Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The safety and stability of an earthen embankment depend heavily on the engineering properties of its foundation soil.
A good foundation material must possess high shear strength, low compressibility, and moderate to low permeability once compacted.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us evaluate each soil mixture listed:
- A (Gravel-Sand-Silt mixture): This well-graded coarse-grained mixture provides excellent stability, high internal friction, and high shear strength. It is highly suitable as a foundation material.
- B (Sand-Silt mixture): This non-cohesive or semi-cohesive mixture has good compaction characteristics and adequate shear strength, making it a reliable foundation material under proper drainage.
- C (Silt-Clay mixture): These fine-grained soils have high compressibility, low shear strength when saturated, and a tendency to swell or shrink.
They are prone to settlement and shear failure under load, making them poor foundation materials.
- D (Sand-Clay mixture): This mixture combines the high frictional stability of sand with the cohesion of clay.
When compacted, it achieves low permeability and high shear strength, forming a very stable foundation.
Therefore, mixtures A, B, and D are classified as suitable foundation materials, while C is excluded.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct combination is A, B and D only.