An Introduction To Geotechnical Engineering PDF
An Introduction To Geotechnical Engineering PDF
w ale ef 2)> 2 Be 0.893 V, 16 ™ Fig. Ex. 2.26 Index and Classification Properties of Solle can solve for V, directly, or Since V, = V, + V, + V,. we can solve for V,, since we know the other terms. V, = V,— V, — V, = 1.0 — 0.593 ~ 0.160 = 0.247 m? Once the phase diagram has been filled in, solution of the rest of the problem involves just plugging in the respective numbers into the ap- propriate definition equations. We recommend that when you make the computations, you write out the equations in symbol form and then insert the numbers in the same order as written in the equation. Also, it is a good idea to have the units accompany the calculations. Solving for the remainder of the required items is easy. From Eq. 2-9, = $ - 1éMe = 1.6Mg/m* pea or aoe = 0.686 ¥, oh 109 = 227+ 010 199 = 49.7% aa - ote = 39.3% ‘The saturated density p,q, is the density when all the voids are filled with water, that is, when S = 100% (Eq. 2-10). Therefore, if the volume of air V, were filled with water, it would weigh 0.247 m’ x | Mg/m? or 0.247 Mg. Then (0.247 Mg + 0:16 Mg) + 1-6 MB _ 2 1 Mg/m? Another, and perhaps even easier way to solve this example problem, is to assume V, is a unit volume, 1 m?. Then, by definition, M, = p, = 2.7 (when p, is assumed to be equal to 2.70 Mg/m*). The completed phase diagram is shown in Fig. Ex. 2.2c. Since w = M,,/M, = 0.10, M, = 0.27 Mg and M, = M, + M, = 2.97 ‘Mg. Also V, = M,, since p, = 1 Mg/m’; that is, 0.27 Mg of water occupies2.3 Solution of Phase Problems ” a volume of 0.27 m’. Two unknowns remain to be solved before we can proceed: they are V, and V,. To obtain these values, we must use the given information that p = 1.76 Mg/m’. From the definition of total density (Eq. 2-6), M, _ 2.97Mg p= 1.76 Mg/m? Solving for ¥,, 2ST ME 1 688 a? 1.76 Mg/m? Therefore V, = V,— Vy ~ V, = 1.688 ~ 0.27 — 1.0 = 0.418 You can use Fig. Ex. 2.2c to verify that the remainder of the solution is identical to the one using the data of Fig. Ex. 2.2b. Volume (m?) Mass (Ma) Va = 027 ™, 10 vy 270 | ™, Fig. Ex 226 EXAMPLE 2.3 Required: Express the porosity 1 in terms of the void ratio ¢ (Eq. 2-3a) and the void ratio in terms of the porosity (Eq. 2-3b). : Solution: Draw a phase diagram (Fig. Ex. 23a). For this problem, assume V,= 1 (units arbitrary). From Eq. 2-1, V, =e since V, = 1. Therefore V, = 1 + e. From Eq. 2-2, the definition of20 Index and Classification Properties of Solte A w s Fig. Ex. 238 A w s Fig. Ex 2.36 nis V,/V,, or n=—* (2-3a) l+e Equation 2-3b can be derived algebraically or from the phase dia- gram (Fig. Ex. 2.3b). For this case, assume V, = 1 From Eq. 2-2, V, = n since V, = 1. Therefore V, 2-1, the definition of e = V,/¥,. So —n. From Eq, ee (2-30) EXAMPLE 2.4 €=0.62, w=1s% p, 2.65 Mg/m? ¢. w for S = 100% 4. pay for S = 100% Solution: Draw phase diagram (Fig. Ex. 2.4). & Since no volumes are specified, assume V,= 1 mi. Just as in2.8 Solution of Phase Problems a Example 2.3, this makes the V, = e = 0,62 m’ and V,= 1 +e = 1.62 m, From Eq. 2-9, M, ny and M, = ,V, (from Eq. 2-7). So pv, _ Ps een oom ot = i since ¥, = Um in Fig, Ex24 2.65 ° ag 7 1686 Ma/m! Note: The relationship Pe if Pa Tae (2-12) is often very useful in phase problems. Volume (n°) ‘Mass (Mab | x Bis w Ble : i o al. Fig. Ex 24 — j_+ We know that M, = wM, (from Eq. 2-5) and M, = p,¥, _ vt wed, _ esl +) ~ ¥, I¥e since V, = 1m? Plug in the numbers. _ 2.65(1 + 0.15) Pr T+ 02 ‘This relationship is often useful to know. . (1 + w) (+e) = 1.88 Mg/m? (2-13)Index and Classification Properties of Solte Check: (2-14) 1.636 Mg/m? “15 You should verify that p, = p/(1 + w), which is another very useful relationship to remember. c. Water content for $= 100%. From Eq, 2-4, we know that V, = V, = 0.62 m’. From Eq. 2-8, M, = Vp, = 0.62 m? (1 Mg/m*) = 0.62 Mg. Therefore w for $= 100% must be My _ 0.62 Miscuway” Fr 7 355 7 02H 0F 23.4% 4d. Py, From Eq. 2-10, we know py, = (M, + M,)/V,, or 2.65 + 0.62 i 162 Check, by Eq. 2-13: _ PAL + w) _ 2.65(1 + 0.234) ite Te ‘= 2.019 or 2.02 Mg/m? 2.02 Mg/m? EXAMPLE 2.5 Required: Derive a relationship between S, e, w, and p,. Solution: Look at the phase diagram with V, = 1 (Fig. Ex. 2.5). From Eq. 2-4 and Fig. 2.5, we know that V, definitions of water content (Eq. 2-5) and p, (Eq. SV, = Se. Frora the -7), we can place the Volume Wass r Toe Ww 7 a w Me Fath w,¥, t “ft Y s M= 2M Foex26 of 42.3. Solution of Phase Problems as} equivalents for M, and M, on the phase diagram. Since from Eq, 2-8, M, = pV.» we now can write the following equation: My = PV, = WM, = wet, 7 p.Se = wp,v, Since V,= 1m’, 0, Se = wp, (2-15) Equation 2-15 is one of the most useful of all equations for phase problems. You can also verify its validity from the fundamental definitions of p,, S, e, w, and p, ‘Note that using Eq. 2-15 we can write Eq. 2-13 another way: (2-16) (2-17) EXAMPLE 2.6 Given: A silty clay soil with p, = 2700 kg/m’, S = 100%, and the water content = 46%, Required: Compute the void ratio e, the saturated density, and the buoyant or submerged density in kg/m’. Solution: Place given information on a phase diagram (Fig. Ex. 2.6) Assume V,= 1 m’; therefore M, = V,p, = 2700 kg. From Eq. 2-15, we can solve for e directly: _ 9.46 x 2700 pS 1000 1.0 But ¢ also equals V, since V, = 1.0; likewise M, = 1242 kg since M, is ee = 1.24224 Index and Classification Properties of Solis Volume (m?) te z/> aya w als + + $ Fig. Ex. 26 ‘S= 100% numerically equal to V, because p, = 1000 kg/m’. Now that all the unknowns have been found, we may readily calculate the saturated density (Eq. 2-10). (1242 + 2700) kg (also mama We.could also use Eq. 2-17 directly. p, + pee _ 2700 + 1000 (1.242) aca T+ 1.242 ‘When a soil is submerged, the actual unit weight is reduced by the buoyant effect of the water. The buoyancy effect is equal to the weight of the water displaced. Thus, in terms of densities, (Eqs. 2-11 and 2-17): 0" = Paar — Py = 1758 kg/m? — 1000 kg/m? = 758 kg/m? 1758 kg/m? or Ba + Put Tee Psa Pw Ite p’ = 758 kg/m? In this example, p’ is less than the density of water. Go back and look at Table 2-1 for typical values of p’. The submerged or buoyant density of soil will be found to be very important later on in our discussion of consolidation, settlement, and strength properties of soils. (2-18) In summary, for the easy solution of phase problems, you don’t have to memorize lots of complicated formulas. Most of them can easily be2.4 Soll Texture a derived from the phase diagram as was illustrated in the preceding exam- ples. Just remember the following simple rules: 1, Remember the basic definitions of w, ¢, p,, S, ete. 2. Draw a phase diagram. 3. Assume either V, = 1 or ¥, = 1, if not given. 4, Often use p,Se = »p,. 2.4 SOIL TEXTURE So far we haven't said very much about what makes up the “solids” part of the soil mass. In Chapter 1 we gave the usual definition of soil from an engineering point of view: the relatively loose agglomeration of mineral and organic materials found above the bedrock. We briefly described how weathering and other geologic processes act on the rocks at or near the earth's surface to form soil. Thus the solid part of the soil mass consists primarily of particles of mineral and organic matter in various sizes and amounts. The texture of a soil is its appearance or “feel,” and it depends on the relative sizes and shapes of the particles as well as the range or distribution of those sizes. Thus coarse-grained soils such as sands or gravels obviously appear coarse textured, while a fine-textured soil might be composed of predominantly very tiny mineral grains which are invisible to the naked eye. Silts and clay soils are good examples of fine-textured soils. The soil texture, especially of coarse-grained soils, has some relation to their engineering behavior. In fact, soil texture has been the basis for certain soil classification schemes which are, however, more common in agronomy than in soils engineering. Still, textural classification terms (gravels, sands, silts, and clays) are useful in a general sense in geotechnical engineering practice. For fine-grained soils, the presence of water greatly affects their engineering response—much more so than grain size or texture alone, Water affects the interaction between the mineral grains, and this may affect their plasticity and their cohesiveness. Texturally, soils may be divided into coarse-grained versus fine- grained soils. A convenient dividing line is the smallest grain that is visible to the naked eye. Soils with particles larger than this size (about 0.05 mm) are called coarse-grained, while soils finer than the size are (obviously) called fine-grained. Sands and gravels are coarse grained while silts and clays are fine grained. Another convenient way to separate or classify soils is according to their plasticity and cohesion (physics: cohesion—sticking28 Index and Classification Properties of Solts TABLE 2-2 Textural and Other.Characteristics of Soils Gravels, Sands Sits ‘Coarse grained Fine grained | Fine grained Can see individ Cannot see Cannot see ‘ual grains individual individual by eye grains ‘grains Characteristics: | Cobesionless Cohesionless | Cohesive ‘Nonplastic ‘Nonplastic Plastic Granular Granular = Effect of water Relatively unimportant | Important ‘Very important ‘on engineering (exception: loose sat- behavior: lurated granular mater- ils and dynamic loadings) Effect of grain size | Important Relatively Relatively distribution on ‘unimportant | unimportant casinering be together of like materials). For example, sands are nonplastic and non- cohesive (cohesionless) whereas clays are both plastic and cohesive. Silts fall between clays and sands: they are at the same time fine-grained yet nonplastic and cohesionless. These relationships as well as some general engineering characteristics are presented Table 2-2. You will need to obtain some practice, best done in the laboratory, in identifying soils according to texture and some of these other general characteristics such as plasticity and cohesiveness. Also you should note that the term clay refers both to specific minerals called clay minerals (discussed in Chapter 4) and to soils which contain clay minerals. The behavior of some soils is strongly affected by the presence of clay minerals. In geotechnical engineering, for simplicity such soils are usually called clays, but we really mean soils in which the presence of certain clay minerals affects their behavior. 2.5 GRAIN SIZE AND GRAIN SIZE DISTRIBUTION ‘As suggested in the preceding section, the size of the soil particle, especially for granular soils, has some effect on engineering behavior. Thus, for classification purposes, we are often interested in the particle or grain sizes present in a particular soil as well as the distribution of those sizes.2.5 Grain Size and Grain Size Distribution ar 7 i Jussi just Fig. 2.3 Grain size ranges according to several engineering soit classification systems (modified after Al-Hussaini, 1977), The range of possible particle sizes in soils is tremendous. Soils can range from boulders or cobbles of several centimetres in diameter down to ultrafine-grained colloidal materials. The maximum possible range is on the order of 10%, so usually we plot grain size distributions versus the logarithm of average grain diameter. Figure 2.3 indicates the divisions between the various textural sizes according to several common engineer ing classification schemes. It should be noted that traditionally in the28 Index and Classification Properties of Sots United States the units for the various sizes depend on the grain size. For materials greater than about $ mm (about 1/4 in.), inches are commonly used, although millimetres could be used just as well. Grain sizes between 5 mm and 0.074 mm are classified according to U.S. Standard sieve number, which of course can be related to a specific grain size as shown in Fig, 2.3. Soils finer than the No. 200 sieve are usually dimensioned in millimetres or, for the very fine-grained colloidal particles, in micrometres. How is the particle size distribution obtained? The process is called ‘mechanical analysis or the gradation test. For coarse-grained soils, a sieve analysis is performed in which a sample of dry soil is shaken mechanically through a series of woven-wire square-mesh sieves with successively smaller ‘openings. Since the total mass of sample is known, the percentage retained or passing each size sieve can be determined by weighing the amount of soil retained on each sieve after shaking. Detailed procedures for this test are specified by ASTM (1980), Designations C 136 and D 422. The corresponding AASHTO (1978) test standards are T 27 and T 88. The U.S. Standard sieve numbers commonly employed for the particle size analysis of soils are shown in Table 2-3. Since soil particles are rarely perfect spheres, when we speak of particle diameters, we really mean an equivalent particle diameter as determined by the sieve analysis. TABLE 2.3 U.S. Standard Sieve Sizes and ‘Their Corresponding Open Dimension US. Standard Sieve Opening Sieve No. (mm) 4 475 10 200 20 oss 40 0.425 60 025 100 ous 140 0.106 200 0.075 It turns out that the sieve analysis is impractical for sieve openings less than about 0.05 to 0.075 mm (No. 200 U.S. Standard sieve). Thus for the fine-grained soils, silts, and clays, the hydrometer analysis is commonly used. The basis for this test is Stoke’s law for falling spheres in a viscous fluid in which the terminal velocity of fall depends on the grain diameter and the densities of the grains in suspension and of the fluid. The grain diameter thus can be calculated from a knowledge of the distance and time of fall. The hydrometer also determines the specific gravity (or density) of the suspension, and this enables the percentage of particles of a certain equivalent particle diameter to be calculated. As with the sieve analysis,2.5 Grain Size and Grain Size Distribution 2 the percentage of total sample still in suspension (or already out of suspension) can therefore readily be determined. Detailed procedures for the hydrometer test are given by ASTM (1980), Designation D 422, and AASHTO (1978) Standard Method T 88. The US.BR. (1974) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (1970) also have similar standardized procedures for this test. The distribution of the percentage of the total sample less than a certain sieve size or computed grain diameter can be plotted in either a histogram or, more commonly, in a cumulative frequency diagram. The equivalent grain sizes are plotted to a logarithmic scale on the abscissa, whereas the percentage by weight (or mass) of the total sample either passing (finer than) or retained (coarser than) is plotted arithmetically on the ordinate (Fig. 2.4). Note that this figure could just as well be plotted with the smaller grain sizes going towards the right. Some typical grain size distributions are shown in Fig. 2.4. The well-graded soil has a good representation of particle sizes over a wide range, and its gradation curve is smooth and generally concave upward. On the other hand, a poorly graded soil would be one where there is either an excess or deficiency of certain sizes or if most of the particles are about the same size. The uniform gradation shown in Fig. 2.4 is an example of a poorly graded soil. The ‘gap-graded ot skip-graded soil in that figure is also poorly graded; in this case, the proportion of grain sizes between 0.5 and 0.1 mm is relatively low. We could, of course, obtain the usual statistical parameters (mean, median, standard deviation, etc.) for the grain size distributions, but this is more commonly done in sedimentary petrology than in soil mechanics. Of ‘course the range of particle diameters found in the sample is of interest. Besides that, we use certain grain diameters D which correspond to an equivalent “percent passing” on the grain size distribution curve. For example, Dio is the grain size that corresponds to 10% of the sample passing by weight. In other words, 10% of the particles are smaller than the diameter Dio. This parameter locates the grain size distribution curve (GSD) along the grain size axis, and it is sometimes called the effective size. ‘The coefficient of uniformity C, is a crude shape parameter, and it is defined as Deo ‘ c= 2-19) Do 2-19) where Day =grain diameter (in mm) corresponding to 60% passing, and Djo =grain diameter (in mm) corresponding to 10% passing, by weight (or mass). Actually, the uniformity coefficient is misnamed since the smaller the number, the more uniform the gradation. So it is really a coefficient of” Sieve analysis (US. Stendard sieve) 3in (sew 0) 2y6i3m Aq (weys Je8e00) paureies waaay g 8 8 1 Well graded 0.001 100 8 3 g (ssews 40) 2ybiom Aq (ueur souy) Bulssed ruadieg 20 ° Grain diameter (mm) Fig. 24 Typical grain size distributions.