Soil type of a plot in Chennai
Drop a pin anywhere in the Chennai metropolitan area and get the soil class under it (clay, sand, shale, laterite or hard rock), its indicative bearing capacity, drainage, how hard it is to dig, and the foundation type the class usually calls for.
Free. Sign in once with your phone to run it.
- Bearing capacity
- 1 to 4 kg/sq.cm (class range)
- Drainage
- Very Poor
- Excavation
- Low to Moderate
- Foundation
- Pile foundations recommended
Freeevery run
What we need
One thing at a time. Fill it in and press Run.
The answer
From the register, with its date and source.
Nothing run yet. The answer appears here with everything this mini adds:
- Bearing capacity, drainage and excavation difficulty, not just the soil name
- The foundation type the class suggests, in plain words
- What the class suits and what it does not
- Outside the mapped area it says not assessed, never "no problem"
The soil sheet, briefly
Bearing capacity is the load the ground can carry per unit area before it fails or settles too much, which is what decides how wide and deep a foundation must be.
- Classes
- 6
Hard rock, shale, clay, sand, clay and shale, and laterite and sandstone, as the master plan soil sheet draws them.
- Bearing range
- 1 to 100 kg/sq.cm
From 1 to 4 for clay up to 30 to 100 for hard rock. Each answer gives its class range in kN and tonnes per sq m too.
- Coverage
- Chennai metro area
Outside the metropolitan area the answer is not assessed, which says nothing about the soil either way.
How to find the soil type of a plot
- 1
Place the pin
Tap the plot on the map, paste a Google Maps link to it, or use your location while you stand there.
- 2
Press Run
The class under the pin comes back with its bearing range, drainage, excavation and foundation notes.
- 3
Brief your engineer
Use it to plan the soil investigation, not to replace it. Clay and shale call for a closer look than rock.
When it helps with land
Before you buy
Clay under a plot can mean deeper foundations and a bigger budget. Knowing early changes the price you offer.
Planning a build
The class hints at pile, deep or shallow foundations, and at how hard the digging will be.
Drainage and gardens
Poorly drained clay holds water after rain, while sand drains fast. The answer says which, and what the class suits.
The soil sheet is a planning map and the bearing capacity a published range for the class, not a measurement at your plot. A foundation design needs a site soil investigation by a geotechnical engineer.
Questions people ask
How do I find the soil type of my land?
Drop a pin on the land above, or paste a Google Maps link, and press Run. Inside the Chennai metropolitan area you get the soil class with its bearing capacity, drainage and foundation notes.
Can I design a foundation from this?
No. The bearing capacity is a published range for the soil class, not a measurement at your plot. A structural design needs a site soil investigation.
What soil types are found in Chennai?
The metropolitan master plan soil sheet draws six classes: hard rock, shale, clay, sand, clay and shale, and laterite and sandstone.
What is the bearing capacity of clay?
The class range used here is 1 to 4 kg per sq cm (about 98 to 392 kN per sq m). Clay loses strength when wet and swells and shrinks with moisture, which is why pile foundations are often advised on it.
Why does my town say not assessed?
The soil sheet covers the Chennai metropolitan area. Outside it nothing can be said either way.
Is this the same soil the revenue record mentions?
No. The register records a soil class and type code for assessment; that is the land class mini. This is the mapped soil under the plot.
Is this free?
Yes.