Includes bibliographical references and index.

Water content -- Phase relationships of soils - determining unit weight and calculating voids ratio, porosity and saturation. -- Density of solids (specific gravity) -- Grain-size distribution -- Organic content -- Carbonate content -- pH -- Cation exchange capacity -- Specific surface area -- Methylene blue test -- Pore fluid salinity -- Consistency of fine-grained soils - determination of Atterberg liquid and plastic limits -- Shrinkage limit -- Linear shrinkage -- Shrink test -- Free-swell index tests -- Dispersion -- Initial consumption of lime -- Lime fixation point -- Hygroscopic water content -- Soil suction using filter paper -- Thermal conductivity -- Electrical resistivity -- Strength index tests and sensitivity -- Thixotropic behavior of fine-grain.

"This manual presents procedures for performing advanced laboratory tests on fine-grained soils. It covers characterization tests, which determine soil composition and quantify the individual components of a soil, and behavioral tests, such as the Atterberg Limits tests that demonstrate how the fines fraction of a soil reacts when mixed with water and the Linear Shrinkage Test that demonstrates how much a soil shrinks. The material goes beyond traditional evaluation of basic soil behavior by presenting more advanced laboratory tests to characterize soil in more detail. These tests provide detailed compositional characteristics which identify subtle changes in conditions and vertical variations in the soil, and which help to explain unusual behavior. A unique compilation of information on key soil tests. Combines characterization tests with behavior tests. The book suits graduate students in geotechnical engineering, as well as practitioners and researchers"--