Gopalakrishnan Vaidyanathan Journal of Engineering Research and Application www.ijera.

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ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 8, Issue 7 (Part -I) July 2018, pp 31-33

RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS

Effect of Gradation and Plasticity on Compaction Characteristics

of Red Gravel Soils
Gopalakrishnan Vaidyanathan1, P.V.V Satyanarayana2, P.S. Naidu3, V.
Brahmam4
1
ph.D scholar, 2 professor, 3,4 P.G Students Department of civil engineering, Andhra University

ABSTRACT:
Red gravel soils are widely distributed over the north coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. These soils are highly
desirable for construction activities due to their inherent advantages. To use these soils in various Geotechnical
engineering applications it is necessary to understand their behaviour with respect to its composition. In the
present investigation gravel soil samples have been verified for geotechnical characterization and their
suitability is studied with respect to gradation, plasticity and compaction characterization to use as fill material,
embankment material and road component layers etc.
Keywords: characterization, composition, Gravel soil,
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Date of Submission: 20-06-2018 Date of acceptance: 09-07-2018
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I. INTRODUCTION: In the present investigation 28 no. of gravel soils

Civil engineering projects require strong have been studied with respect to various
and durable bases for distribution loads to the sub- geotechnical characteristics and their suitability can
surfaces the founding layers are strong enough to be evaluated based on the results.
digest these loads with giving excess shear
deformations. In this connection soils possessing II. MATERIALS:
the above characteristics are desirable among these In the present study 28 gravel soil samples
gravels soils prominent. The performance of gravel were collected from different locations of North
soil layers with respect to various geotechnical Coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh at a depth of
functions depend on their composition such as 1.5m from the Ground Surface out of which 16
grain size distribution, percentage of fines and their soil samples are gravel fraction (>4.75mm)
allied characteristics such as plasticity, compaction dominating soil and 12 soil samples are sand
and strength etc. fraction (4.75-0.075 mm) dominating soil. These
A limited Research has been carried on gravel soil samples were tested for the grain size
Red gravel soils, i.e Priyani(1958) reported that Distribution (IS: 2720-Part-4-1985), plasticity
locally available coarse grained soils, murrum are characteristics (IS: 2720-Part-5-1985), Compaction
commonly used as sub-base and base course Characteristics (IS: 2720-Part-8-1983) and CBR
materials. Gourely (1997) studied case of laterite values (IS: 2720-Part-16-1974). These
gravels as base course material in South African characteristics are analysed and suitable
roads. Nunan.T. (1990) studied improved gravels Identifications are made.
for construction. Ramana Murthy.V. (2003) studied
use of morrum in pavement construction. Omar .M III. TESTS AND RESULTS:
(2003) studied compaction characteristics of coarse 3.1) Grain size distributions (IS: 2720-Part-4-
grained soils. Pradeep Muley(2010) studied 1985):
utilization of murrum for hard shoulder material. A known quantity of dried soil mass was
MORTH(2012) specified that gravel soils low washed through 75µ m sieve and the fine particles
plasticity characteristics can have wide application can be subjected for sedimentation analysis
in road construction. Rehman.Z.U (2017) studied (Hydrometer method) and coarser portion was
coarse grained soil for compaction, gradation and dried and subjected for sieve analysis. Based on the
CBR values. Patel A.K.(2013) studied CBR above test data grain size distribution was
characteristics of SC soils. NCHRP (2001) studied generated and the results are shown in table 1 and
compaction, CBR, plasticity characteristics. 2.
Satyanarayana et.al (2013) studied high plastic
gravels and their stabilized materials can be used as
sub-base courses in pavement construction

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 Gopalakrishnan Vaidyanathan Journal of Engineering Research and Application www.ijera.com
ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 8, Issue 7 (Part -I) July 2018, pp 31-33

3.2) Plasticity characteristics (IS: 2720-Part-5- Red gravel soils of north coastal districts
1985): of Andhra Pradesh are dominated by gravel
Dried soil sample passing through 425 µ m fraction have gravel particles in the range of 38-
sieve subjected for liquid limit (W L) using 67% , sand particles 14-39% and fines are in the
Casagrande method (IS: 2720-Part-5-1985), and range of 14-32% respectively and it is also seen
Plastic limit (WP) and Plasticity Index, (IP )as these gravels have a wide range of particles. Where
difference of these two (WL-WP) and the results are as Red gravel soils dominated by sand fraction
shown in table 1&2. have gravel particles in the range of 22-36% , sand
particles 38-52% and fines are in the range of 22-
3.3) Compaction characteristics (IS: 2720-Part- 32% respectively . From the grain size distribution
8-1983): it is identified that sand dominating soils have more
Modified proctor tests were performed on oven number of fine particles and less number of gravel
dried soil samples by performing 5 layers with 25 particles than gravel fraction dominating gravel
soils.
blows for each with a Rammer of 4.89kg and the Gravel fraction dominating gravel soils
results are shown in table 1&2. having liquid limit in the range of 25-40% and
Plasticity Index range of 7-17% , where as sand
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: fraction dominating gravel soils having liquid limit
4.1 Geotechnical characterization of Red gravel in the range of 29-33% and plasticity index in the
soils: range of 9-19% . Soil with high percentage of fines
Results based on the test conducted as exhibited high Liquid Limit and Plasticity Index
mentioned above with respect to IS 2720 are shown values. From the compaction characteristics it is
below table 1 & 2 and their characterization identified that there soil having OMC is in the
described. range of 8.2-11% and MDD 2.05-2.13g/cc. Gravel
fraction dominating gravel soils having CBR values
Table 1: Geotechnical properties of Gravel soils are in the range of 21-38%, and sand fraction
dominated by Gravel fraction dominating gravel soils CBR values in the range of
16-24%.

4.2 Compaction characteristics of red gravel

soils:
Test results of 28 gravel soils from North
Coastal Districts of Andhra Pradesh, the following
identifications are made.
 Increase in the percentage gravel particles
increases MDD values and decreases OMC
values whereas increase in the percentage of
sand particles decreases MDD values and
increase OMC values.
 Increase in the percentage of fines increases
Table 2: Geotechnical properties of Gravel soils the liquid limit and plastic limit values there by
dominated by Sand fraction increases plasticity index values which
increases OMC values and decreases MDD
values.
 Domination of single size particles either
gravel or sand increases OMC values and
decreases MDD values.
 Combination of gravel and sand particles with
less percentage of fines exhibited high density,
high MDD and low OMC values.
 Gravel soils dominated by single size particles
makes the soil matrix to poorly graded which
leads to honeycombing structure where as
G:Gravel, S:Sand, F:Fines, WL: Liquid limit, gravel soils representing maximum no. of
Wp: Plastic limit, IP: Plasticity Index, OMC: particles i.e gravel particles, sand and fine
Optimum Moisture Content, MDD: Maximum particles exhibit well graded condition give
dry density, CBR: California bearing ratio, IS: cohesive matrix resulting dense condition.
Indian standard classification.

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ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 8, Issue 7 (Part -I) July 2018, pp 31-33

 Increase in the percentage of fines (silt and [3]. Nunan, T.A and Humphrey D.N(1990), “ A
clay particles) increase the specific surface Review and Experimentation of Gravel
which require more water to lubricate the Stabilization methods, executive”, Technical
services division, Technical report 90-2,
particles for attaining the effective condition
Departments of Civil Engineering, University of
increases OMC values. Similarly Maine, Orono, Maine.
representation of more no. of particles (wide [4]. NCHRP. (2003). Guide for Mechanic – empirical
range of particles) leads to well graded design of new and rehabilitated pavement
condition which helps in filling of voids and structures. National Co-operative Highway
increases the requirement of water and Research Program Transportation Research Board
increases interlocking of particles. Therefore National Research Council, Illinois 61820.
increase the requirement of more water leads [5]. Omar, M., Abdallah, S., Adnan Basma and Samer
to high OMC values and represent more no. of Bakarat (2003), “ Compaction characteristics of
granular soils in United Arab Emirates”,
solids in a given volume tends to high densities
Geotechnical and Geological Engineering 21:
compared to single size particles i.e poorly 283-295, 2003.
graded soils with their honey combing [6]. Priyani, V.B. (1958) : Road engineering, Second
structures. Edition, Charotar Book stall
[7]. Pradeep Muley, Jain P.K (2010), “ Experimental
V. APPLICATIONS: studies on utilization of morrum as hard shoulder
Gravel soils are naturally occurring soils with high material”, International Journal of engineering
densities can have wide applications in Science and technology. Vol. 2(9), 2010, p. no.
4896-4901.
geotechnical and civil engineering constructions.
[8]. Patel, A.K., Sathawara Jigar K. (2013), “
 Fill materials for foundations under spread Comparision between soaked and unsoaked
footings. CBR”, International journal of Advanced
 Backfill material for retaining walls engineering research and studies, Vol II, Issue III,
 Cohesive frictional backfill materials for p-132 to 135.
Reinforce Earth Retaining Walls [9]. Ramana Murthy, V. and Hari Krishna, P. (2003):
 Surcharge material for preloading technique in Influence of Inorganic Additives on Properties of
Morrum Soils Used in Pavement Construction,
case of soft clays. National seminar on Recent Advances in Civil
 Cushion material in expansive soils Engineering, KITS – Warangal, pp. II 17-II 23.
 Artificial soil pads for spreading heavy loads [10]. Rehman Z.U, Khalid U, Farooq K, Mujtaba H
 Subgrade and sub-base materials in road works (2017), “ Prediction of CBR values from Index
 As embankment material for roads and railway properties of different soils”, Technical journal
tracks. university of engineering and technology Taxila,
Pakistan, Vol. 22 No.II-2017, p-17 to 26.
[11]. Satyanarayana, P.V.V, Raghu P, Ashok Kumar R,
VI. CONCLUSIONS: Pradeep N (2013), “ Performance of Crusher
Gravel soils are naturally occurring soils Dust in High plastic gravels as road construction
with wide range of particles possess high strength, material”, IOSR Journal of Mechanical and Civil
high densities, non-swelling and incompressible Engineering (IOSR-JMCE), vol.10, pp:1-5
characteristics help the structures free from excess [12]. Satyanarayana, P.V.V, Raghu P, Ashok Kumar R,
shear deformations when they used as construction Pradeep N (2013), “ Utilization of Crusher dust
material in geotechnical engineering applications. Stabilized Gravels as Sub-base materials”,
International Journal of Engineering Research
and Technology (IJERT), vol-2, Issue 11.
REFERENCES: Pp:4034-4046
[1]. Gourley C.S. and Greening, P.A.K. (1997) , [13]. IS 2720 Part XIII 1985 Direct Shear Test
“ Use of Sub-standard Laterite Gravels as [14]. IS 2720:Part 4: 1985 Methods of Test for Soils-
Road Base Materials in Southern Africa”, Part 4:Grain Sieve Analysis
International Symposium on Thin [15]. IS 2720: Part 16 : 1987 Methods of Test for Soil-
Pavements, Surface Treatments and Part 16: Laboratory Determination of CBR
Unbound Roads, University of New
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[2]. Ministry of surface transport MORTH, clause
N0.500-2001

Gopalakrishnan Vaidyanathan "Effect of Gradation and Plasticity on Compaction

Characteristics of Red Gravel Soils "International Journal of Engineering Research and
Applications (IJERA) , vol. 8, no.7, 2018, pp.31-33

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