Laboratory Manual for Geotechnical Characterization of Fine-Grained Soils

Alan J. Lutenegger is Emeritus Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, USA. He is a Registered Professional Engineer and a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He is author of Soils and Geotechnology in Construction and of In Situ Testing Methods in Geotechnical Engineering, both published by CRC Press.

• PART 1: Determination of Compositional Characteristics 1. Water Content 2. Phase relationships of soils - Determining Unit Weight and Calculating Voids Ratio, Porosity and Saturation 3. Density (Unit Weight) of Solids (Specific Gravity) 4. Grain-Size Distribution 5. Organic Content 6. Carbonate Content 7. pH of Soils 8. Cation Exchange Capacity 9. Specific Surface Area 10. Methylene Blue Test 11. Pore Fluid Salinity PART 2: Determination of Behavioral Characteristics 12. Consistency of Fine-Grained Soils: Determination of Atterberg Liquid and Plastic Limits 13. Shrinkage Limit 14. Linear Shrinkage 15. Shrink Test 16. Free-Swell Index Tests 17. Dispersion 18. Initial Consumption of Lime 19. Lime Fixation Point 20. Hygroscopic Water Content 21. Soil Suction Using Filter Paper 22. Thermal Conductivity 23. Electrical Resistivity 24. Index Strength Tests and Sensitivity 25. Thixotropy