Table of Contents
How can you increase the strength of black cotton soil?
Various researchers, for the past few decades, had tried to stabilize black cotton soil using lime for improving its shrinkage and swelling characteristics. But these days, the cost of lime has increased resulting in increase in need for alternative and cost effective waste materials such as fly ash and rice husk ash.
How would you improve the subgrade in black cotton soil?
Due to the strength increase incorporated by the use of cement, the Black cotton soil (BC soil) cement mixture can increase the subgrade bearing capacity and strength significantly. This technique is relatively cheap and quite effective.
What are the engineering properties of black cotton soil?
Black Cotton Soil Engineering Properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Dry Density | 1300 – 1800 kg/m3 |
| Liquid Limit | ( 40 – 120 \%) |
| Plastic Limit | ( 20 – 60 \%) |
| Specific Gravity | 2.60 – 2.75 |
Why does black cotton soil swell?
Black cotton soils are inorganic clays of medium to high compressibility and form a major soil group in India. They are characterized by high shrinkage and swelling properties. As a result of wetting and drying process, vertical movement takes place in the soil mass.
How can black cotton soil be improved for farming?
- Amending Clay Soil. The main aim of amending black cotton soil is to improve the structure of the soil.
- Watering Clay Soil. Your soil’s ability to absorb and retain water is closely related to its composition.
- Tilling Clay Soil. Tilling is the initial critical step in soil preparation.
- Plants for Clay Soil.
What is the effect of black cotton soil on structures?
The shrinkage and swelling of black cotton soil has become a severe problem for the entire construction industry. The swelling and shrinkage of expansive soil cause the differential settlement of building. When dry, it is very hard, but it loses strength completely when wet.
How is black cotton soil formed?
Black soil is also known as Regur or black cotton soil. It is known as the black cotton soil as it is used to grow cotton. Black soil is formed due to the weathering or erosion of the basalt rocks. Basalt rocks are prominently found in the region of Maharashtra as the quantity of basalt rock is more.
Why is black cotton soil black?
Black cotton soil is clayey in nature and is widely used for the purpose of agriculture. It has high water retention capacity as it is deep and impermeable in nature. The black color of the black soil is due to the presence of aluminum compounds, iron, and humus.
What are characteristics of black soil?
What are the characteristics of black soil?
- Clayey texture and are highly fertile.
- Rich in calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash, and lime but poor in nitrogen and phosphorous.
- Highly retentive of moisture, extremely compact and tenacious when wet.
- Contractible and develops deep wide cracks on drying.
Is black cotton soil cohesive?
Cohesive soils are black cotton soil or fine soils and non – cohesive soils are sand or coarse soils. The cohesive soils are having property of expansive or shrunk. The black cotton soil is serious problem for geotechnical engineers and it is required to be treated before the construction of superstructures.
In what way does black soil help agriculture?
Black soil is rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium but has poor nitrogen content. Crops like cotton, tobacco, chilly, oil seeds, jowar, ragi and maize grow well in it. Sandy soil is low in nutrient content but is useful for growing trees such as coconut, cashew and casuarinas in areas with high rainfall.
Why black soil is important in Indian agriculture?
As a general rule, black soils of uplands are of low fertility but they are darker, deeper and richer in the valleys. Because of their high fertility and retentivity of moisture, the black soils are widely used for producing several important crops.