Database of soil physical characteristics

Database of soil physical characteristics

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Soil	Minimum value	Maximum value
Loose sand	0.48	1.60
Average compact sand	0.96	8.00
Compact sand	6.40	12.80
Average compact clayey sand	2.40	4.80
Average compact silty sand	2.40	4.80
Compact sand and gravel	10.00	30.00
Calyey soil with qu< 2 Kg/cm²	1.20	2.40
Calyey soil with 2< qu< 4 Kg/cm²	2.20	4.80
Calyey soil with qu> 2 Kg/cm²	>4.80

Approximate values of Winkler's constant K in Kg/cm3

Soil	Minimum value	Maximum value
Dry gravel	1800	2000
Wet gravel	1900	2100
Compact dry sand	1700	2000
Compact wet sand	1900	2100
Loose dry sand	1500	1800
Loose wet sand	1600	1900
Sandy clay	1800	2200
Hard clay	2000	2100
Semisolid clay	1900	1950
Soft clay	1800	1850
Peat	1000	1100

Approximate values of the volume weight in Kg/cm3

Soil	Minimum value	Maximum value
Compact gravel	35	35
Loose gravel	34	35
Compact sand	35	45
Loose sand	25	35
Sandy marl	22	29
Fat marl	16	22
Fat clay	0	30
Sandy clay	16	28
Silt	20	27

Approximate values of the friction angle φ, in degrees, for soils

Soil	Value
Sandy clay	0.20
Soft clay	0.10
Plastic clay	0.25
Semisolid clay	0.50
Solid clay	1
Tenacious clay	2÷10
Compact silt	0.10

Approximate values of cohesion in Kg/cm2

Soil	Maximum value of E	Minimum value of E
Very soft clay	153	20.4
Soft clay	255	51
Medium clay	510	153
Hard clay	1020	510
Sandy clay	2550	255
Loess	612	153
Silty sand	204	51
Loose sand	255	102
Compact sand	816	510
Clayey schist	51000	1530
Silt	204	20.4
Loose sand and gravel	1530	510
Compact sand and gravel	2040	1020

Approximate values of the module, in Kg/cm2, for soils

Soil	Maximum value of ν	Minimum value of ν
Saturated clay	0.5	0.4
Not saturated clay	0.3	0.1
Sandy clay	0.3	0.2
Silt	0.35	0.3
Sand	1.0	-0.1
Gravelly sand commonly used	0.4	0.3
Loess	0.3	0.1
Ice	0.36
Concrete	0.15

Approximate values of the Poisson's ratio for soils

Rock	Minimum value	Maximum value
Pumice	500	1100
Volcanic tuff	1100	1750
Tufaceous limestone	1120	2000
Coarse sand dry	1400	1500
Fine dry sand	1400	1600
Wet fine sand	1900	2000
Sandstone	1800	2700
Dry clay	2000	2250
Soft limestone	2000	2400
Travertine	2200	2500
Dolomite	2300	2850
Compact limestone	2400	2700
Trachyte	2400	2800
Porphyry	2450	2700
Gneiss	2500	2700
Serpentine	2500	2750
Granite	2550	2900
Marble	2700	2750
Syenite	2700	3000
Diorite	2750	3000
Basalt	2750	3100

Approximate values of specific weight for some rocks in Kg/m3

Rock	Minimum value	Maximum value
Granite	45	60
Dolerite	55	60
Basalt	50	55
Sandstone	35	50
Calyey schist	15	30
Limestone	35	50
Quartzite	50	60
Marble	35	50

Approximate values of the friction angle φ, in degrees, for rocks

Rock	E		ν
Rock	Maximum value	Minimum value	Maximum value	Minimum value
Basalt	1071000	178500	0.32	0.27
Granite	856800	142800	0.30	0.26
Crystalline schist	856800	71400	0.22	0.18
Limestone	1071000	214200	0.45	0.24
Porous limestone	856800	35700	0.45	0.35
Sandstone	428400	35700	0.45	0.20
Calyey schist	214200	35700	0.45	0.25
Concrete	Variable		0.15

Approximate values of the elastic module and Poisson's ratio for rocks

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