Tropical Soils: Considerations on Occurrence and Characteristics and Studies in Brazil

Abstract

Soil engineering is challenging as soils are found in different conditions of climate, topography and location and have properties that vary in depth and laterally. The tropical soils represent types of soils with similar characteristics and can be found in locations where tropical climate occurs. Inevitably, engineering projects must consider the particularities of these soils due to their genesis and the study of their properties, which requires investigations ranging from simpler methods to more complex field and laboratory tests, is essential to predict their behavior. In the case of lateritic soils, their differentiated characteristics impose additional challenges on designers since their classification does not fit perfectly into the classifications formulated for temperate climate soils. One limitation found in developing countries is that there are few or no geotechnical mappings and the knowledge of these soils are restricted at the central-south region of Brazil, where the major urban centres and the largest engineering companies and laboratories are located. Although studied by authors from all over the world, it is still possible to deepen the understanding of the properties of tropical soils and their application in the most diverse requests of civil engineering and others. This chapter was developed from bibliographic research.