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Essay On Soil Mechanics

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A Clean Look at Soil Mechanics
Soils are basically unconsolidated layers that cover the earth’s surface. Soils consist of particles of varying shapes and sizes formed after parent rock are subjected to and broken down by forces of climate, organisms and chemicals over time.
Soils mechanics refers to the art of applying the mechanics of solids to the soil to predict its deformation behavior and strength. Understanding soil mechanics enables engineers and other professionals to create structures with soil and appreciate its interaction with other structures built on it.
Soil formation
Soil is formed through the weathering of rocks. There are three main types of rocks from which soil forms; igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks form when hot magma that is in liquid form cools and solidifies forming crystalline rocks. Sedimentary …show more content…

Factors such as temperature also contribute to the chemical weathering process and may aid in accelerating or hindering the reactions.
SOIL TYPES
There are several major types of soil. Each type of soil has various characteristics that make it distinctive
• Sand soil. Rock particles that will pass a 4.75 mm sieve and be retained on a 75-μm sieve is considered to be sand. Depending on the particle sizes sand is usually classified as coarse, medium or fine.
• Clay soil/silt. Clay is usually fine grained and depending on the amount of water content, can exhibit plasticity. Soil that passes a number 200 sieve (US Standard) is considered to be clay.
• Gravel-This are rock particles that will pass a 75mm sieve but not a 4.75mm sieve. Gravel can either be coarse or fine depending on the particle size.
• Peat-This is mainly composed of decomposing organic matter and as a result it usually produces

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