ABSTRACT
The main aim of this project is to analyze the compressibility properties of a lateritic soil for building and highway engineers. Three lateritic soil samples was collected from three different borrow pit labelled, Evboneka BP1, Isihor BP2 and Ovbiogie BP3 were tested to ascertain their suitability as construction materials in geotechnical laboratory. The samples were collected from borrow pits at Ovia North East, Edo State, Nigeria. Different test such as Specific Gravity(Gs) Test, Sieve Analysis, Atterberg Limit Test, Compaction Test, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), Traixial Compression Test and Permeability Test were carried out with provision of the British Standard (BS)1377(1990). The particle size analysis, the coefficient of uniformity (Cu) was 485.71, 152and 22.35 while coefficient of curvature (Cc) was 5.15,20.63 and 8.19 respectively. From the Atterberg limits Tests, the liquid limit values of 58.32%, 51.95 and 34.23%, plastic limit 24.40, 26.71 and 14.45%, Plastic Index of 33.92%, 25.24 and 19.78%. Specific gravity average values of the soil samples 2.52, 2.49 and 2.57. The results of compaction test showed ranges of values of maximum dry density and optimum moisture contents of 1.63 g/cm3,1.63g/cm3 and 1.80 g/cm3 and 21.4%, 19.2% and 14.2% respectively. CBR, unsoaked value23.97%, 14.22% and 31.01%, and soaked 6.41%,8.22% and 26.30%. From Permeability Test, the coefficient of permeability was 0.000009cm/sec, 0.0000001 and 0.0002890 cm/sec. Based on these, it can be deuced that; all likely poor, all the lateritic soil samples are very likely to be poor for use in base courses and general filling and embankment
