Soil Physical Properties as Predictors of Soil Strength Indices: Trinidad Case Study
Ronald Roopnarine, Gaius Eudoixe, Derek Gay
.
DOI: 10.4236/gm.2012.21001   PDF    HTML     12,502 Downloads   26,325 Views   Citations

Abstract

Characterizing soil engineering properties and analyzing their spatial pattern has a key role in managing soils for dif- ferent land uses. A study was conducted to generate two soil engineering properties; shear strength (SS) and friction angle (FA) both related to slope stability from the database of soil agricultural indices. A total of 30 soils were analyzed in two batches of 15 for physicochemical and engineering properties. The first batch was subjected to correlation and regression analysis among properties, whilst the second was used to validate model predictions. Soil friction angle showed strong significant correlations with clay and sand percent. Further stepwise regression resulted in these two properties being the only predictors of peak and residual friction angle. None of the tested properties explained shear strength distribution among the soils. The validated model predicted friction angles for the larger database, which showed non-significant temporal differences from the present dataset used in this study. Spatially distribution of both peak and residual friction angles varied across Trinidad, higher friction angles being associated with higher slopes. Combination of this data with other spatial land attributes would greatly improve land management and slope stability prediction.

Share and Cite:

R. Roopnarine, G. Eudoixe and D. Gay, "Soil Physical Properties as Predictors of Soil Strength Indices: Trinidad Case Study," Geomaterials, Vol. 2 No. 1, 2012, pp. 1-9. doi: 10.4236/gm.2012.21001.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] D. G. Freudlund and S. K. Vanapalli, “Shear Strength of Unsaturated Soils,” Agronomy Society of America, 2002, pp. 329-361.
[2] J. M. Duncan and S. G. Wright, “Soil Strength and Slope Stability,” John Wiley & Sons, New York, 2005.
[3] C. Brown and G. Bally, “Land Capability Survey of Trinidad and Tobago. No. 4. Soils of the Northern Range of Trinidad,” Government Printery, Port-of-Spain, 1967.
[4] G. Smith, “Soil and Land Use Survey No. 27, Correlation of the Commonwealth, Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guyana,” August Publication, Farnham, 1983.
[5] H. T. Eid, “Factors Influencing the Determination of Shale Classification Indices and Their Correlation to Mechanical Properties,” Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, Vol. 24, No. 6, 2005, pp. 1695-1713. doi:10.1007/s10706-005-5726-2
[6] T. D. S. Eid and T. Hisham, “Drained Residual Strength of Cohesive Soils,” Journal of Geotechnical Engizeering, Vol. 121, No. 9, 1997, pp. 335-343.
[7] S. K. Vanapalli, D. G. Fredlund, D. E. Pufahl and A. W. Clifton, “Model for the Prediction of Shear Strength with Respect to Soil Suction,” Canadian Geotechnical Journal, Vol. 33, No. 3, 1996, pp. 379-392. doi:10.1139/t96-060
[8] D.G. Freudlund, S. K. Vanapalli and D. E. Pufahl, “The Relationship between the Soil-Water Characteristic Curve and the Shear Strength of a Compacted Glacial Till,” Geotechnical Testing Journal, Vol. 19, No. 3, 1996, pp. 259-268. doi:10.1520/GTJ10351J
[9] A. Oberg and G. Salfours, “Determination of Shear Strength Parameters of Unsaturated Silts and Sands Based on the Water Retention Curve,” Geotechnical Testing Journal, Vol. 20, No. 1, 1997, pp. 40-48. doi:10.1520/GTJ11419J
[10] N. Khalili and M. H. Khabbaz, “A Unique Relationship for x for the Determination of the Shear Strength of Unsaturated Soils,” Geotechnique, Vol. 48, No. 5, 1997, pp. 681-687. doi:10.1680/geot.1998.48.5.681
[11] C. G. Bao, B. Gong and L. Zan, “Properties of Unsaturated Soils and Slope Stability of Expansive Soils,” 2nd International Conference on Unsaturated Soils, Beijing, 27-30 August 1998.
[12] M. Abramento and C. S. Carvalho, “Geotechnical Parameters for the Study of Natural Slope Instabilization at Serra do Mar-Brazilian Southeast,” Proceeding of the 12th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Rio de Janeiro, Vol. 3, 1990, pp. 1599-1602.
[13] T. M. P. De Campos and C. W. Carillo, “Direct Shear Testing on Unsaturated soils from Rio de Janerio,” Proceeding of the 1st International conference on an unsaturated soil, Paris, 6-8 September 1995, pp. 31-38.
[14] V. Escario and J. F. T. Jucá, “Strength and Deformation of Partially Saturated Soils,” Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Rio de Janeiro, Vol. 2, 1989, pp. 43-46.
[15] Z. Lu, “The Relationship of Shear Strength to Swelling Pressure for Unsaturated Soils,” Chinese journal of geotechnical engineering, Vol. 14, No. 3, 1992, pp. 1-8.
[16] Z. Shen and S. Yu, “The Problems in the Present Studies on Mechanics of Unsaturated Soils,” Proceedings of the Symposium on Geotechnical Aspects of Regional Soils, Atomic Energy Press, Beijing, 1996.
[17] Y. Xu, “Mechanical Properties of Unsaturated Expansive Soils and Its Application to Engineering,” Ph.D Thesis, Hohai University, Nanjing, 1997.
[18] C. A. Coulomb, “Essai sur une Application des Regles des Maximis et Minimis a Quelquels Problemesde Statique Relatifs, a la Architecture,” Mem. Acad. Roy. Div. Sav, Vol. 7, 1776, pp. 343-387.
[19] A. W. Skempton, “4th Rankine Lecture: Long-Term Stability of Clay Slopes,” Géotechnique, Vol. 14, No. 2, 1964, pp. 77-101. doi:10.1680/geot.1964.14.2.77
[20] A. Kaya and K. P. Kwong, “Evaluation of Common Practice Empirical Procedures for Residual Friction Angle of Soils: Hawaiian Amorphous Materials Rich Colluvial Soil Case Study,” Engineering Geology, Vol. 92, No. 1-2, 2007. doi:10.1016/j.enggeo.2007.03.002
[21] W. G. Harris, L. W. Zelazny, J. C. Parker, J. C. Baker, R. S. Weber and J. H. Elder, “Engineering Properties of Soils as Related to Mineralogical and Particle-Size Variables,” Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 48, 1984, pp. 978-982. doi:10.2136/sssaj1984.03615995004800050005x
[22] G. Tsiambaos, “Correlation of Mineralogy and Index Properties with Residual Strength of Iraklion Marls,” Engineering Geology, Vol. 30, No. 3-4, 1991, pp. 357-369. doi:10.1016/0013-7952(91)90068-V
[23] A. Tugrul and I. H. Zarif, “The Influence of Mineralogi- cal Textural and Chemical Characteristics on the Durability of Selected Sandstone in Istanbul, Turkey,” Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, Vol. 57, No. 2, 1998, pp. 185-190. doi:10.1007/s100640050034
[24] H. Suter, “The General and Economic Geology of Trinidad, BWI,” Colonial Geology and Mineral Resources: The Quarterly, HMSO, 1960.
[25] D. Schwertfeger and W. Hendershot, “Determination of Effective Cation Exchange Capacity and Exchange Acidity by a One-Step BaCl2 Method,” Soil Science Society of America, Vol. 73, No. 2, 2009, pp. 737-743. doi:10.2136/sssaj2008.0009
[26] G. W. Thomas, “Soil pH and Soil Acidity,” In: R. S. L. Sparks and D. L. Swift, Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 3—Chemical Methods, Soil Science Society of America, 1996, pp. 475-490.
[27] G. Gee and D. Orr, “Particle-Size Analysis,” Method of Soil Physical Analysis, Soil Science Society of America, 2002, pp. 278-281.
[28] R. McBride, “Methods of Soil Analysis: Physical,” Soil Science Society of America, 2000.
[29] R. N. C. Brady and R. Weil, “The Nature and Properties of Soils,” 13th Edition, Prentice-Hall, London, 2002.
[30] S. K. Vanapalli, “A Simple Technique for Determining the Shear Strength of Fine-Grained Unsaturated Soils us- ing the Conventional Direct Shear Apparatus,” 2nd Canadian Specialty Conference on Computer Applications in Geotechnique, Winnipeg, 28-30 April 2002, pp. 245-253.
[31] C. Brown and G. Bally, “Land Capability Survey of Trinidad and Tobago. No. 3. Soils of the Northern Range of Trinidad,” Trinidad Government Printery, Port-of- Spain, 1966.
[32] T. C. Kenney, “Influence of Mineralogical Composition on the Residual Strength of Natural Soils,” Shear Str- ength of Natural Soils and Rock, Oslo Geotech, Oslo, Vol. 1, 1967, pp. 123-129.
[33] B. Voight, “Correlation between Atterberg Plasticity Limits and Residual Strength of Natural Soils,” Geote- chnique, Vol. 23, 1973, pp. 265-267. doi:10.1680/geot.1973.23.2.265
[34] G. Eudoxie, “Nitrogen Enigma in Tropical Soils,” VDM Verlag Dr. Muller Aketiengesellschaft & Co. KG, Berlin, 2010.
[35] C. Brown and G. Bally, “Land Capabilites Survey of Trinidad and Tobago. No. 5. Port-of-Spain,” Government Printery, Port-of-Spain, 1970.
[36] K. V. Ramana, “Humid Tropical Expansive Soils of Trinidad: Their Geotechnical Properties and Areal Distribution,” Engineering Geology, Vol. 34, 1992, pp. 27-44. doi:10.1016/0013-7952(93)90041-A
[37] K. Kulkarni and N. K. Savant, “Effect of Soil Compaction on Root-Cation Exchange Capacity of Crop Plants,” Plant and Soil, Vol. 48, No. 2, 1972, pp. 269-278. doi:10.1007/BF02187239
[38] M. Sweeney, “A Mineralogical Study of Some West Indian Soil-Clays,” Thermochimica Acta, Vol. 48, No. 3, 1981, pp. 323-331. doi:10.1016/0040-6031(81)80253-5
[39] R. T. Odell, T. H. Thornburn and L. J. Mckenzie, “Relationships of Atterberg Limits to Some Other Properties of Illinois Soils,” Soil Science Society of America Proceedings, Vol. 24, No. 4, 1960, pp. 297-300. doi:10.2136/sssaj1960.03615995002400040025x
[40] C. A. Seybold, A. E. Moustafa and J. E. Robert, “Linear Regression Models to Estimate Soil Liquid Limit and Plasticity Index From Basic Soil Properties,” Soil Science, Vol. 173, No. 1, 2008, pp. 25-34. doi:10.1097/ss.0b013e318159a5e1
[41] A. E. Lupini and P. R. Vaughan, “The Drained Residual Strength of Cohesive Soils,” Geotechnique, Vol. 31, No. 2, 1981, pp. 181-213. doi:10.1680/geot.1981.31.2.181
[42] A. W. Skempton, “Residual Strength of Clays in Landslides, Folded Strata and the Laboratory,” Geotechnique, Vol. 35, No. 1, 1985, pp. 3-18. doi:10.1680/geot.1985.35.1.3
[43] V. Khanithi and C. Khanhai, “Breaking Frontiers and Barriers in Engineering,” 4th LACCEI International Latin American and Caribbean Conference for Engineering and Technology (LACCET’2006), Puerto Rico, 21-23 June 2006.
[44] W. Haines, “Studies in the Physical Properties of Soils: I. Mechanical Properties Concerned in Cultivation,” The Journal of Agricultural Science, Vol. 15, No. 2, 1925, pp. 178-200. doi:10.1017/S0021859600005669
[45] J. Krahn, D. G. Fredlund and M. J. Klassen, “Effect of Soil Suction on Slope Stability at Notch Hill,” Canadian Geotechnical Journal, Vol. 26, No. 2, 1989, pp. 269-278. doi:10.1139/t89-036

Copyright © 2024 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.