Soils consist of the assemblage of small particles of mineral matter, usually disintegrated particles derived from rock deposits. The uniqueness of soils relative to other civil engineering materials is that they are naturally formed from geologic processes and they are a composite material, made up of solid mineral matter, water, and sometimes air.
Soils consist of solid particles, enclosing voids or pores. The voids may be filled with air or water or both. These three soil states (or phases) can be visualized by the enlargement of three small samples of soil.
Soils are aggregates of mineral particles; and together with air and/or water in the void spaces, they form three-phase systems. A large portion of the earth’s surface is covered by soils, and they are widely used as construction and foundation materials. Soil mechanics is the branch of engineering that deals with the engineering properties of […]