Laboratory characterization of a highly weathered old alluvium in San Juan, Puerto Rico

The old alluvium underlying much of metropolitan San Juan was formed in early Pleistocene and has undergone substantial post-depositional weathering in the tropical climate of Puerto Rico, resulting in a special combination of soil mineralogy and structure, with very unusual engineering properties. The soil mineralogy was determined both qualitatively and quantitatively by a series of analytical techniques, consisting of X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, X-ray fluorescence, and chemical analyses including cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil pH, and selective chemical dissolutions (SCD). Results show that the old alluvium contains: (1) two most weathering resistant primary minerals: quartz and orthoclase; (2) kaolinite and smectites as major clay minerals; and (3) Fe-oxides (goethite and hematite) as special fine-grained minerals, which give the soil distinct red, brown, and yellow coloration. The subsequent quantitative analysis yields high accuracy results, such that the identified mineral phases account for 94-95% of the bulk material. Characterization of soil microstructure also used a variety of techniques including environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM), slaking tests, CEC, and SCD of Fe-oxides. The results reveal an aggregate structure comprising groups of clay platelets, which each consist of clay particles associated with face-to-face contact. Cementation and aggregation agents are positively identified by SCD as Fe-oxides, which form coatings over clay platelets and aggregates, and bridge bonding between aggregates. These results were confirmed by slake tests in water and glycerol.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2002

Author dc:creator

• Zhang, Guoping, 1968-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• John T. Germaine and Andrew J. Whittle.

• Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/8295

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/8295