THE ENGINEERING SIGNIFICANCE OF LANDFORMS

INFLUENCES OF THE LAND UNIT OR LAND FORM UPON THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND MAINTENANCE OF HIGHWAYS ARE DESCRIBED. SPECIFIC SOLID ROCK AND MOISTURE CONDITIONS EXISTING IN THE LAND FORM ARE IMPORTANT. A GIVEN LAND FORM POSSESSES A DISTINCTIVE TYPE OF RELIEF, THE TEXTURE OF THE SOIL VARIES IN A PRESCRIBED WAY AND GROUND WATER AND SOIL MOISTURE FOLLOW TYPICAL TRENDS. LAND FORMS INFLUENCE THE QUALITY AND TYPE OF GRADING, PRE-DETERMINE THE DRAINAGE REQUIREMENTS AND FIX THE SOIL OR ROCK CONDITIONS. EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MATERIALS THAT COMPOSE THE LAND FORMS, AND THE INTER-RELATIONSHIP OF THE RELIEF, SOIL, ROCK AND GROUND WATER CHARACTERISTICS. AERIAL AND GROUND PHOTOGRAPHS HAVE BEEN USED TO ILLUSTRATE INDIVIDUAL FORMS AS WELL AS TO IDENTIFY THE VARIATIONS THAT OCCUR WITHIN EACH UNIT AREA. SOIL SURVEY OBJECTIVES ARE ANALYZED IN THE FOLLOWING LAND FORMS: (1) SOLUBLE LIMESTONES, (2) WIND- TRANSPORTED MATERIALS, (3) GLACIATED REGIONS, (4) ARID REGIONS, AND (5) LANDSLIDES. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LAND FORM UNDER STUDY CONDITIONS OF TOPOGRAPHY, SOIL, WATER, AND BEDROCK PROVIDE CONDITIONS TO DETERMINE DESIGN METHODS AND CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURES.