Browsing by Author "Hunde, Behaylu"

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    Investigation on Some of Engineering Properties of Soils Found in Ambo Town, Ethiopia
    (Addis Ababa University, 2014-11) Hunde, Behaylu; Tadesse, Samuel (PhD)
    Soil investigation program is necessary to provide information for design and construction and environmental assessment. Ambo is located at a distance of 112kms from Addis Ababa. Ambo is serving as the main town of west shoa zone of Oromia region. In the town many constructions were under taken, but without detailed geotechnical investigation. Therefore, the objectives of this research is to investigate some of engineering properties of soils found in the town by conducting different types of laboratory tests and to prepare soil map of Ambo town using information and data collected from field observation, laboratory tests and secondary data. This research is useful in providing necessary data or information that can be used in designing civil engineering structures in Ambo town. Inorder to meet the objectives of this research, 21 disturbed samples and 9 undisturbed samples were collected at different areas and brought to soil laboratory of Addis Ababa institute of Technology for conducting different tests such as: moisture content, specific gravity, Atterberg limits, grain size analysis, free swell, unconfined compressive strength and one dimensional consolidation tests. Laboratory tests carried out on disturbed and undisturbed samples revealed that the natural moisture content ranges from 23.4-42.1%,specific gravity of the soils ranges from 2.51-2.78,Atterberg limits of soils of the study area has liquid limits ranging from 62-114%, plastic limit ranges from 30-47% and plasticity index ranges from 30-83%.The results of grain size analysis showed that soils of Ambo town have clay content ranging from 28-67.6%, silt content from 22.8-54.4%, sand from 1.1-13.2% and gravel from 0-15.3%.Free swell index of Ambo soils ranges from 35-155%. Soils of the study area are classified according to AASHTO and USCS.AASHTO classification shows that soils of the study area are A-7-5, which means clay soil with poor quality as a subgrade material. USCS indicates two main types of soils, which are: IX CH, high plastic clay soils and MH, high plastic silt soils. The results of unconfined compressive strength test shows that UCS of Ambo soils range from 112-545 kN/m2. Consolidation test results indicate that CH soil has preconsolidation pressure 225 kPa, swelling pressure 80kPa and over consolidation ratio 3.9. For MH soil, preconsolidation pressure 150kPa, swelling pressure 100kPa and over consolidation ratio 3.03 is obtained.