LAUSR

Several problems in geotechnical and geological engineering have been analysed based on the properties of soil obtained from compression tests and the behaviour in compression is a fundamental aspect of deformation in geomaterials. A detailed analysis has been made into the mechanics of compression of Nigeria tropical clay in incremental loading oedometer for the soils in the reconstituted and natural states, allowing for the effects of geological structure. In addition to classification and index tests, microstructure and geochemistry were studied using SEM equipped with EDS and mineralogical indices were investigated using XRD for the soils retrieved from different depths and two locations. The soils are heterogeneous and the spatial variability is low. The soils have low plasticity and clay minerals are dominated by kaolinites. The soils converged to unique intrinsic normal compression lines showing no transitional mode of behaviour. The intrinsic behaviour of the soils was consistent with fines content, plasticity and clay minerals. The finer and better-graded soil with higher fines content, plasticity and clay minerals content have higher compressibility. The effects of structure, which is the degree of enhanced resistance of the natural sample in compression, were positive and small to medium.