FUNDAMENTAL PROPERTIES

OF SOIL
CIE 047 LESSON 1
OBJECTIVES
• Secure knowledge of the basic and most important properties of
a soil mass such as size, shape, and specific gravity
• Extract grain size distribution by sieve and hydrometer analysis.
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
• Sizes of the particles vary over a wide range.
• According to size
oGRAVEL (largest)
o SAND
o SILT
oCLAY (smallest)

Source: https://mhsiteconstruction.com/basic-soils-science/
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
• There are four organizations that developed soil-separate-size limits/ particle-size
classifications.
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT)
2. United States Department of Agriculture
• Textural classification
o based on the particle-size distribution of the percent
of gravel, sand, silt, and clay size fractions
present in a given soil.

Source: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ahmed-Al-Obaidi-2/publication/321158751_Dr_Ahmed_Soil_Mechanics_Note_Chapter_Three_Soil_Classification/links/5a11caa6458515cc5aa9ca73/Dr-
Ahmed-Soil-Mechanics-Note-Chapter-Three-Soil-Classification.pdf
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
3. American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials
4. United States Army Corps of
Engineers (with United States Bureau
of Reclamation)
• Engineering behavior of soil
o particle-size distribution
o plasticity
 liquid limit
 plasticity index
Source: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ahmed-Al-Obaidi-2/publication/321158751_Dr_Ahmed_Soil_Mechanics_Note_Chapter_Three_Soil_Classification/links/5a11caa6458515cc5aa9ca73/Dr-
Ahmed-Soil-Mechanics-Note-Chapter-Three-Soil-Classification.pdf
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
BOULDER & COBBLES
• Particle larger than 76.2 mm
• Boulders
o generally larger than cobbles
o particles 300 mm in size and above

Source: https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-difference-between-stones-rocks-pebbles-boulders-etc
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
• Soil is composed of minerals.
• Gravels contain particles of
quartz, feldspar and others.

Source: https://www.geologyin.com/2015/09/how-could-same-minerals-form-different.html
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
• Sand is made of mostly quartz and feldspar
• Some mineral grains may be present in sand too.
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
• Clays develop plasticity when mixed with water.
• Plasticity is the quality of being easily molded or shaped.
SOIL CLASSIFICATION
• The chart shows the four organizations’ soil-separate-size limits arranged in a
graphical manner.
Specific Gravity (Gs)
• The ratio of the unit weight of a given material to the unit weight of water
• Used for various calculations
• In a mathematical equation, if we denote unit weight by the Greek letter
gamma (𝛾𝛾).
• One of the most important properties of a soil mass.
Specific Gravity (Gs)
• Soil particles are made up of several
minerals.
• Influenced by the most dominant
mineral in that soil mass.
• Specific gravity values of common
minerals present in a soil mass are in the
table.
• Example: a soil mass has 95%
hornblende then it might have a specific
gravity that falls within the range of 3.0-
3.47.
Specific Gravity (Gs)
• Most soils have a specific gravity
value (Gs) typically in the range 2.6 to
2.8
• Critical in the assessment of the
degree of saturation which is a
derived parameter calculated from:
o Gs
o moisture content
o void ratio

Source: Look, B. G., (2014). Handbook of Geotechnical Investigation and Design Tables (2nd ed.). Taylor & Francis Group, London, UK.
Mechanical Analysis
• The determination of the size range of particles present in a soil,
expressed as a percentage of the total dry weight.
• Soil particles are measured in terms of their diameters (we assume
these particles as spheres).
• Has two phases:
1. Sieve Analysis
o for soil particles larger than 0.075 mm in diameter
2. Hydrometer Analysis
o for soil particles that measure 0.075 mm in diameter and below
o Usually for silts and clays
Mechanical Analysis
Mechanical Analysis
Sieves
o Has corresponding mesh openings
o Similar to normal and ordinary kitchen
strainers at home
o Mesh opening decreases as you go down
 Largest mesh (on top)
 Smallest mesh opening (bottom)
 Pan (underneath)
Mechanical Analysis
Sieves
o Soil sample is filtered from the topmost sieve and shake it for minutes
(usually for five minutes - intense shaking to let all the particles settle down).
o After the shaking, you open the sieves and record data.

Source: https://ascelibrary.org/doi/full/10.1061/%28ASCE%29WW.1943-5460.0000578
Mechanical Analysis
• The smallest opening of a
sieve is usually 0.075 mm.
Sieve Analysis

DRIED SOIL WEIGH STOP SHAKING

SAMPLE • Dried soil samples • Weigh the sieve
• Place in drying oven • Sieves SHAKE THE with retained soil
if moist • Pan STACK THE • Record
SIEVES FOR 5-
• Moist soil is difficult SIEVES
to sieve
10 MINUTES
• Supply the table
with initial data
Sieve Analysis
Manual sieving

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf_p934fSpA
Sieve Analysis
Mechanical Sieving

Source: https://gfycat.com/scentedjaggedcorydorascatfish-grain-size-distribution-elementary-engineering Source: https://gfycat.com/parchedtotalkillerwhale

Mechanical Analysis
Mechanical Analysis
Hydrometer Analysis
• Usually follows after the Sieve Analysis.
• Any particle that passes Sieve 200.
• More time-consuming than Sieve Analysis.
• Based on the principle of Stokes's Law.
• The remaining soil sample will be placed in a graduated cylinder
filled with water.
• The size of each particle is determined by the time it will take
for one to settle at the bottom of a graduated cylinder.
• Differentiates sands, silts, and clays.
Mechanical Analysis
Hydrometer Analysis

HYDROMETER DISPERSING AGENT

 Sodium hexametaphosphate

SEDIMENTATION
CYLINDER
WATER BATH Source: https://www.d.umn.edu/~pfarrell/lab_8.htm
Hydrometer Analysis
CALIBRATION OF APPARATUS
COMPOSITE
• 5G sodium hexametaphosphate TRANSFER THE
CORRECTION OF
• Transfer solution in cylinder SOIL SLURRY
HYDROMETER
• Placement of hydrometer in the solution IN CYLINDER
READING

START THE TURN THE CYLINDER

TIMER SET DOWN UPSIDE DOWN AND ADD WATER
• take hydrometer CYLINDER AND BACK • until the total
and temperature PLACE volume is
readings at 2, 5, 15, • for about 1 minute to
30, 60, 250, and 1440 HYDROMETER complete the agitation of 1000mL
mins. the slurry mixture.
Mechanical Analysis
Mechanical Analysis
WEIGHT RETAINED =
Measured
(WT OF SIEVE + RETAINED)
– WT OF SIEVE

Measured
PERCENT RETAINED =
WEIGHT RETAINED X 100 /
TOTAL WEIGHT OF SAMPLE

Given
CUMULATIVE PERCENT
RETAINED = PREVIOUS CPR
+ CURRENT CPR

CUMULATIVE PERCENT
PASSING (PERCENT FINER) =
9 sieves and a pan
100 - CUMULATIVE PERCENT
RETAINED
 Plotting
• Plot the grain size distribution curve to
present the analysis in a graphical
manner.
• A semilogarithmic paper is used
o Contains two axes, one of which is
logarithmic and one is in a linear scale.
o For this chart, we are going to plot our
particle size in the abscissa.
o The abscissa needs to be in the logarithmic
scale while the ordinate, in the linear scale
contains the percent finer values.

• PARTICLE SIZE vs. PERCENT FINER

Plotting

• Plot each point.

o x value - particle size (sieve size)
o y value - percent finer

• Connect the points by the smoothest curve traced.

• Logarithmic scale may be drawn backwards (common in grain size
distribution curves).
• Some employ the normal plot.
Grain Size Distribution
Grain Size Distribution Curve
• Visual representation of the distribution of soil
sample.
• Poorly graded soil sample
o Constitutes particles that are almost the same size.
o Curve I shows a poorly graded soil sample.
o The curve is too narrow because of the particle size.

• Well graded soil sample

o Constitutes particles distributed over a wide range.
o Curve II shows a well graded soil sample that is wide
considering various particle sizes present.

• Gap graded soil sample

o A combination
o Curve III shows this soil sample
Grain Size Distribution Curve
• So from the curve we constructed, we can say that our soil sample is well graded.
Basic Soil Parameters
Basic Soil Parameters
• Another consideration
• Soil sample can be classified easily if we know these parameters.
1. Effective size (D10)
2. Uniformity Coefficient (Cu) = D60 / D10
3. Coefficient of Gradation (Cc) = (D30 )2 / (D60*D10)
4. Sorting Coefficient (S0) = (D75 / D25)1/2
• Where:
o D10 means the diameter at which 10 percent of the particles are finer and 90% are coarser (bigger) than D10.
o D30 means The diameter at which 30 percent of the particles are finer and 70% are coarser (bigger) than D30.
o D60 means the diameter at which 60 percent of the particles are finer and 40% are coarser (bigger) than D60.
o D25 means the diameter at which 25 percent of the particles are finer and 75% are coarser (bigger) than D25.
o D75 means the diameter at which 75 percent of the particles are finer and 25% are coarser (bigger) than D75.
 Basic Soil Parameters
• To visualize, we must first look at our ordinate
(percent finer).
• We begin with D10.
• Look for 10 in the percent finer and then project
it towards the curve and as it reaches a point in
the curve, project it downwards.
• This will hit a point in the abscissa.
• The value of that point is D10.
• Do the same procedure for D25, D30, D60 and
D75.
• Use interpolation
o Interpolation is the estimation of a value from
existing ones.
Basic Soil Parameters
Basic Soil Parameters
• If we want D10, we look at our sieve analysis
data and look at x and y values.
• Plot them in a table to easily see the
unknown.
• Use ratio and proportion
 Basic Soil Parameters
• Arrange the equation such that the unknown always lies in the
numerator (it’s easier to shift solve this way).

• Since we have the x values in a logarithmic scale, we

need to insert log in each value.

• The log is only placed in the numerator since the

denominator contains values plotted in the linear scale.

• Just a tip, further rearrange the equation above so your calculator can easily shift solve this for
you. Cross-multiplication will eliminate the denominators. LET D10 = X. Put that in your
calculator and x = D10 = 0.3992 mm.
Basic Soil Parameters
• Since we estimated a value between 0.425 and 0.25, your answer should
be in between these two values.
• If not, then you should recalculate.
• Repeat the same process to solve for D25, D30, D60 and D75.
• From this, solve for Cu, Cc, and So.
Basic Soil Parameters
• D25 = 0.6247 mm
• D30 = 0.7085 mm
Basic Soil Parameters
• D60 = 1.4690 mm
Basic Soil Parameters
• D75 = 2.2405 mm
Basic Soil Parameters
1. Effective size (D10) = 0.3992 mm
2. Uniformity Coefficient (Cu) = 3.6799
3. Coefficient of Gradation (Cc) = 0.8560
4. Sorting Coefficient (S0) = 1.8938
Data Reporting
Data Reporting
Data Reporting
Particle Shape
• Equally important as the particle-size distribution
• Has a significant influence in the physical properties of soil
• Difficult to measure
• Has great influence on the physical properties of the soil:
o Void ratio
o Shear strength parameters
o Compressibility

• Has the following classifications

o Bulky
o Flaky
o Needle-shaped
Particle Shape
BULKY PARTICLES
• Angular
• Subangular
• Subrounded
• Rounded
Particle Shape
FLAKY PARTICLES
• Have very low sphericity (far from
looking like rounded particles).
Particle Shape
NEEDLE-SHAPED PARTICLES
• Resemble the shape of needles.
• They are long, narrow and pointy.
FAQ’s
END OF LESSON 1