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ABSTRACT
This paper describes the physical and engineering properties of three different types of soil.
One has been collected from NIT Agartala campus and other from River bank of Howrah from
different locations of State of Tripura, India. A mixture of both the soils is also investigated.
Laboratory tests have been conducted on grain size analysis, specific gravity, Atterbergs
limits, standard Proctor compaction, direct shear, and one-dimensional consolidation to find
out various parameters. As clay content increases in the soil, the plasticity index (PI) increases
and angle of internal friction () decreases; with the increase of plasticity index, optimum
moisture content (OMC) of the soil increases. As liquid limit (LL) increases, compression
index (Cc) increases. With the increase of OMC, Cc also increases. Correlations have also been
established; PI, OMC and Cc found out with the help of other parameters.
INTRODUCTION
Every civil engineering structure, i.e., building, bridge, highway, tunnel, dam and tower etc.
must be founded in or on the surface of the earth. For stable structure proper foundation soil is
necessary. For proper evaluation of the suitability of that soil as foundation and as construction
materials, information about its properties is frequently necessary. To know the detailed
geotechnical properties, physical and engineering properties are very much essential.
Large numbers of studies were done by the previous researchers to find out different physical
and engineering behaviour of different soils. Nath and Dalal (2004) has assessed physical and
engineering properties of different soil and reported that due to increase of liquid limit, plasticity
index of soil increases and frictional angle decreases. Compaction characteristics are very much
essential for the field considerations. One of the earlier studies on compaction characteristics of
soil was proposed by Jumikis (1946). Jumikis (1958) also reported methods to estimate the
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optimum moisture content (OMC) and maximum dry density (MDD) of fine grained soils for
compaction. Johnson and Sallberg (1960) suggested a chart to determine the approximate OMC of
different soil.
Interrelations between physical and engineering properties of soil may improve the
understanding of soil susceptibility to compaction and load support capacity. On the basis of the
Unified soil classification system, Casagrande devised a plasticity chart and has been proposed a
relation between plasticity index and liquid limit where the A-line separates the clays and silts.
Nakase et al. (1988) proposed a correlation between compression index and plastic limit. Jumikis
(1946) developed correlation between optimum moisture content and liquid limit, and plasticity
index. Ring et al. (1962) used liquid limit, plastic limit and plasticity index of soil and they
developed two correlations of OMC and MDD based on approximate average particle diameter,
content of particle size finer than 0.001 mm and fineness average. Correlation between
compression index and liquid limit for all types of clay soils have been proposed by Terzaghi and
Peck (1967). Sridharan and Nagaraj (2000) established a correlation between coefficient of
consolidation and shrinkage index. Previous researchers also developed correlations to study
compaction characteristics of fly ash (Kaniraj and Havanagi 2001, Bera et al. 2007).
NITA Soil
Physical properties:
Fine Sand (%) = 54.74
Fine Sand (%) = 25.85
Silt (%) = 24.00
Silt (%) = 42.16
Clay (%) = 21.26
Clay (%) = 31.98
2.57
2.62
25.76
39.38
Mixed Soil
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20.20
20.15
Optimum moisture
content (OMC) %
Maximum Dry density
(MDD) kN/m3
Angle of Internal Friction
() in degree
Cohesion (c) kN/m2
Compression index (Cc)
23.19
19.07
21.50
20.07
5.56
16.31
Engineering properties:
15.40
20.00
9.79
17.10
18.30
16.70
17.60
16.42
10.45
13.79
22.00
25.00
24.00
0.11
0.17
0.14
Physical properties
From Fig. 1 it is clear that NITA soil and mixed soil has inorganic clay of low to medium
plasticity with plasticity index 5.56 and 9.79%. River bank soil has inorganic clay of high
plasticity with plasticity index 16.31. Percentages of fine sand are 54.74, 25.85 and 40.15%, of silt
24.00, 42.16 and 30.90%, and clay 21.26, 31.98 and 28.95% for NITA soil, River bank soil and
Mixed soil respectively.
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Discussions
Based on above results, discussions have been made in this section. Effects of grain size of soil
on plasticity index (PI), plasticity index (PI) on angle of internal friction () and on optimum
moisture content (OMC) have been discussed herein. Effects of liquid limit (LL), and optimum
moisture content (OMC) on compression index (Cc) have also been discussed in this section.
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CORRELATIONS OF PARAMETERS
Establishment of correlations between the parameters of the laboratory test results of soil is
very important. Various correlations have been established between different parameters shown in
the following section. Geotechnical properties of two different types of soil and their mixture have
been determined in the laboratory in accordance with relevant ASTM standards to develop
relationships between the properties. The test results on the properties like, plasticity index (PI),
liquid limit (LL), optimum moisture content (OMC), and compression index (Cc) of two different
types of soil and their mixture of the present investigation have been reported for statistical
analysis to develop correlations. The relationships have also been validated with the data obtained
from past studies. Errors in predicted values based on results of earlier studies are tabulated in this
paper. The following sections present the empirical relationships to estimate different properties of
soils of present investigation.
Relationship between Plasticity Index (PI) and Liquid Limit (LL) of Soil
In this study, correlation developed between plasticity index (PI) in percentage and liquid limit
(LL) in percentage in the form of linear relationship to assess plasticity index (PI) in percentage
based on present test results of all the three different types of soil and are presented through the
following equation (Eq.1):
PI = 0.7785 (LL 18.623)
(1)
The value of LL lies within the range of 20.0 to 50.0 % for equation (1). Fig: 2 shows the plot
of the above curve. The value of the coefficient of determination (R2) is 0.999. The present
relationship has been verified with three numbers of values of LL of earlier researchers. Details of
the observed and predicted values along with errors in percentage have been shown in Table. 2. In
comparison with predicted results of previous investigators, errors in the values of LL are within
the range of 24.70 to +2.46%.
(2)
The value of PI lies within the range of 5.0 to 35.0 % for equation (2). In Fig: 3, the plot of the
above curve is shown. The value of the R2 is 0.999. The present relationship has been verified with
four numbers of values of PI of earlier researchers. Details of the observed and predicted values
along with errors in percentage have been shown in Table 2. In comparison with predicted results
of previous investigators, errors in the values of PI are within the range of +3.45 to +23.11%.
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Gunaydm (2009)
Observed values
PI (%) = 19.00
26.70
22.70
OMC (%) = 20.97
25.00
21.50
22.00
Cc = 0.180
0.210
0.240
Cc = 0.293
0.360
0.264
Cc = 0.230
0.200
0.300
Observed values
LL (%) = 37.00
48.00
48.50
PI (%) = 30.06
33.26
28.03
28.92
LL (%) = 37.00
49.00
39.00
OMC (%) = 30.70
31.30
30.70
PI (%) = 19.00
9.50
23.60
Predicted values
Eq. (1): PI (%) = 14.31(24.7)
22.87 (14.34)
23.26 (+2.46)
Eq. (2): OMC (%) = 25.82 (+23.11)
27.20 (+8.80)
24.95 (+3.45)
25.33 (+15.13)
Eq. (3): Cc = 0.163(8.99)
0.220 (+4.76)
0.173 (+27.91)
Eq. (4): Cc = 0.163 (17.34)
0.220 (32.49)
0.173 (26.66)
Eq. (5): Cc = 0.310 (+8.23)
0.320 (9.67)
0.310 (+20.12)
Note: Number in parenthesis indicates error in the predicted value in percentage in comparison
with the observed value.
(3)
The value of LL lies within the range of 20.0 to 50.0 % for equation (3). Fig: 4 shows the plot
of the above curve. The value of the R2 is 0.994. The present relationship has been verified with
three numbers of values of LL of earlier researchers. Details of the observed and predicted values
along with errors in percentage have been shown in Table 2. In comparison with predicted results
of previous investigators, errors in the values of LL are within the range of 8.99 to +27.91%.
Moisture
Content
(OMC)
and
Empirical relationship has been developed in the form of linear equation by using the test
results of all the three soil to assess compression index (Cc), as function of the value of optimum
moisture content (OMC) in percentage, obtained from standard Proctor compaction are presented
through the following equation (4):
Cc = 0.0134 (OMC 7.034)
(4)
The value of OMC lies within the range of 15.0 to 32.0 % for equation (4). In Fig: 5, the plot
of the above curve is shown. The value of the R2 is 0.985. The present relationship has been
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verified with three numbers of values of OMC of earlier researchers. Details of the observed and
predicted values along with errors in percentage have been shown in Table. 2. In comparison with
predicted results of previous investigators, errors in the values of OMC are within the range of
32.49 to 17.34%.
(5)
The value of PI lies within the range of 5.0 to 35.0 % for equation (5). Fig: 6 shows the plot of
the above curve. The value of the R2 is 0.991. The present relationship has been verified with three
numbers of values of PI of earlier researchers. Details of the observed and predicted values along
with errors in percentage have been shown in Table. 2. In comparison with predicted results of
previous investigators, errors in the values of PI are within the range of 9.67 to +20.12%.
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Figure 5: Relationship between compression index and optimum moisture content of soil
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CONCLUSION
The following conclusions may be made based on the above test results, discussions and
correlations:
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With the increase of liquid limit (LL), compression index (Cc) also increases.
The value of the coefficient of determination (R2) is near about 1.0 for all the five
equations established.
The empirical relationship, for PI as function of LL has been developed in the form of
linear equation. The error in the predicted values of PI (%), verified with the previous
studies are within the range of -24.70% to +2.46%.
The best-fit trend line of OMC with PI of soil as linear relationship has been developed.
The errors in the predicted values of OMC (%), verified with the previous studies are
within the range of +3.45 to +23.11%.
The empirical relationship, for compression index (Cc) as function of liquid limit (LL) of
soil has been showed best-fit trend line as linear equation. The error in the predicted
values of Cc, verified with the previous investigators test data are within the range of -8.99
to +27.91%.
The best-fit trend line of compression index (Cc) with optimum moisture content (OMC)
of soil as linear relationship has been developed. The errors in the predicted values of Cc,
verified with the previous studies are within the range of -32.49 to -17.34%.
The empirical relationship, for compression index (Cc) as function of plasticity index (PI)
has been developed in the form of linear equation. The errors in the predicted values of
Cc, verified with the previous studies are within the range of -9.67 to +20.12%.
REFERENCES
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mechanical properties of al-ammarah soil in messan governorate, Journal of Engineering,
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2. Al-Khafaji, A. W. N., and Andersland, O. B. (1992) Equations for compression index
approximation, J. Geotech Engg., ASCE, 118(1), 148153.
3. Bera, A. K., Ghosh, A., and Ghosh, A. (2007) Compaction characteristics of pond ash, J.
Mat. Civil Engg, ASCE, 19(4), 349357.
4. Bowles, J. E. (1996) Physical and geotechnical properties of soils, McGraw-Hill
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