3 4 4 Awebsoilsurvey

Procedure
The following website contains the information necessary to complete the questions
below and to research the properties of soil on your site.
http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov
Use your engineering notebook to respond to the following questions. Rewrite the
question in your notebook.
1. Start the Web Soil Survey by depressing the START WSS button.
2. Use the navigation bar to Navigate By State and County. Define your
site as an Area of Interest using the AOI button on the Area of Interest (AOI)
tab.
3. Choose the Soil Data Explorer tab.
4. Choose the Intro to Soils tab. Research the information to answer the
following questions in your notebook.
What is soil?
Soil is a naturally occurring mixture of mineral and organic ingredients with a
definite form, structure, and composition. The exact composition of soil changes
from one location to another.
What are the four classifications of mineral particles in soil?
clay, silt, sand, gravel
What other types of matter can be included in soil?
water, air, organic matter or humus
How is soil formed?
Soils develop as a result of the interactions of climate, living organisms, and
landscape position as they influence parent material decomposition over time.
What is a soil scientist?
A soil scientist studies the upper few meters of the earth's crust in terms of its
physical and chemical properties; distribution, genesis and morphology; and
2010 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

Civil Engineering and Architecture Activity 3.4.4 Web Soil Survey Page 1
biological components. A soil scientist needs a strong background in the physical
and biological sciences and mathematics.
What is a soil survey?
One of the main tools available to help land users determine the potentials and
limitations of soils is a soil survey. A soil survey generally contains soils data for
one county, parish, or other geographic area, such as a major land resource
area. During a soil survey, soil scientists walk over the landscapes, bore holes
with soil augers, and examine cross sections of soil profiles. They determine the
texture, color, structure, and reaction of the soil and the relationship and
thickness of the different soil horizons. Some soils are sampled and tested at soil
survey laboratories for certain soil property determinations, such as cation-
exchange capacity and bulk density.
What type of information does a soil survey provide for construction
engineers?
They can be used to determine the suitability and limitations of soils for pipelines,
buildings, landfills, recreation areas, and many other uses.
5. View the Soil Map (choose the Soil Map tab) and identify the soils that
are present on your site by their classification code. Within your design team,
assign each of the soil types to a team member for research.
6. Choose the Soil Data Explorer tab, then choose the Soils Properties
and Qualities tab. Search the data and record the following information for your
soil in your notebook. Do not change the default values in the navigation bar, but
be sure to include information for All Layers (at the bottom of Advanced
Options).
o Liquid Limit
o Organic Matter
o Percent Clay
o Percent Sand
o Percent Silt
o Plasticity Index

7. Fill in the following table to display each soil property for each soil. You will
have to calculate the Plastic Limit. Use the USCS Soil Classification Chart and
Plasticity Graph, to classify each soil using the USCS classification.
Soil Liquid Organic Percent Percent Percent Plasticity Plastic USCS

Classification Limit Matter Clay Sand Silt Index Limit Classification
(percent) (percent) PL= LL- PI
Cecil-Urban 30.5 0.75 27.0 55.4 17.6 10.0 20.5 SC

land
complex, 2
to 8 percent
slopes
Cecil sandy 30.0 0.75 27.0 55.4 17.6 10.0 20 SC
clay loam, 2
to 8 percent
slopes,
moderately
eroded
Cecil sandy 30.5 0.75 27.0 55.4 17.6 10.0 20.5 SC
clay loam, 8
to 15
percent
slopes,
moderately
eroded
Monacan 17.5 2.50 17.0 43.5 39.7 7.5 10 SM-SC
loam, 0 to 2
percent
slopes,
frequently
flooded


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What is soil and how is it formed?

What is a soil scientist and what do they study?

Procedure

3. Choose the Soil Data Explorer tab.

2010 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

2010 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

Soil Liquid Organic Percent Percent Percent Plasticity Plastic USCS

Cecil-Urban 30.5 0.75 27.0 55.4 17.6 10.0 20.5 SC

2010 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

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