ABSTRACT
Himachal Pradesh is an Indian state that is situated in the north. It is the home to scenic snowy mountains and lush green valleys. Owing to its geographical location, Himachal Pradesh experiences the impact of high-intensity rainfall especially during the monsoon which generally lasts for about 3 months in a year. In this chapter, the geotechnical details about the type of soils and rocks of the state based on the site investigations have been presented. The soil in all the districts of the state is primarily alluvial soil except for Lahaul and Spiti and Chamba districts which have humus mountainous soil. The plain regions of the state have high bearing capacity indicating the occurrence of dense sand and gravel. The hilly regions of the state have comparatively low bearing capacity due to the presence of clay and silt. Barytes, limestone, salt (rock) and shale are the major types of rocks found in the state. The presentation of the material in this publication does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the authors concerning the legal status of details as presented in this chapter.
