Suitability of Local Soil for Low Volume Road Construction: The Case Study of Niger Delta Region, Nigeria.

S. D IYEKE

doi:10.3759/joge.v5i3.1360

Abstract

This work describes the suitability of soils located in the Niger delta region of Nigeria for road construction. The soil classification tests as well as tests to determine the moisture-density relationship and shear strength tests were carried out in accordance with British Standards. Also, additional soil data in these localities were obtained from construction and consultancy firms. A total of eighty-three (83) soil data were collected and used for analysis. The sieve analysis indicates the absence of coarse sand grains and gravels, while the plasticity chart shows that most of the soils falls within the non-plastic and low plasticity regions. The range of the angle of internal friction and cohesion obtained from the tests are 2 to 430 and 3 to 82 KN/m2 respectively. These soil properties are below specified limits for base and sub base materials and will require improvement is a necessity for road construction in the region.