Fine Grained Soils are those in which more than half the material passes a Number 200 sieve,

The fine-grained soils are not classified by grain size but according to plasticity. Laboratory classification criteria are based on the relationship between the LL and PI, determined from the plasticity chart. The purpose of this lab is to determine the cohesion intercept, the friction angle, total stress, and effective stress of a soil using an isotropically consolidated, undrained triaxial test with pore water pressure. The test is carried out on a cylindrical specimen of soil having a height diameter ratio of 2:1 with 76 x 38mm. The specimen is first accurately cut and trimmed from a field sample, or a remolded specimen prepared and consolidated in a special device. It is then enclosed between rigid end caps inside a thin rubber membrane to seal it from the cell water; rubber O-rings are fitted over the membrane at the caps to provide a seal. With the cell dissembled, the specimen is mounted on the pedestal and the end of the membrane stretched over the pedestal and held in place with an O-ring. The cell is then reassembled so that the arrangement is as shown in Fig. below. A series of undrained triaxial compression tests carried out on specimens of the same soil had yield the following results at point of failure; Test No. Cell pressure, 3 (kPa) Deviator stress at failure, (1 - 3) (kPa) Pore water pressure at Failure, uf (kPa) 1 100 135.2 2.7 2 150 183.1 7.8

The principle stress, 3 = cell pressure Major principal stress, 1 = cell pressure + deviator stress

Test No. 3 (kPa) 1 (kPa) 3 (kPa) 1 (kPa) Discussion

1 100 235.2 97.3 232.5

2 150 333.1 142.2 325.3

In Mohr-Circle Graph, the failure envelopes are observed. The failure envelopes were defined as the best fit line between the total stress and effective stress circles, respectively. The samples had failed when they reached the failure envelope. Another way that the sample had failed was by observing that the shearing stress began to decrease as shown in the test result provided by the triaxial test. That means that structurally the sample was no longer able to sustain an increasing load. It is observed that the more consolidated samples were also stronger (the diameters of the circles increased). That means that with less void space the sample sustained a higher shearing stress before it failed. There are some important implications. The first is that the Triaxial Test is a very accurate test. Strength increases as the initial confining strength increases. That means that lower in the ground the soil will be stronger because it is more confined laterally and vertically by surrounding soil. That most likely explains why soil under a footing would shear in an upside-down semi-circular shapebecause the failure plane is a function of soil depth.

Calculation:

Where

According to Wroth (1984), the value of

can be taken as:

Conclusion The friction angle and the cohesion intercept were determined and are located on Mohr-Circle Graph. This was a Consolidated-Undrained (CU) Triaxial Test. It is a very reliable test with Both total and effective stress strength parameters could be determined from the test. The total and effective strength grew as the initial confining pressure increased. The failure envelope was defined as the best-fit-line tangent to all three samples (Mohr-Circle Graph). In conclusion the approximate shear strength of the soil is ______.

REFERENCE Wroth C.P (1984), interpretation of in situ soil tests, Geotechnique 34, No. 4, 449489.

Foundations:

For most of the fine grained soils (containing silt and clays) it might be sufficient to use simple spread footings, it is largely depending on the magnitude of the load. The location of the foundations in relation to the soil (need to be aware of foundation walls and hydrostatic pressure as moisture is present in the soil). If the soil is poor and structure loads are relatively heavy, then alternate methods are required. Pile foundations might be required to transfer the load to hard strata. Sometimes it might be desirable and economically feasible to over excavate remove such soils that are not of bearing capacity; can remove compact and fill back or import other engineered soil. The geotechnical engineer based on borings will recommend suitable foundations systems or alternative solutions, also beating capacity, minimum depths, and special design or construction procedures might be established. Safe bearing capacity of soil equals to the ultimate bearing capacity divided by a safety factor (usually 2-4). ultimate bearing capacity is defined as the maximum unit pressure a soil can sustain without permitting large amounts of settlements. Bedrock has the highest safe bearing capacity.