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CivilSoil Mechanics
PrevNext

Gravel and sand is a

A

Cohesive coarse grained soil

B

Cohesive fine grained soil

C

non-cohesive coarse grained soil

D

non-cohesive fine grained soil

Correct Answer

тЪЩя╕П TE тАв Technical Concept & PrincipleCivilSoil Mechanics
Option C

non-cohesive coarse grained soil

Quick Summary:

Gravel and sand are classified as coarse-grained soils because their particle sizes are greater than 0.075 mm, allowing them to be retained on a standard No. 200 sieve. They are non-cohesive because they lack clay minerals and do not exhibit significant inter-particle attraction forces, relying instead on internal friction for shear strength.

тЪЩя╕ПTETechnical SolutionConcept & Principle
ЁЯТб Explanation

Gravel and sand are classified as coarse-grained soils because their particle sizes are greater than 0.075 mm, allowing them to be retained on a standard No. 200 sieve. They are non-cohesive because they lack clay minerals and do not exhibit significant inter-particle attraction forces, relying instead on internal friction for shear strength.

ЁЯФв Key Formulas

╧Д=╧ГtanтБб(╧Х)\tau = \sigma \tan(\phi)╧Д=╧Гtan(╧Х) тАФ Coulomb's law for shear strength of non-cohesive soils, where ╧Г\sigma╧Г is normal stress and ╧Х\phi╧Х is the angle of internal friction.

D50D_{50}D50тАЛ тАФ Particle diameter corresponding to 50% passing, often used to characterize sand/gravel grading.

тЪЩя╕П Working Principle

The classification is governed by particle size distribution. Coarse-grained soils have >50%> 50\%>50% of particles by mass larger than the 0.0750.0750.075 mm sieve size. Unlike fine-grained soils (silts and clays), which exhibit cohesion due to electrochemical surface forces, coarse-grained soils exhibit 'cohesionless' behavior where the shear strength is expressed as ╧Д=╧ГtanтБб(╧Х)\tau = \sigma \tan(\phi)╧Д=╧Гtan(╧Х), where ╧Х\phi╧Х is the angle of internal friction.

ЁЯУМ Key Points
  • тЦ╕

    Coarse-grained soils include gravel (G) and sand (S) based on the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS).

  • тЦ╕

    Non-cohesive soils derive their strength primarily from friction and interlocking.

  • тЦ╕

    These soils possess high permeability and high shear strength when compacted.

  • тЦ╕

    Clay and silt are termed fine-grained and exhibit cohesive properties.

тЬЕ Advantages
  • тЦ╕

    Excellent drainage properties.

  • тЦ╕

    High bearing capacity when well-graded and compacted.

тЭМ Disadvantages / Limitations
  • тЦ╕

    Susceptible to liquefaction during seismic activity.

  • тЦ╕

    Difficult to stabilize without binders.

ЁЯЫая╕П Applications / Uses
  • тЦ╕

    Base and sub-base materials in pavement construction.

  • тЦ╕

    Foundation beds for shallow foundations.

  • тЦ╕

    Drainage layers behind retaining walls.

ЁЯУД Additional Information
  • тЦ╕

    In the Indian Standard Classification System (ISCS), coarse-grained soils have >50%> 50\%>50% of material retained on the 75-micron sieve.

  • тЦ╕

    Option A and B are incorrect because they categorize these materials as 'cohesive,' which is a property reserved for clays containing significant electrochemical bonding.

ЁЯУК Diagram / Illustration
Soil Classification CriteriaParticle Size > 0.075 mmCohesionless (No clay minerals)Coarse-Grained Soil
тЬЕ

C is correct тАФ Gravel and sand are characterized as coarse-grained and non-cohesive because they lack the plastic clay minerals necessary for cohesive behavior.

Core Concepts Used
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Particle Size Distribution Shear Strength of Soil Soil Cohesion
ЁЯТб EXAM TIP

Always remember: Cohesion is a property of fine-grained soils (clay), while friction is the dominant strength component for coarse-grained soils (sand/gravel).

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