Appendix B-1
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APPENDIX B-1 SOILS INFORMATION The degree of acidity or alkalinity of a soil is ex- pressed in pH values. A soil with a pH 7.0 is precisely The soils information in Appendix B has been as- neutral in reaction. The pH ranges given in this column sembled to assist the plan preparer and reviewer in are the high and low values for the soil profi le. The accomplishing responsibilities under Act 599. surface layer may be higher due to the addition of lime. Appendix B-1 contains charts of Georgia’s soils series Column 4: Shrink-Swell Potential with estimated soil properties and soils limitations for urban uses. These charts may be used in conjunction Shrink-swell behavior is the quality that determines with published soil survey information or other soils maps soil’s volume change with change in moisture content. available through the Soil and Water Conservation Dis- Building foundations, roads and other structures may tricts and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. be severely damaged by the shrinking and swelling of the soil. The volume change of soil is infl uenced by the Appendix B-2 contains excerpts from NRCS Techni- amount of moisture change and the amount and kind cal Release No. 51, “Procedure for Computing Sheet of clay in the soil profi le. and Rill Erosion on Project Areas.” Also included is a method for estimating soil erodibility or “K” values and The shrink-swell interpretations are relevant to struc- sediment delivery ratio charts. This Appendix should be tures, such as houses and other low buildings, streets of assistance in planning for land-disturbing activities. and roads, and parking lots. Three classes have been developed to express shrink-swell behavior; low, mod- Explanation of Charts: erate and high. Appendix B-1 Soil Series Interpretations Column 5 and 6: Corrosivity Column 1: Soil Series Various metals and other materials corrode when on or in the soil, and some metals and materials corrode This column lists alphabetically the name of all the more rapidly when in contact with specifi c soils than soil series which are used in the State of Georgia. when in contact with others. To be meaningful, corrosivity must be rated in relation to specifi c structural material. Column 2: Permeability In these columns the soil series are given ratings on po- tential for inducing corrosion of uncoated steel (column Soil permeability is the quality that enables soil to 5) and of concrete (column 6). transmit water and air. Accepted as a measure of this quality is the rate at which soil transmits water while Soils are assigned to one of three classes of corrosiv- saturated. That rate is the “saturated hydraulic conduc- ity: low, moderate, or high. tivity” of soil physics. In line with conventional usage in the engineering profession and traditional usage in Columns 7 and 8: Depth to Watertable and the published soil surveys, this rate of fl ow, principally Bedrock downward, continues to be expressed as “permeability”. The permeability of a soil is the rate of fl ow for the most The depth to the watertable is given in feet (to the restrictive layer in the profi le. nearest half-foot). The value given is an indication of how close to the soil surface the watertable will rise Soil permeability is rated using the numerical ranges during the wet season. shown below: Depth to bedrock is given in inches. Hardness of rock Permeability class Numerical range may range from “rippable”, which can be excavated (inches per hour) using a single tooth ripping attachment on a 200 - 300 Very slow Less than 0.06 horsepower tractor, to “hard”, where excavation may Slow 0.06 - 0.2 require blasting. Rock hardness should be determined Moderately slow 0.2 - 0.6 by on-site-investigation. Moderate 0.6 - 2.0 Moderately rapid 2.0 - 6.0 Both the depth to watertable and bedrock are esti- Rapid 6.0 - 20 mates-actual depths may vary from site to site. Very Rapid More that 20 Column 9: Flood Frequency Column 3: Soil Reaction GaSWCCGSWCC B-1-1 Flood frequency is an indicator of how often if ever, extra excavation, or some modifi cation of certain fea- fl oods occur. Ratings are as follows: tures through manipulation of the soil. For these soils, modifi cation is needed for those construction plans None: No reasonable possibility of fl ooding. generally used for soils of slight limitation. Modifi cation may include special foundations, extra reinforcement of Rare: Flooding unlikely but possible under unusual structures, sump pumps, etc. weather conditions. A severe soil limitation (S) is the rating given soils Occasional: Flooding is expected infrequently under with one or more properties unfavorable for the rated usual weather conditions. use, such as steep slopes, bedrock near the surface, fl ooding hazard, high shrink-swell potential, a seasonal Frequent: Flooding is likely to occur often under usual high watertable or low bearing strength. This degree weather conditions. of limitation generally requires major soil reclamation, special design, or intensive maintenance. Some of these Column 10: Hydrologic Soil Group soils, however, can be improved by reducing or remov- ing the soil feature that limits use. In most situations, The hydrologic soil group parameter, A, B, C, or D, is however, it is diffi cult and costly to alter the soil or to an indication of the minimum rate of infi ltration obtained design a structure to compensate for a severe degree for a bare soil after prolonged wetting. of limitation. The hydrologic soil groups range from A, which are Following the limitation rating symbol will be a lower deep sands or gravels with low runoff, to D, which are case symbol to indicate the reason for the particular rat- soils with a permanent high water table, soils with a ing. These symbols are s-slope, w-wetness, f-fl ooding, claypan or clay layer at or near the surface, and shallow pk-slow percolation, cl-too clayey, ss-shrink swell po- soils over nearly impervious material. tential, b-low bearing strength, r-shallow depth to rock, p-seepage, st-stones, cc-cutbanks may cave, h-too Some soil series may have a dual hydrologic soil much humas, pf-poor fi lter, d-dense layer. group rating. The dual ratings are given for certain wet soils that can be adequately drained. The criteria used A number followed by a % indicates percent slope; is making dual group ratings are as follows: for example 2-6% reads two to six percent slope. 1. Soils are rated D in their natural condition. Some soil series may have a fl ood frequency listing of two rating (Example: None-Occasional). Such soils 2. Drainage is feasible and practical. may consequently have a two rating limitation. For example, a listing of means, if the soil is located where 3. Drainage improves the hydrologic group by at least no fl ooding occurs, it is rated Moderate due to wetness two classes (from D to A or B). and, if occasional fl ooding occurs, it is rated as Severe due to fl ooding. Columns 11-16: Limitation of Soils For Urban Uses None: M; w Occ; S; f The soils are rated L for slight limitations, M for mod- erate limitations, or S for severe limitations. Column 11: Septic Tank Absorption Fields A slight soil limitation (L) is the rating given soils that A septic tank absorption fi eld is a soil absorption sys- have properties favorable for the rated use. The degree tem for sewage disposal. It is a subsurface tile system of limitation is minor and can be overcome easily. Good laid in such a way that effl uent from the septic tank is performance and low maintenance can be expected. distributed with reasonable uniformity into the natural soil. Criteria used for rating soils (slight, moderate, and A moderate soil limitation (M) is the rating given soils severe) for use as absorption fi elds are based on the that have properties moderately favorable for the rated limitations of the soil to absorb effl uent. use. This degree of limitation can be overcome or modi- fi ed by special planning, design, or maintenance. During Column 12: Sewage Lagoon Areas some part of the year, the performance of the structure or other planned use is somewhat less desirable than A sewage lagoon (aerobic) is a shallow lake used for soils rated slight. Some soils rated moderate required to hold sewage for the time required for bacterial de- treatment such as artifi cial drainage, runoff control to composition. Sewage lagoons require consideration of reduce erosion, extended sewage absorption fi elds, the soils for two functions, (1) as a vessel for the im- B-1-2 GaSWCCGSWCC pounded area and (2) as soil material for the enclosing with binder in it. These roads and streets also are graded embankment. The requirements for this embankment to shed water and conventional drainage measures are are the same as for other embankments designed to provided. With probable exception of the hard surfaces, impound water. Enough soil material that is suitable for the roads and streets are built mainly from the soil at the structure must be available, and, when the lagoon hand; cuts and fi lls generally are limited to less than 6 is properly constructed, it must be capable of holding feet of thickness. Excluded from consideration in the water with minimum seepage. The material should be ratings in this column are highways designed for fast free of coarse fragments (over 10 inches in diameter) moving heavy trucks. that interfere with compaction. Also, the ratings cannot substitute for basic soil data Column 13: Shallow Excavations and for on site investigation.