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Variability in the Highway Geotechnical Properties of Two Residual Lateritic Soils from Central Nigeria

Owoyemi OO and Adeyemi GO

Sixty-four bulk samples of two residual lateritic soils forming the subgrade of the failed sections flexible highway pavement linking Ilorin to Mokwa in central Nigeria were investigated. This was with a view to determining the level of variation in the geotechnical properties of soil samples taken systematically within restricted area in two locations underlain by different bed rocks. One set was developed over sandstone formation of the Southern Bida Basin while the other set was developed over migmatite-gneiss. Consistency limits, grain size distribution, specific gravity, compaction, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), permeability and compressibility characteristics of these soils were determined using the British standard procedures 1377. Coefficient of variation was used to measure the degree of variation in the determined properties. The coefficients of variations for the sandstone derived soil (1.68% and 56.86%) are higher than that of the migmatite-gneiss derived soil (1.28%-54.40%). Permeability, linear shrinkage, and coefficient of volume compressibility possess the highest variability. Atterberg limits and derived indices, amount of fines, soaked and unsoaked CBR possess moderate variability, while moisture density parameters (MDD and OMC), natural moisture content and specific gravity exhibits the least variability. In order to prevent design errors, field sampling should be very thorough involving collection of several samples. This approach will eliminate wrong inferences often associated with results of testing of few samples