Question 5 (a) Particle size analysis is typically used to describe a soil. What

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Question 5 (a) Particle size analysis is typically used to describe a soil. What other information should be considered when evaluating the long-term stability of a soil for geotechnical purposes? (3 mark) b) Name and briefly describe two properties of clay dominant soils that can create problems when (4 mark using these soils for geotechnical purposes. " (c) In the context of soil mechanics, soil water can be described as "free" water and "adsorbed" water. Explain briefly the difference between the two types of water that appear in soil water. Explainbrieflytechlifferencelerwecanetwocribeda- (3 mark)

Explanation / Answer

a) The type of soil depends on the rock type, its mineral constituents and the climatic regime of an area. Geotechnical properties of soils influence the stability of civil engineering structures. Different geotechnical properties of soils, such as specific gravity, density index, compaction, consolidation, permeability, shear strength etc should be considered other than the particle size.

b) Two properties of clay dominant soil that creates problem are-

1)Shrink-Swell capacity: it refers to the extent clay minerals will expand when wet and retract when dry. The amount of clay present directly affects this capacity of the soil.

2)Alkaline nature- it refers to the poor soil structure and low infiltration capacity.

c) The difference between free water and adsorbed water is adsorbed water is immobile to normal hydrodynamic forces and its density, freezing point etc.

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