Introduction and Soil Formation

• Introduction
– Geotechnical engineering deals with mechanics
of soils and rocks and its engineering applications
in understanding how the infrastructure interacts
with the ground. Geotechnical engineers deal
with many types of infrastructure like – tunnels,
bridges, dams, buildings, roads, railways, ports
and landfills – that are built on/inside the
ground.
 Introduction and Soil Formation
• Historical Contribution
– Coulomb (1776), a French physicist introduced the concept of
frictional resistance and formulated hiss classical theory of earth
pressure.
– Darcy (1856), a French scientist gave his law of permeability of soil.
– Stokes (1856), gave his law of velocity of solid particles in liquid.
– Rankine (1857), a Scottish civil engineer publish his theory on earth
pressure and equilibrium of earth masses.
– Mohr (1871), Developed his rupture theory and his stress circle for
solid mechanics.
– Boussinesq (1885),developed the theory of stress distribution in a
semi-infinite, homogeneous, isotropic medium induced by a surface
point load.
– Atterbug (1911), a Swedish scientist defined consistency limits of
cohesive soils. Fellenious(1922), contributed to study of stability of
slope and sensitivity of clays.
– Karl Terzaghi (1925), an Austrian contributed in many fields of soil
mechanics like bearing capacity theory, one dimensional
consolidation, effective stress principle, etc.
– Proctor (1933), developed the theory of compaction.
Coloumb Darcy Stokes Rankine

Mohr Boussinesq Atterbug Proctor

Karl Terzaghi
 Introduction and Soil Formation
• Formation of soils
– All soils originate, directly or indirectly, from solid rocks,
which may be igneous or sedimentary or metamorphic rocks.
– The formation of soil is as a result of the geologic cycle
continually taking place on the surface of the earth.
– The cycle consists of weathering, transportation, deposition
and upheaval, again followed by weathering, and so on.
– Weathering is caused by the physical agencies such as
periodical temperature changes, impact and splitting action
of flowing water, ice and winds, and splitting actions of plants
and animals.
– Cohesionless soils are formed due to physical disintegration
of rocks.
– Clay minerals are produced by chemical weathering of rock.
Soil obtained due to weathering may be residual or
transported.
 Introduction and Soil Formation
• Formation of soils
– Residual soils, which remain in place directly
over the parent rock, are relatively shallow
in depth.
– The deposits of transported soils may be
considerable in depth and their
homogeneity and heterogeneity depends
upon the manner of their transportation and
deposition.
– The various agencies of transportation and
deposition are water, ice, wind and gravity.
 Introduction and Soil Formation
• Formation of soils
– Sand dunes and loess (wind-blown dust) are the
wind-blown deposits.
– Loess is a wind-blown silt or silty clay having
little or no stratification.
– Soils transported and deposited by water (river)
are called alluvial soils.
– Soils transported by gravitational forces are
called colluvial soils.
– All the material transported and deposited by
glaciers is called glacial drift. (Ref. 3).
 Introduction and Soil Formation
• Engineering Soil Terminology
Following terms and definitions are commonly encountered
in the geotechnical engineering study.
– Rock. Hard rigid coherent deposit forming part of the
earth’s crust, which may be of igneous, sedimentary or
metamorphic origin.
– Soil. Is the uncemented aggregate of mineral grains and
decayed organic matter (solid particles) with liquid and
gas in the empty spaces between the solid particles.
– Organic soil. This is a mixture of mineral grains and
organic material of mainly vegetable origin in varying
stages of decomposition. The presence of organic matter
tends to make the soil smother to touch with a dark
colour and noticeable odour.
Organic Soil Soil Rock
 Introduction and Soil Formation
• Engineering Soil Terminology
Following terms and definitions are commonly
encountered in the geotechnical engineering study.
– Peat. True peat is made up entirely of organic matter,
it is very spongy, highly compressible and
combustible.
– Cohesive soils. Soils containing sufficient clay or silt
particles to impart significant plasticity and
cohesion.
– Plasticity. If the soil can be easily moulded without
cracking it possesses plasticity.
– Cohesionless soils. Soils such as sand and gravel,
which consists of rounded or angular particles, and
which do not exhibit plasticity and cohesion.
Cohesionless Cohesive
Soils Soils Peat