GEOLOGY AND GEOTECHNICAL PROPERTIES OF LATERITE GRAVEL

Laterization processes were studied and samples of laterite gravel collected at 40 sites in Thailand, Australia, Brazil, Ghana, Portuguese Angola, and Georgia (USA) to determine classification, field associations, genesis, and engineering properties important in road and airfield construction. Lateritic soils are self-hardening and may contain either laterite rock or nodular, laterite gravel. Tropical soils which are not self-hardening and which lack appreciable laterite rock or laterite gravel are called here tropical red soils. The soils studied in this report classify as sands and gravels in the Unified Soil Classification System. Generally they are poorly sorted, strongly fine-skewed, leptokurtic, and, on the average, contain approximately 12 percent fines. These soils have originated by the hydrolytic destruction of primary silicate minerals in warm, tropical to subtropical weathering environments which exhibit distinct wet and dry seasons, and are generally free draining. Laterite gravel is of primary importance in construction. Laterite rock requires crushing, and self-hardening laterite may be difficult to identify and thus may be confused with tropical red soils. Foreign engineers have found that two official U.S. specifications are too restrictive. They have developed base and subbase specifications suitable for road and airfield construction using laterite gravel.

• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. Army Waterways Experiment Station

  3909 Halls Ferry Road
  Vicksburg, MS  United States  39180-6199
• Authors:
  • Krinitzsky, E L
  • Patrick, D M
  • Townsend, F C
• Publication Date: 1976-6

Media Info

• Pagination: 172 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Airports; Atmosphere; Building materials; Engineering geology; Foundations; Gravel; Landing fields; Laterites; Mineralogy; Road construction; Roads; Rocks; Sand; Soil mechanics; Soil types; Specifications; Subtropics; Tropics; Vegetation; Weathering
• Uncontrolled Terms: Soil classification; Sources
• Geographic Terms: Australia; Brazil; Georgia; Ghana; Thailand
• Old TRIS Terms: Foundations structures; Subtropical regions
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Geotechnology; Highways; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00143127
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: WES-TR-S-76-5 Final Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 6 1976 12:00AM