Engineering
This section provides information for planning land uses related to development. Soils are rated for various uses, and the most limiting features are identified. Ratings are given for building site development and sanitary facilities. The ratings are based on observed performance of the soils and on the estimated data and test data in the “Soil Properties” section.
Information in this section is intended for land use planning, for evaluating land use alternatives, and for planning site investigations prior to design and construction. The information, however, has limitations. For example, estimates and other data generally apply only to that part of the soil between the surface and a depth of 5 to 7 feet. Because of the map scale, small areas of different soils may be included within the mapped areas of a specific soil.
The information is not site specific and does not eliminate the need for onsite investigation of the soils or for testing and analysis by personnel experienced in the design and construction of engineering works.
Government ordinances and regulations that restrict certain land uses or impose specific design criteria were not considered in preparing the information in this section. Local ordinances and regulations should be considered in planning, in site selection, and in design.
Soil properties, site features, and observed performance were considered in determining the ratings in this section. During the fieldwork for this soil survey, determinations were made about particle-size distribution, liquid limit, plasticity index, soil reaction, depth to bedrock, hardness of bedrock within 5 to 7 feet of the surface, soil wetness, depth to a water table, ponding, slope, likelihood of flooding, natural soil structure aggregation, and soil density. Data were collected about kinds of clay minerals, mineralogy of the sand and silt fractions, and the kinds of adsorbed cations. Estimates were made for erodibility, permeability, corrosivity, shrink-swell potential, available water capacity, and other behavioral characteristics affecting engineering uses.
This information can be used to evaluate the potential of areas for residential and recreational uses; make preliminary estimates of construction conditions; evaluate alternative routes for roads, streets, highways, pipelines, and underground cables; evaluate alternative sites for sanitary landfills, septic tank absorption fields, and sewage lagoons; plan detailed onsite investigations of soils and geology; and predict performance of proposed small structures and pavements by comparing the performance of existing similar structures on the same or similar soils.
The information in the tables, along with the soil maps, the soil descriptions, and other data provided in this survey, can be used to make additional interpretations.
Some of the terms used in this soil survey have a special meaning in soil science and are defined in the Glossary.
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