ON THE ENGINEERING GEOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION |OF QUATERNARY GLACIAL DEPOSITS IN SOUTHWESTERN MOUNTAIN AREA OF CHINA

A majority of the Quaternary glacial deposits in China belong to either coarse-grained soil (erratic stone soil) or gravel soil. However, the engineering properties are different for glacial deposits in different areas or forming by different processes in a same area. It is because of the complex material composition and fabric characteristics of the deposits. The stability of geological bodies and geo-hazard susceptibilities are also significantly dissimilar. The existing relevant standards of engineering classification are not suitable to the need of future investigation on engineering geology and geo-hazards of glacial deposits. The field investigations and laboratory tests have shown that the glacial deposits have the following characteristics: inhomogeneity in particle size, dual elements in fabric, out-of-order and cementation in structure, etc. All the above characteristics have some closed relationships to the engineering properties of glacial deposits. In this paper, the engineering geological classification for the glacial deposits is discussed. A two-level classification scheme is presented and includes the evaluation of cementation, meso-structure and composition size. The schem can be considered as a guide to engineering practice and character study of the glacial deposits.