Materials:Intro To Soils Flashcards
Where do soils come from?
Weathering rocks due to winds, erosion, seasonal changes or biological processes
What are soils made up of?
Soils are made up of solids, liquids and gas
How do you find the total volume of a soil?
Total volume = volume of air + volume of water + volume of solid
How do you find the masses of each component?
-Mass of air = 0
-Mass of water = density of water x volume of water
-Mass of solid = density of solid x volume of solid = gravity of solid x density of water x volume of solid
What is the void ratio and how do you find it?
The void ratio (e) is the ratio between the volume of voids and the solids
e = volume of voids/volume of solids
What is the porosity and how do you find it?
The porosity (n) is the proportion of the soil that is is NOT occupied by solids
n = volume of voids/ total volume
n = e/(1+e)
What is the saturation ratio and how do you find it?
The saturation ratio (Sr) is the ratio of the volume of water to the volume of voids
Sr = Vw / Vv
What is the relative density and how do you find it?
The relative density (Id) is the max void ratio minus the void ratio at a given divided by the difference between the max and min void ratio
Id = (e max - e given)/(e max - e min)
What is the water content and how do you find it?
The water content (w) is the ratio between the mass of the water to the mass of solid
w = mass of water/mass of solid
w = e x Sr/Gs
What 5 states can water exist in voids?
Gravitational water
Capillary water
Hydroscopic water
Absorbed water
Chemically bound water
What is a Eurocode?
A Eurocode is a guidance document which sets out the minimum performance that certain materials and products must meet
What is depositional discontinuities?
These are caused by how the soil was deposited
What is mechanical discontinuities?
These are caused by breaks in the soil that result from shrinkage, tectonic stress like faults and fissures
What is the purpose of soil classification?
The purpose of soil classification is to compare sample to soils that have encountered before
What test do you use for coarse grained soil?
Sieve analysis
