ABSTRACT
In this paper the influence of clay mineralogy on the physical and engineering properties of clays has been brought out. Kaolinite and montmorillonite clay minerals form extreme type of clay minerals and have been chosen for discussion. Results of liquid limit, shrinkage limit, swell potential, sediment volume, volume change behaviour, drained and undrained shear strength of kaolinitic and montmorillonitic clays have been discussed in detail with different pore fluids. In analysing the results, the mechanisms controlling the behaviour with respect to different properties has been brought out. It is seen that both the behaviour and the mechanisms controlling the same are quite different for kaolinitic and montmorillonitic clays, the influence of clay mineralogy being the reason is concluded that primarily the diffuse double layer repulsion has a dominant influence on the behaviour of montmorillonitic clays; the net attractive force and the fabric mainly contribute to the kaolinitic clay behaviour.
