What Does
Cohesionless Soil Mean?
Cohesionless soil is soil that contains elements that do not stick together. Soil analysis prior to construction provides information critical to the success of trenchless operations. Examples of cohesionless soil are sand and gravel.
Cohesionless soil is also known as frictional soil.
Trenchlesspedia Explains Cohesionless Soil
Soil classification is used to categorize soil based on a variety of characteristics. Cohesion is one aspect that is measured in the laboratory testing of soil samples prior to the start of construction projects. Soils can be classified by the diameter of particles using a sieve analysis test. Cohesionless soils pass through a #200 sieve, which has an opening size of 0.075 mm. Soil cohesion is closely related to soil consistency.
In geological terms, cohesion is a component of shear strength, a term that deals with the friction that occurs between earth particles. Cohesionless soils can be coarse, containing stones or gravel, or fine, containing sand or silt.