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CE2004 Introduction and PSD

This module aims to explore the characteristics and behavior of engineering soils. It will introduce topics such as seepage, consolidation, shear strength, slope stability, bearing capacity, and site investigation. The document defines a soil as an assemblage of mineral particles and/or organic matter that can be separated by gentle mechanical means. Soils are composed of solids, water, air, and organic matter. Key soil characteristics include particle size distribution, mineral composition, porosity, and permeability. Particle sizes can range from clay to boulders. Most soils have a composite particle size distribution rather than a uniform grading.

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92 views34 pages

CE2004 Introduction and PSD

This module aims to explore the characteristics and behavior of engineering soils. It will introduce topics such as seepage, consolidation, shear strength, slope stability, bearing capacity, and site investigation. The document defines a soil as an assemblage of mineral particles and/or organic matter that can be separated by gentle mechanical means. Soils are composed of solids, water, air, and organic matter. Key soil characteristics include particle size distribution, mineral composition, porosity, and permeability. Particle sizes can range from clay to boulders. Most soils have a composite particle size distribution rather than a uniform grading.

Uploaded by

OmaidTanha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CE2004 Soil

Characteristics
Particle size
Module Leader: Phil Collins
[email protected]

Aims of the module

Explore characteristics & behaviour of


engineering soils

seepage, consolidation and shear strength

Introduce slope stability and bearing capacity


Develop understanding of Site Investigation
work
Introduce geotechnical design

Design requirements:
Eurocode 0:
A structure shall be designed and executed in such a way that it
will, during its intended life, with appropriate degrees of
reliability and in an economical way
sustain all actions and influences likely to occur during
execution and use, and
meet the specified serviceability requirements for a structure
or a structural element
BS EN 1990:2002+A1:2005 Eurocode Basis of structural
design. 2.1(1)

Limit states are?


Limit state threshold condition beyond
which a structure no longer functions as
planned/designed
Serviceability Limit State (SLS) no longer
meets the design criteria (reversible?)
Ultimate Limit State (ULS) failure and
collapse - irreversible

What is a soil?

A technical (and long!) definition:

An assemblage of mineral particles and/or


organic matter in the form of a deposit but
sometimes of organic origin, which can be
separated by gentle mechanical means and
which includes variable amounts of water and
air (and sometimes other gases)
BS 1377-1, 2.1.1

Three-Phase Soil Model


Volumes

Soil
Column
air

Va

AIR

Masses

air

Ma

Ma = 0

voids

Vv
water

Total volume

Vw

WATER

water

Mw
Total mass

M
solids

Vs

SOLIDS

solids

Ms

Soil characteristics

Mineral material:
Clay

(<0.002mm)
Silt
(0.002-0.063mm)
Sand
(0.063-2.00mm
Gravel (2mm-60mm)
Cobbles (60-200mm)
Boulders (>200mm)
Binding agents / cements

Key components

Solid Organic matter:


Living
Roots,

Dead

worms, fungal hyphae etc.

organic matter

Plant

fragments
Bones, hair etc.
Faecal material
Charcoal
Lignite
Coal

Soil variability

Raised beach and slope deposits


Swallow Cliff, Somerset, UK
(Ipswichian (?) and Devensian

Distinctly bi-modal glacial till,


Northumberland, UK (Devensian)

Collapsing fine-grained
glacial till
Robin Hood Bay,
North Yorkshire, UK
(Devensian)

Dessication cracks, made ground, Mulgrave


Harbour, North Yorkshire UK

What could particle size influence?


Behaviour: Strength, Plasticity
Mineralogy/ Chemical composition
Voids: Porosity & permeability
Drainage
Vulnerability to weathering
Vulnerability to remobilisation

Within

soil (illuviation/elluviation)
From soil (erosion)

Ability to retain/release pollutants

Size ranges

Particles are normally classified in terms


of their intermediate axis
Why choose the b-axis?

a:
short axis

c:

b:
intermediate axis

l on

xi
ga

Particle size ranges


Soil Fractions

Sub-fractions Symbols

Particle sizes
mm
>630
>200 to 630
>63 to 200
>2.0 to 63
>20 to 63
6.3 to 20
>2.0 to 6.3
>0.063 to 2.0
>0.63 to 2.0
>0.2 to 0.63
>0.063 to 0.2
>0.002 to 0.063
>0.02 to 0.063
>0.0063 to 0.02
>0.002 to 0.0063
<=0.002

Very coarse soil Large boulder LBo


Boulder
Bo
Cobble
Co
Coarse soil
Gravel
Gr
Coarse gravel CGr
Medium gravel MGr
Fine gravel
FGr
Sand
Sa
CSa
Coarse sand
Medium sand MSa
FSa
Fine sand
Fine soil
Silt
Si
CSi
Coarse silt
MSi
Medium silt
Fine silt
FSi
Clay
Cl
Based on BS EN ISO 14688-1:2002, 4.2
NB some soil scientists and geographers use z for silt

values

-6

-1

= -log2d, where d=diameter

Basic soils

Uniform grading
One

size fraction
(geological term is well sorted)

Simply called after their grade e.g.


Coarse

gravel CGr
Fine sand FSa
Clay - Cl
Ref: BS EN ISO 14688-1:2002

Composite soils

Most soils are composite


More

than one size fraction

Principal fraction
fraction

with greatest mass (and normally


greatest engineering significance)

Secondary etc. fractions


Affect

engineering properties e.g.


Sandy gravel (saGr)
Silty fine sand (siFSa)
Fine gravelly, coarse sandy silt (fgrcsaSi)

Soil aggregates

Clumps of particles held together by:


Moisture
Roots

& fungal hyphae


Natural cements
Organic chemicals
Van der Waals forces

electrical attraction between molecules

Flocculation

Clay particles end-to-end

soils.usda.gov

Dispersal of aggregates
Water (be careful with tap water)
Gentle grinding of oven dry soil using
rubber pestle

Can change particle size distribution !

HCl (10%) carbonates


Problem

if carbonate clasts

H2O2 - organics

Particle size analysis options

Touch and appearance


Quick
accurate?
not

precise
Influenced by aggregates

Microscope
Slow
accurate

& precise
Almost certainly not representative

Sieving principles

Wet sieving
Material

prepared and weighed


Washed through sieve stack
Fractions retained and lost calculated

Dry sieving
Material

prepared and weighed


Shaken in sieve stack
Fractions retained calculated

Sieving problems

Wet sieving
Assume

all material not recovered is in fine

fraction
Soluble particles may disappear
Potentially messy
Partly a destructive test

Dry sieving
Material

can be lost by shaking out of sieve


or as dust
May retain strong aggregates
Non-durable particles can disintegrate

Comparison of wet and dry sieving results (Giuliano et al. 2007).

Dry sieving:
Sample preparation
Remove roots, large stones,
binding agents
Subsample to get
appropriate size

Riffle

box or quartering

Oven dry @ 105-110C


to

WHY?

constant mass

Gentle grinding

MTE riffle boxes

Minimum mass for sieving

Why have a minimum mass?

BS 1377-2, 9.2.3

200 mm (coarse cobbles)

1000 kg

100 mm (medium cobbles)

200 kg

60 mm (fine cobbles)

40 kg

20 mm (coarse gravel)

2 kg

10 mm (medium gravel)

0.6 kg

6 mm (medium gravel)

0.2 kg

2 mm (fine gravel)

0.1 kg

Recommended sample sizes for sieving based on


largest significant particle size (i.e. coarsest fraction
making up 10% or more of total mass)
(Modified after BS 1377-2, Fig 10)

The test sieves

Made to precise specification


Square apertures
BS 1377-2 suggests
Cobbles:

BS Test sieve (JBL)

75 mm, 63 mm,
Gravel: 50 mm, 37.5 mm, 28 mm, 20 mm, 14 mm, 10
mm, 6.3 mm, 5 mm, 3.35 mm, 2 mm
Sand:1.18 mm, 600 m, 425 m, 300 m, 212 m,
150 m, 63 m

Sieving problematic in practice below 63 m

The sieve stack


Sieves in size series
Lid for top
Pan for base

BS sieve set (JBL)

The sieve shaker


Sieves must have lid and base pan
Clamp in place securely
Shake for minimum of 10 minutes

Operation can be noisy


Watch for sieves becoming loose
Watch for dust loss

Size fractions
Carefully weigh soil retained on each
sieve
Assess any loss of mass
Calculate percentage of soil passing
through each sieve (% passing data)
Plot as a cumulative percentage graph
and/or a histogram

Name of Soil

Silver
Sand

M1 + Mboat
(g)

115.82

M1 (g)

6.05
109.77

Mass
Boat
Total
retaine
Sieve Size m mass (g) mass (g) d (g)
0.03
2000
5.94
5.97
9.27
1000
5.76
15.03
500
5.95
46.22 40.27
250
6.21
44.44 38.23
125
6.38
20.65 14.27
4.02
63
6.21
10.23
<63m
2.75
fines/lost
6.32
9.07
Total
retained
(g)
108.84
100.00
Mass lost
90.00
0.93
(g)
80.00
70.00
0.85
% loss
60.00
50.00
40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
0.00
0
500
1000

% retailed

M Boat (g)

Silver sand PSD % retained

Mass
%
% mass
passing passing retaine
(g)
cum
d

109.74
100.47
60.2
21.97
7.7
3.68

40.00
35.00
30.00
25.00
20.00
15.00
10.00
5.00
0.00

99.97 0.03
91.53 8.44
54.84 36.69
20.01 34.83
7.01 13.00
3.35
3.66

0.93

0.85

2.51

%passing

Silver sand PSD % passing

1500

Particle size (microns)

2000

Silver sand PSD % passing


100.00
90.00
80.00
70.00
60.00
50.00
40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
0.00
2500
10

100

1000

Particle size (microns) log scale

10000

Silver sand PSD % passing

%passing

100.00
90.00
80.00
70.00
60.00
50.00
40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
0.00
0

500

1000

1500

2000

Mudflow
100.00
90.00
80.00
70.00
60.00
50.00
40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
0.00
2500
10

100

1000

Particle size (microns) log scale

Sigmoidal curve = well sorted, poorly graded


Straight curve = well graded, poorly sorted

10000

Silver sand PSD % passing


100.00

D90

90.00

%passing

80.00
70.00
60.00

D50

50.00
40.00
30.00
20.00

D10

10.00
0.00
10

100

1000

10000

Particle size (microns) log scale

Summarising the PSD curve


Effective size = D10 = 10% of the soil is finer than this value
Can use D30, D50, D90 etc. for other summary measures

Reading
Soil textures

Craig R.F. 2004 Craigs Soil Mechanics. 7th


Edition. Spon, New York. Chapter 1.

Also:

Barnes G.E. Soil Mechanics-Principles and


Practice. 2nd Ed. Macmillan, London. Chapter 1,
pp5-12; Chapter 2 , pp13-25.
Norbury D. 2010. Soil and Rock Description in
Engineering Practice. Whittles, Dunbeath. Ch 4.

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