ICC (EC) Soils - Material Testing (edit), combined Questions Detailed Answers (100% Correct) with Rationales Rated A+!!!
The strength of a soil, or the ability to compact a soil into a Soil type
suitable construction material will depend on? Soil density
The amount of water in the soil
Types of soils Gravel (mm to cm's in size)
Sand (mm in size)
Silt (fine particles with little cohesion)
Clay (has cohesion, can stick together)
Organic soils (peat, topsoil)
Organic soils (O) Have a large componet of dead or decaying plants, and are not used in construction
Silt and Clay Classified based on whether the soil is plastic (clay) or non-plastic (eg. can you roll
it into a ball or string)
Gravel and Sand are classified based on whether or not all the particles are roughly the same size
(uniform, like a beach) or if there is a large variety in particle size (well-graded).
2/4/2026, 7:19:05 PM
,ICC (EC) Soils - Material Testing (edit), combined Questions Detailed Answers (100% Correct) with Rationales Rated A+!!!
Soil layers 1. (complex zone) 3 to 4m
2. (glacio-lacustrine clay) 2-12m
3. Glacial till, up to 9m in thickness
4. Carbonate bedrock, the upper surface of which is often fractured, weathered and
irrgular
Soil has two componets of strength Cohesion (clay only)
Friction (when individual soil grains move across on another)
The three types of shear failure of soil are general shear failure (bulging / tilting)
local shear failure (slight bulging)
punching shear failure (little to no bulging)
Soil strength is used to determine The bearing capacity of a foundation
The stability of natural or man-made earth slopes or retaining walls
Test for soil strength include; Unconfined compression test
Direct shear test
Triaxial compression test
Soil strength depends upon density and moisture content
2/4/2026, 7:19:05 PM
,ICC (EC) Soils - Material Testing (edit), combined Questions Detailed Answers (100% Correct) with Rationales Rated A+!!!
Unconfined compression test useful for determining the strength of soils
Gradation refers to the range of measured soil particle Boulders ( >12" )
sizes. Gradation results in classifying soil types as Cobble ( 3" to 12" )
Gravel ( >2 mm )
Sand ( 0.075 to 2 mm )
Silt ( 0.002 to 0.075 mm )
Clay ( <0.002 mm )
The particle size distribution of coarse-grained soils is Mechanical sieve analysis
typically determined by?
The particle size distribution of fine-grained soil is hydrometer analysis
determined using a ?
Two parameters help to identify soils that are well-graded? The Coefficient of Uniformity (Cu)
The Coefficient of Curvature (Cc)
The hydrometer analysis is used to determine the gradation slit and clay-sized particles.
of
2/4/2026, 7:19:05 PM
, ICC (EC) Soils - Material Testing (edit), combined Questions Detailed Answers (100% Correct) with Rationales Rated A+!!!
Only soil particles passing the # 40 sieve (0.425) are used hydrometer analysis
in the
Hydrometer readings give us two things? The specific gravity, or density, of the fluid tells us the % of material still in
suspension.
The average downward velosity of the hydrometer can give us the diameter of the
particle that is just coming out of solution.
The Swedish soil scientist, _____ , developed a method of Albert Atterberg
quantitatively describing the effect of soil moisture on the
consistency of fine-grained soils.
Although Atterberg proposed five limits only the following Liquid Limit
three are in common useage today. Plastic limit
Shrinkage limit
Only the Liquid Limit and Plastic Limit are normally used classify soil plasticity
to?
It is important to remember that all values related to the moisture content values
Atterberg limits are simply?
2/4/2026, 7:19:05 PM
The strength of a soil, or the ability to compact a soil into a Soil type
suitable construction material will depend on? Soil density
The amount of water in the soil
Types of soils Gravel (mm to cm's in size)
Sand (mm in size)
Silt (fine particles with little cohesion)
Clay (has cohesion, can stick together)
Organic soils (peat, topsoil)
Organic soils (O) Have a large componet of dead or decaying plants, and are not used in construction
Silt and Clay Classified based on whether the soil is plastic (clay) or non-plastic (eg. can you roll
it into a ball or string)
Gravel and Sand are classified based on whether or not all the particles are roughly the same size
(uniform, like a beach) or if there is a large variety in particle size (well-graded).
2/4/2026, 7:19:05 PM
,ICC (EC) Soils - Material Testing (edit), combined Questions Detailed Answers (100% Correct) with Rationales Rated A+!!!
Soil layers 1. (complex zone) 3 to 4m
2. (glacio-lacustrine clay) 2-12m
3. Glacial till, up to 9m in thickness
4. Carbonate bedrock, the upper surface of which is often fractured, weathered and
irrgular
Soil has two componets of strength Cohesion (clay only)
Friction (when individual soil grains move across on another)
The three types of shear failure of soil are general shear failure (bulging / tilting)
local shear failure (slight bulging)
punching shear failure (little to no bulging)
Soil strength is used to determine The bearing capacity of a foundation
The stability of natural or man-made earth slopes or retaining walls
Test for soil strength include; Unconfined compression test
Direct shear test
Triaxial compression test
Soil strength depends upon density and moisture content
2/4/2026, 7:19:05 PM
,ICC (EC) Soils - Material Testing (edit), combined Questions Detailed Answers (100% Correct) with Rationales Rated A+!!!
Unconfined compression test useful for determining the strength of soils
Gradation refers to the range of measured soil particle Boulders ( >12" )
sizes. Gradation results in classifying soil types as Cobble ( 3" to 12" )
Gravel ( >2 mm )
Sand ( 0.075 to 2 mm )
Silt ( 0.002 to 0.075 mm )
Clay ( <0.002 mm )
The particle size distribution of coarse-grained soils is Mechanical sieve analysis
typically determined by?
The particle size distribution of fine-grained soil is hydrometer analysis
determined using a ?
Two parameters help to identify soils that are well-graded? The Coefficient of Uniformity (Cu)
The Coefficient of Curvature (Cc)
The hydrometer analysis is used to determine the gradation slit and clay-sized particles.
of
2/4/2026, 7:19:05 PM
, ICC (EC) Soils - Material Testing (edit), combined Questions Detailed Answers (100% Correct) with Rationales Rated A+!!!
Only soil particles passing the # 40 sieve (0.425) are used hydrometer analysis
in the
Hydrometer readings give us two things? The specific gravity, or density, of the fluid tells us the % of material still in
suspension.
The average downward velosity of the hydrometer can give us the diameter of the
particle that is just coming out of solution.
The Swedish soil scientist, _____ , developed a method of Albert Atterberg
quantitatively describing the effect of soil moisture on the
consistency of fine-grained soils.
Although Atterberg proposed five limits only the following Liquid Limit
three are in common useage today. Plastic limit
Shrinkage limit
Only the Liquid Limit and Plastic Limit are normally used classify soil plasticity
to?
It is important to remember that all values related to the moisture content values
Atterberg limits are simply?
2/4/2026, 7:19:05 PM
