Civil Engineering Today

  Soil samples Soil samples are obtained during surface exploration or soil exploration to determine the engineering properties of the soils and rocks. Soil samples are generally classified into two categories - 1. Disturbed samples 2. Undisturbed samples   1. Disturbed samples - These are the samples in which the natural structure of the soil gets disturbed during sampling. However, this samples represent the composition and the mineral content of the soil. Disturbed samples can be used to determine the index properties of the soil such as grain size plasticity characteristics specific gravity etc.   2. Undisturbed samples - These are the samples in which the natural structure of the soil and the water content are retained. However, it may be mentioned that it is impossible to get a truly undisturbed sample. Undisturbed samples are used for determining the engineering properties of the soil, such as compressibility, shear strength and permeability...