Providing standardized soil profile data for greater noida region

Soil science research relies on reliable information about soil and other characteristics obtained through examination and description of the soil in the field. A good soil description can also prevent errors in soil sampling. Our team conducted field and laboratory investigations to assess the soil’s properties and determine its characteristics. Based on our findings, we were able to evaluate the soil parameters and determine the appropriate design specifications for a safe and stable structure. This report will include the methodology of investigation, field, and laboratory test results, recommendations, and a suitable type of foundation.


1.
Introduction The relationship between soil and structure is an age-old concept that has been studied by humans for centuries.Soil science aims to understand the characteristics, movements, and usage of soil in various ecosystems and regions.To achieve this objective, accurate information about soil and other related elements must be collected through field observation and description.A comprehensive soil description is crucial as it serves as the foundation for soil classification, site evaluation, and comprehension of soil properties.Moreover, a detailed soil description and a thorough understanding of the soil's origin can guide, elucidate, and manage expensive laboratory work while preventing errors in soil sampling.Prior to any construction, the ground's safe bearing capacity should be the initial test performed.The maximum load that soil can withstand without undergoing shear failure or exceeding the permissible amount of settlement is known as the allowable bearing capacity.It is a crucial figure that is used in foundation design.The allowable bearing capacity considers the soil settlement in addition to the load required for causing shear failure and hence is always lower than the ultimate bearing pressure.

2.
Literature Review As per Ali Akbar Firoozi et.al. (2017), frequent natural phenomena such as swelling, desiccation, shrinkage, and fracturing in the clayey soil can significantly impact its mechanical and hydraulic behavior.The addition of cement to the soil can reduce the soil's volume changes, but a high plasticity index in soils can render this treatment unsuitable.Treatment of soil with lime and exposure to soaking and drying cycles can lead to the loss of cohesiveness between soil grains and lime, resulting in an increase in soil volume.While fiber can enhance hydraulic conductivity in clayey soils, its effectiveness may be limited, and it also strengthens the soil.
The aim of the study conducted by Anil Kumar Singhai and Sudhanshu Shekhar Singh was to investigate the impact of Fly Ash and Rice Husk Ash on the performance of black cotton soil.The research involved the treatment of black cotton soil with varying proportions of fly ash (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%) and rice husk ash (10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%), followed by a 28-day curing period.The results showed that the liquid limit of the soil decreased to 55% for a soil sample treated with 20% fly ash and 25% rice husk ash.Additionally, the plasticity index was reduced to 86% for the same sample.A reduction of 75% was observed in the differential free swell for a soil sample treated with 15% fly ash and 20% rice husk ash.Furthermore, there was a decrease in the specific gravity content.
Rathan Raj R, Banupriya S, and Dharani R conducted a study on the effects of Rice Husk Ash (RHA) on the California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values of alluvial and clay soils.Their findings showed that the CBR values of the unsoaked alluvial soil increased from 3.2% to 12% with the addition of RHA.However, the CBR values of the soaked alluvial soil only increased from 2.4% to 6.4% with the inclusion of RHA.Similarly, for the clay soil, the unsoaked CBR value increased from 3.2% to 9.3%, and the soaked CBR value increased from 2.4% to 4.4% with the addition of RHA.

Region Geology
The project area is situated on soil belonging to the Indo-Gangetic Alluvium.This type of soil is made up of silt, clay, and gravel that has accumulated from rivers such as the Ganga, Gomti, Sai, and their tributaries.The Indo-Gangetic Basin contains Pleistocene and Recent Deposits that include remnants of plant and animal life.The older alluvium, locally known as 'Bhanger', is dark and contains nodules of impure calcium carbonate ('kankars') of varying sizes.Evidence of carbonate cementation is present in the Bhanger alluvium at several sites.It dates back to the Middle to Upper Pleistocene period.The newer alluvium, known as 'Khadar', is light in color and has few concretions.It has lenticular beds of sand, gravel, and peat, and gradually transitions into the Recent or deltaic alluvia.Its age is Upper Pleistocene to Recent.

4.1.
Alluvial Soil Alluvial soils are abundant in the northern plains and river valleys of India, covering approximately 40% of the country's land area.These soils originate from the erosion of the Himalayas and are found in the deltas of the east coast as well as the river valleys in the Peninsular region.The hue of alluvial soils can range from light grey to ash grey and their texture can be sandy loam or clay.They have high levels of potash, but are typically deficient in phosphorus.In the Upper and Middle Ganga plains, two types of alluvial soils have developed -Khadar and Bhangar.Khadar is a newer soil found in the floodplains of rivers and is replenished with silt every year.Bhangar is an older soil located away from the floodplains, and both types contain lumps of impure calcium carbonate.Alluvial soils in the lower and middle Ganga plains and the Brahmaputra valley are typically composed of loam and clay.

4.2.
Lime Lime is commonly used for soil stabilization in fine-grained soils with high levels of silt or clay.To achieve soil stabilization, the term "lime" typically refers to quicklime or slaked lime.Although farmers sometimes refer to finely ground calcium carbonate (CaCO3) as "lime," this form of calcium is not suitable for soil stabilization that requires strength for construction purposes.High-calcium lime is almost exclusively composed of calcium oxide (CaO), whereas dolomite quicklime contains both calcium oxide and magnesium oxide.While industrial processes like steel may require a magnesium component, both high-calcium and dolomite lime are practically interchangeable for construction purposes.Slaked lime can be used to provide essential calcium and form cement bonds for stabilizing certain soils.However, since it is already hydrated, its drying capacity may be reduced.Lime kiln dust (LKD) is a mixture of lime and pozzolana, a material used in fuel to burn lime kilns.LKD contains both lime and pozzolana and can be used as a mixture of lime and cement.

4.3.
Rice Husk Ash Rice husk is a significant agricultural by-product that is obtained from food crops.It is a readily available lignocellulosic material that can be transformed into various forms.The ash content of rice husk is generally high, ranging from 15 to 24 percent, and it also contains a significant amount of silica.Silica content is available in the range of 90-97%.Rice husk ash, which is mainly a siliceous material, is found in Khokrajar in Assam, India.

5.1.
Shallow Foundation Shallow foundations are also known as spread foundations or open foundations.These foundations should be built below the frost line, the ground level where freezing occurs.If it cannot be built below the frost line, it should be protected with insulation.The heat from buildings normally penetrates into the ground to prevent freezing.

5.2.
Open Foundation Raft Foundations, otherwise known as Mat Foundations, are usually employed when constructing underground basements.The entire base slab of the basement serves as the foundation and the weight of the building is evenly distributed across the entire area of the structure.This kind of foundation has been named a raft due to the fact that the building appears to 'float' in the soil.Mat Foundations are used in cases when the soil is not strong enough to support the load of the building, and thus, it has to be spread across a more extensive area.Additionally, it is also used when columns are closely placed together, where individual footings would overlap.

Soil Stabilization
The properties of soil engineering can be improved through different methods, such as biological, chemical, or mechanical means.While physical or mechanical enhancement is widespread, some experts prefer to use the term "stabilization" to refer to chemical improvement achieved by adding chemical admixtures to the soil.Regardless of the method used, the objective is to ensure that the soil has the necessary properties to establish a robust foundation.

5.4.
Pile Foundation A pile foundation is a strong cylinder of material, such as concrete, that is pushed into the ground to support a structure built on top of it.Pile foundations are used when there is a weak layer of soil at the surface, when there are heavy building loads, or when the ground is soft.Pile foundations can take higher loads than spread footings.It is more expensive than a raft foundation.

6.
Objective In this project, we study the strength and properties of the soil to figure out the type of building it can withstand.This is done to increase the lifespan of the structure.In this study, we perform different tests to obtain the properties of the soil.We can further improve this soil strength for better soil stabilization.The present objectives of the project are as follows:

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To take a sample of the soil in Greater Noida District and perform various experiments to obtain the properties of the soil.

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To evaluate the results from the results of the experiment and establish the strength of the soil.

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To obtain the type of structure that can be constructed on the said soil.

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To further provide soil stabilization to improve its properties and soil-bearing capacity.

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To provide economical soil stabilization if needed to avoid the construction of a deep foundation which is costly.

Wet Sieve Analysis
Wet sieving is a method of separating coarse materials with water or other types of liquids and then drying them for identification and analysis.This is a method that can be used to prepare samples such as removing fines, breaking up aggregates, and removing static charges.The sample is washed through the sieve stack.Sieving and washing can be performed together using a sieving machine.

7.2.
Proctor's Compaction Test The Proctor test is a widely used method for evaluating the compaction properties of soil.Compaction refers to the process of reducing the volume of voids in the soil through mechanical means.The extent of compaction can be determined by measuring the dry density of the soil.

California Bearing Ratio (CBR) Test
The CBR test is a method for evaluating the penetration resistance of soil or flexible pavement materials using a standard plunger under controlled conditions.The test involves measuring the force required to penetrate a clod of soil with a standard circular piston of 50mm diameter at a speed of 1.25mm/min, as well as the corresponding penetration into standard materials.The resulting force ratio is expressed as a percentage and is typically determined for two different penetration depths, namely 2.5mm and 5mm.If the 5mm ratio consistently yields higher results than the 2.5mm ratio, then the 5mm ratio is considered the more reliable measure.

7.4.
Direct Shear Test Direct shear testing is a widely used experimental method in geotechnical practice and research to determine the shear strength of soil materials.Shear strength refers to the maximum amount of force that a material can withstand when subjected to shearing stresses.The main objective of direct shear testing is to evaluate the shear strength of soils by subjecting them to shearing stresses at a constant rate along the horizontal plane of weakness.This allows researchers to analyze the behavior of soil under different loading conditions and to determine the soil's strength parameters, such as cohesion and angle of internal friction.

Standard Penetration Test
The standard penetration test is a commonly used in-situ test for measuring the resistance of soil strata to penetration.By establishing a correlation between soil properties and penetration resistance, the test can determine the relative density of soil, the angle of shearing resistance of cohesionless soils, and the unconfined compressive strength of cohesive soils.

7.6.
Unconfined Triaxial test The Unconfined Compression Test (UCT) is a rapid method to assess the unconfined compressive strength of rocks or fine-grained soils that exhibit enough cohesion to undergo testing in an unconfined state.The obtained strength measurement is subsequently utilized to estimate the unconsolidated undrained shear strength of clay in unconfined conditions.The UCT can be conducted on either rock specimens or cohesive soil samples that are either undisturbed, reconstituted, or compacted.

Soil Stabilization Material Selection Reason
The soil-bearing capacity at this location is less because of the existing higher percentage of silt.Hence, soil improvement is required.

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The existing soil should be replaced with sand.

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This site is suitable for lime and rice husk ash stabilization because the groundwater table is below the proposed foundation level.
• Raft foundation will be more suitable than the isolated and combined footing as more settlement is permissible(75mm).

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Raft foundation is more economical as compared to a pile foundation.

Improved Results
It was necessary to improve the bearing capacity of the soil.Based upon various trials,15% Lime and 20% RHA were found to give the maximum value of CBR.The revised test result of the improved stabilized soil is shown below in table 4. The BR(bearing ratio) value of this location at 2.5 mm penetration = 2853.60/13430=21.248% The BR(bearing ratio) value of this location at 5.0 mm penetration = 4238/20150=21.03% The CBR value after stabilization with lime and RHA = 21.25 %

Conclusion
The CBR value of the soil increased from 14.57% to 21.25% after treatment with lime and rice husk ash (16% Lime and 20% RHA).Therefore, it is feasible to use a raft foundation for the 3-story building, which is a cost-effective alternative to a pile foundation.The use of RHA for soil stabilization is both environmentally friendly and economical. 12.

Table 1 .
The Properties Of The Soil At The Location.

Table 2 .
The CBR Value Readings At This Location.The BR(bearing ratio) value of this location at 2.5 mm penetration= 1956.73/13430=14.57%The BR(bearing ratio) value of this location at 5.0 mm penetration=2813.51/20150=13.962%The existing Cbr value of this location= 14.57% 8.3.Direct Shear TestFigure 1.The Direct Shear Test Showing The Angle Of Internal Friction And Cohesion.8.4.Unconfined Triaxial Test Figure 2. The Triaxial Test Graph Showing The Angle Of Internal Friction, Cohesion, And Mohr's Circle.

Table 3 .
The Standard Penetration Readings At This Location.

Table 4 .
The CBR Value Readings After The Soil Stabilisation.