soc.SMFE, New Delhi.
(3) The strength of a micaceous soil
increases rapidly with increase in confi (5) Kerlayson, J.D. and Schandrof, J.R.H.,
ning pressures, and this in turn produces (1966) "Chemical analysis of Ghana
two distinct sets of shear parameters when rocks, ores and minerals, 1948 -
the maximum deviator stress is made a 1963" Ghana, Geo.Sur.Bull.No.42.
criteria for the failure.
(4) In design problems unless an earth (6) Lambe, T.lf. (1958) "The Engineering
structure has high confining pressures, behaviour of compacted clay".
(more then about 2.5 tons/sft), the use
of shear parameters at a strain of about Jour•SMFED, ASCE. Vol.84,
25% produce most satisfactory results in Paper 1655.
the design and stability analysis. The
use of any other parameters can produce (7) Seed, H.B. and Chan (1959) "Structure
very misleading results in micaceous soils.
and Strength characteristics of
compacted clays". Jour.SMFED,
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ASCE. Vol.85, NO.SM5 Paper 2216
The authors acknowledge with thanks the (8) Skempton, A.W., (1964) "Long term
assistance by Mr. S.H.K. Bani, Senior
Technical Officer, and Messrs. S.K. Afunya, stability of clay slopes".
E.A. Quarcoo and J.M. Armah (Senior Labora Geotechnique Vol.XIV, No.2.
tory Technicians) in carrying out the labo
ratory work. In addition Mr. A.K. Castel
(Engineer Trainee) assisted in the prepara (9) Trollope, D.H. and Chan C.K. (1960)
tion of the paper. "Soil structure and the step
strain phenomenon".
Jour. SMFED, ASCE. Paper 2431
REFERENCES
(1) Anon, (1949) "Micaceous Soil - chief (10) Tubey L.W., and Bullman J.N., (1964)
problem at Atlanta airport". Rds. "Micaceous soils: Method of
and Str., 92:7:43. determining mica content and
the use of routine tests in
(2) Arulanandan, K. and Bhatia, H.S.(1960)
the evaluation of such soils"
"The formation and engineering Proc.second.Conf.Aust.Rd.Res.
properties of some Ghanaian Soil".
Board, Vol.II. p.p.880 - 901.
Ghana Rd.Res.Note 5, P.W.D. Accra.
172