SOIL MECHANICS

LECTURE 1: INTRODUCTION TO
SOIL MECHANICS

NAME; Dr. John Elvis

Department: TGE
TR 635 University Lectures
INTRODUCTION
Geotechnical Engineering
 Branch of civil engineering dealing with behaviour
of earth materials.
 Principles of Soil mechanics + Rock Mechanics
 Wide range of applications in structures used in
Military: Underground bunkers
Mining: Excavation of coal mines
Oil and natural gas exploration: Underground drilling
Transportation: Roads, Railway lines including tunnels
esp. on hilly terrains.
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INTRODUCTION
Geotechnical Engineering
It contains:
 Soil Mechanics (Soil Properties and Behaviour)
 Soil Dynamics (Dynamic Properties of Soils,
Earthquake Engineering, Machine Foundation)
 Foundation Engineering (Deep & Shallow
Foundation)
 Pavement Engineering (Flexible & Rigid Pavement)
 Rock Mechanics (Rock Stability and Tunneling)
 Geosynthetics (Soil Improvement)
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INTRODUCTION
Geotechnical Engineering
Branches of Geotechnical Engineering
 Soil Mechanics
 Rock Mechanics
 Foundation Engineering
 Geoenvironmental Engineering
 Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
 Geological Engineering
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INTRODUCTION
Engineering Geology
 Engineering geology involves description of the
structure and attributes of rocks that are associated with
engineering works, mapping, and characterization of all
geologic features and materials (rocks, soils, and water
bodies) that are proximate to a project and the
identification and evaluation of potential natural
hazards such as landslides and earthquakes that may
affect the success of an engineering project.
 It is different from geology, which concerns the present
and past morphologies and structure of the Earth, its
55 environments, and the fossil records of its inhabitants
INTRODUCTION
Structure of the earth
The Earth is divided into three main layers: crust, mantle,
and core (see Figure)

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INTRODUCTION
Structure of the earth
 The crust is the outer solid layer of the Earth and comprises the
continents and ocean basins. The crust varies in thickness from 35 to
70 km in the continents and from 5 to 10 km in the ocean basins. It is
composed mainly of aluminosilicates.
 The mantle, a highly viscous layer about 2900 km thick, is located
beneath the outer crust. It includes the upper mantle (about 35–60 km
thick) and the lower mantle (about 35–2890 km thick). The mantle is
composed mainly of Ferro-magnesium silicates. Large convective
cells in the mantle circulate heat and may drive the plate tectonic
processes.
 Beneath the mantle and at the center of the Earth are the liquid outer
core and the solid inner core. The outer core is an extremely low
viscosity liquid layer, about 2300 km thick, and composed of iron and
77 nickel, with an approximate temperature of 4400 ∘C.
INTRODUCTION
Formation and Classification of Rocks
 The main rock-forming minerals are silicates, and the reminders
are carbonates, oxides, hydroxides, and sulfates. There are three
major categories of rocks: igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks,
and metamorphic rocks
(a)Igneous Rocks

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INTRODUCTION
Formation and Classification of Rocks
(b)Sedimentary Rocks

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INTRODUCTION
Formation and Classification of Rocks
(c)Metarmophic Rocks

Comparison of three types of rocks

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INTRODUCTION
Formation and Classification of Soils
A:Soil Formation
Soils are formed by the weathering of rocks. Weathering is a
process that breaks down rocks into smaller pieces due to
mechanical, chemical, and biological mechanisms. All types of
rocks are subjected to weathering.
 Mechanical Weathering

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INTRODUCTION
Formation and Classification of Soils
 Chemical Weathering

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INTRODUCTION
Formation and Classification of Soils

B:Soil Type
In Geology, Soil is divided into two types:
(a) Mineral Soils
(b) Organic Soils

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INTRODUCTION
Formation and Classification of Soils
(a) Mineral Soils

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INTRODUCTION
Formation and Classification of Soils
(b) Organic Soils

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INTRODUCTION
Formation and Classification of Soils
C:Residual and Transported Soil

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INTRODUCTION
Formation and Classification of Soils
C:Residual and Transported Soil

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INTRODUCTION
Soil Mechanics
 Soil Mechanics is defined as the branch of
engineering science which enables an engineer to
know theoretically or experimentally the behaviour
of soil under the action of:
Loads (static, cyclic or dynamic)
Gravitational forces,
Water and,
Temperature.
 Simply speaking it is the knowledge of engineering
18 science which deals with properties, behaviour
 INTRODUCTION
WHY WE STUDY SOIL MECHANICS?
1. Foundation to support Structures and
Embankments
2. Construction Material
3. Slopes and Landslides
4. Earth Retaining Structures
5. Special Problems
 INTRODUCTION
WHY WE STUDY SOIL MECHANICS?
1. Foundation to support Structures and
Embankments
a. Effects of static loading on soil mass
 Shear failure of the foundation soil
 Settlement of structures
b. Stability criteria (Solution)
 There should be no shear failure of the foundation soil.
 The settlement should remain within permissible limits.

Note: Firm Soil -> Spread Footing (Spread

Foundation)
 INTRODUCTION
WHY WE STUDY SOIL MECHANICS?
2. Construction Material
• Subgrade of highway pavement
• Land reclamation
• Earthen dam
 INTRODUCTION
WHY WE STUDY SOIL MECHANICS?
3. Slopes and Landslides
(a) Major cause is the moisture variation resulting
in;
• Reduction of shear strength
• Increase of moisture
• Increase in unit weight
(b) Excavation of trenches for buildings require
braced excavation.
 INTRODUCTION
WHY WE STUDY SOIL MECHANICS?
3. Slopes and Landslides
 INTRODUCTION
WHY WE STUDY SOIL MECHANICS?
4. Earth Retaining Structures
Constructed to retains (holds back) any material
(usually earth) and prevents it from sliding or
eroding away.
 INTRODUCTION
WHY WE STUDY SOIL MECHANICS?
5. Special Problems
(i) Effects of river water on soil mass
a) Scouring
Causes:
 Increased flow velocity due to obstruction
 Fineness of riverbed material
b) Stability criteria:
 The foundation of pier must be below the scour depth
(ii) Land Erosion
SOIL AND ITS TYPE
INTRODUCTION

A. What is Soil?
B. Formation of Soil
C. Types of Soil
a) Geological
Consideration
b) Engineering
 SOIL & ITS TYPE
INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS SOIL?
Soil is the material, naturally obtained from
weathering, decomposition or disintegration of
rocks OR it is uncemented deposits of minerals and
organic particles covering large portion of earth
crust
Soil Mechanics is the branch of civil engineering
which deals with the properties, behaviour and
performance of soil as structural materials.
The purpose of this branch is:
 Replace old method of construction
 SOIL & ITS TYPE
INTRODUCTION
SOIL FORMATION
Engineering soils are formed from the physical and
chemical weathering of rocks.
It may also
contain
organic
matter
from the
decomposi
tion of
plants and
animals.
 SOIL & ITS TYPE
INTRODUCTION
SOIL FORMATION

Different stages of
weathering of rocks and
formation of soil.
 SOIL & ITS TYPE
INTRODUCTION
SOIL TYPE
The type of soil can be described as follows:
a. Geological consideration
 The history of formation of a soil deposit, greatly
influence its properties and behaviour.
 The properties of soil highly depend on the
process through which the soil deposits have
been developed.
 Following are the types of soil based on the
geological agents
 SOIL & ITS TYPE
INTRODUCTION
SOIL TYPE
Sol types based on geological consideration:
Glacial Soil:
This type of soil is developed, transported and
deposited by the actions of glaciers. The deposits
consists of rocks fragments, boulders, gravels, sand,
silt and clay in various proportions (i.e., a
heterogeneous mixture of all sizes of particles).
Residual Soil:
This type of soil is found on flat rock surfaces where
the weathering action has produced a soil with no
 SOIL & ITS TYPE
INTRODUCTION
SOIL TYPE
Sol types based on geological consideration {cont.
….}:
Alluvial Soil: are fine sediments that have been
eroded from rock and transported by water, and
have settled on river and streambeds.
Calcareous soil: contains calcium carbonate and
effervesces when treated with hydrochloric acid.
Caliche: consists of gravel, sand, and clay
cemented together by calcium carbonate.
Colluvial soils: are soils found at the base of
 SOIL & ITS TYPE
INTRODUCTION
SOIL TYPE
Sol types based on geological consideration {cont.
….}:
Aeolian soils: are sand-sized particles deposited by
wind.
Loam: a mixture of sand, silt, and clay that may
contain organic material.
Loess: is a wind-blown, uniform, fine-grained soil.
Marine soils: are sand, silts, and clays deposited in
salt or brackish water.
Mud: is clay and silt mixed with water into a
 SOIL & ITS TYPE
INTRODUCTION
SOIL TYPE
The type of soil can be described as follows:
b. Engineering consideration
This type depend on the particle size, divided into
three groups:
i. Course grain (Cohesionless soil)
The particles has a larger size and do not have any
intermolecular attractive forces. It can be seen with
naked eye without using instrument. It is divided into
three:
gravel grain – particle size larger than 2 mm {up to
 SOIL & ITS TYPE
INTRODUCTION
SOIL TYPE
The type of soil can be described as follows:
b. Engineering consideration
This type depend on the particle size, divided into
three groups:
i. Course grain (Cohesionless soil)
gravel grain – particle size larger than 2 mm (up to 60
mm)
Cobbles and Boulders:
Particles larger than gravels. Cobbles generally range
in size from
 SOIL & ITS TYPE
INTRODUCTION
SOIL TYPE
b. Engineering consideration (con…)
ii. Fine grain (Cohesive soil)
The particles has a smaller size and have
intermolecular attractive forces. It can not
observed with naked eye only by instrument. It
is divided into two:
Silt - particle size smaller than 0.075 mm,
greater than 0.002 mm
Clay - particle size smaller than 0.002 mm
 SOIL & ITS TYPE
INTRODUCTION
SOIL TYPE
b. Engineering consideration (con…)
iii. Organic Soil
Formed by decomposition of organic matter
such as vegetable and animals.
 Poor soil with low bearing capacity
 Not good for construction purpose but useful
in agriculture
 Example is peat soil
SOIL & ITS TYPE
INTRODUCTION
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