Methods of Studying the Strength and Deformation Properties of Eluvial Soils

Eluvial formations are distinguished from displaced and redeposited sedimentary soils by their considerable inhomogeneity of deposition and composition and indistinct transition between layers that have experienced different degrees of weathering and have different physical and mechanical properties. In view of this, an essential prerequisite for reliable determination of the physical and mechanical properties of eluvial soils is to make the correct decision regarding methods and details of tests, which take into account the features of formation of the weathered crust. In other words, tests should first establish the structure, profile, age and composition of the parent rocks. The geological survey of eluvial soils must be based on the principle of complex investigations, which allows the use of various field and laboratory testing methods for establishing the specific features of these soils.