PBSCE 020

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING I
(SOIL MECHANICS)

INTRODUCTION TO
GEOTECHNICAL
ENGINEERING
ENGR. KRISTINE JOY A. CAALAM, CE, MP
Instructor
 CONTENTS

Geotechnical Engineering and its

scopes.
Rock and Rock Types
Weathering of Rocks
Soil and Soil Types
 GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

From a scientific perspective, geotechnical

engineering involves defining the soil's strength
and deformation properties. Geotechnical
Engineering deals with the study of soil behavior,
and the design and analysis of natural and man-
made soil structures under the influence of
loading forces and soil-water interactions. It
involves collection and interpretation of the
physical properties of the ground for use in
building and construction.
 ROCK AND ITS TYPES (BASED ON GEOLOGICAL
ORIGIN)

IGNEOUS

These rocks are formed

when molten material
solidifies. This can happen
at depth in the earth’s crust
or after a volcano explodes
above the earth’s surface.
Examples of igneous rocks
include granite, diorite, and
basalt.
 ROCK AND ITS TYPES (BASED ON GEOLOGICAL
ORIGIN)

SEDIMENTARY
Formed from the accumulation
of aggregated rock or dead
organisms carried in rivers and
ultimately deposited in larger
bodies of water, such as lakes
and oceans. This sediment
becomes buried, loses water,
ultimately cements, and once
again forms into solid rock.
Examples include sandstone,
limestone, and shale.
 ROCK AND ITS TYPES (BASED ON GEOLOGICAL
ORIGIN)

METAMORPHIC
A metamorphic rock is an
igneous or sedimentary rock
that has been altered
physically and sometimes
chemically by the
application of intense heat
and pressure at some point
in their geological history.
Examples include quartzite,
schist, and gneiss.
 WEATHERING OF ROCKS

Weathering describes the breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on the surface of the Earth.

Once a rock has been broken down, a process called erosion transports the bits of rock and mineral
away.

Weathering and erosion constantly change the rocky landscape of Earth. Weathering wears away
exposed surfaces over time. The length of exposure often contributes to how vulnerable a rock is to
weathering.

As it smoothes rough, sharp rock surfaces, weathering is often the first step in the production of soils.
Tiny bits of weathered minerals mix with plants, animal remains, fungi, bacteria, and other organisms. A
single type of weathered rock often produces infertile soil, while weathered materials from a collection of
rocks is richer in mineral diversity and contributes to more fertile soil.
 MECHANICAL WEATHERING

Water, in either liquid or solid form, is often a key agent of mechanical

weathering. Temperature changes contribute to mechanical weathering
in a process called thermal stress. Changes in temperature cause rock to
expand (with heat) and contract (with cold). As this happens over and
over again, the structure of the rock weakens. Over time, it crumbles. The
outer layer of rocks undergo repeated stress as the temperature
changes from day to night. Eventually, outer layers flake off in thin sheets,
a process called exfoliation.

Changes in pressure can also contribute to exfoliation due to weathering.

In a process called unloading, overlying materials are removed. The
underlying rocks, released from overlying pressure, can then expand. As
the rock surface expands, it becomes vulnerable to fracturing in a
process called sheeting.
 MECHANICAL WEATHERING

Salt also works to weather rock in a process called haloclasty. Saltwater

sometimes gets into the cracks and pores of rock. If the saltwater evaporates,
salt crystals are left behind. As the crystals grow, they put pressure on the
rock, slowly breaking it apart.

Honeycomb weathering is associated with haloclasty. As its name implies,

honeycomb weathering describes rock formations with hundreds or even
thousands of pits formed by the growth of salt crystals. Honeycomb
weathering is common in coastal areas, where sea sprays constantly force
rocks to interact with salts.

Haloclasty is not limited to coastal landscapes. Salt upwelling,

the geologic process in which underground salt domes expand, can
contribute to weathering of the overlying rock. Structures in the ancient city of
Petra, Jordan, were made unstable and often collapsed due to salt upwelling
from the ground below.
 MECHANICAL WEATHERING

Plants and animals can be agents of mechanical weathering. The seed of

a tree may sprout in soil that has collected in a cracked rock. As the roots
grow, they widen the cracks, eventually breaking the rock into pieces.
Over time, trees can break apart even large rocks. Even small plants, such
as mosses, can enlarge tiny cracks as they grow.
Animals that tunnel underground, such as moles and prairie dogs, also
work to break apart rock and soil. Other animals dig and trample rock
aboveground, causing rock to slowly crumble.
 CHEMICAL WEATHERING

Chemical weathering changes the molecular structure of rocks and soil.

For instance, carbon dioxide from the air or soil sometimes combines with
water in a process called carbonation. This produces a weak acid,
called carbonic acid, that can dissolve rock. Carbonic acid is especially
effective at dissolving limestone. When carbonic acid seeps through
limestone underground, it can open up huge cracks or hollow out vast
networks of caves.

Sometimes, chemical weathering dissolves large portions of limestone or

other rock on the surface of the Earth to form a landscape called karst.

Another type of chemical weathering works on rocks that contain iron.

These rocks turn to rust in a process called oxidation. Rust is a compound
created by the interaction of oxygen and iron in the presence of water. As
rust expands, it weakens rock and helps break it apart.
 CHEMICAL WEATHERING

Hydration is a form of chemical weathering in which the chemical bonds of

the mineral are changed as it interacts with water. One instance of
hydration occurs as the mineral anhydrite reacts with groundwater. The
water transforms anhydrite into gypsum, one of the most common
minerals on Earth.

Another familiar form of chemical weathering is hydrolysis. In the process

of hydrolysis, a new solution (a mixture of two or more substances) is
formed as chemicals in rock interact with water. In many rocks, for
example, sodium minerals interact with water to form a saltwater solution.

Hydration and hydrolysis contribute to flared slopes, another dramatic

example of a landscape formed by weathering and erosion. Flared slopes
are concave rock formations sometimes nicknamed “wave rocks.” Their c-
shape is largely a result of subsurface weathering, in which hydration and
hydrolysis wear away rocks beneath the landscape’s surface.
 CHEMICAL WEATHERING

Living or once-living organisms can also be agents of chemical

weathering. The decaying remains of plants and some fungi form
carbonic acid, which can weaken and dissolve rock. Some bacteria
can weather rock in order to access nutrients such as magnesium or
potassium.

Clay minerals, including quartz, are among the most

common byproducts of chemical weathering. Clays make up about
40% of the chemicals in all sedimentary rocks on Earth.
 SOIL AND ITS TYPES

Soil is a mixture of minerals, dead and living

organisms (organic materials), air, and water.
These four ingredients react with one another in
amazing ways, making soil one of our planet’s
most dynamic and important natural resources.
An engineer may view soils as a material upon
which infrastructure is built.
 SAND
It is most extensively used construction material.
It consists of particles of rock and hard minerals,
such as silicon dioxide. They are the largest type
of soil particles, where each particle is visible to
naked eye. The large, relatively stable sand-
particle size increases soil aeration, improves
drainage in tight soils and creates plant-growth
supporting qualities, or tilt.
 SILT

Silt is a sediment material with an intermediate

size between sand and clay. Carried by water
during flood it forms a fertile deposit on valleys
floor. The particle size of silt ranges from 0.002
 CLAY
Clay particles are the finest of all the soil
particles, measuring fewer than 0.002 mm in
size. It consists of microscopic and sub-
microscopic particles derived from the chemical
decomposition of rocks. Clay is a fine-grained
cohesive soil. They stick together readily and
form a sticky or gluey texture when they are wet
 LOAM
Loam is a mixture of clay, sand and silt and
benefits from the qualities of these 3 different
textures, favouring water retention, air
circulation, drainage and fertility. These soils are
fertile, easy to work with and provide good
drainage. Depending on their predominant
composition they can be either sandy or clay