Determination of Types and Characteristics of Laterite Soil as Basic Land for Building Construction

Abstract Laterite soil is red soil because it contains iron and aluminum. It is an old type of soil, so it is suitable for all plants. Laterite soils are located in the reservoir area of the Wonogiri Dam - Central Java. The nature of laterite soil that quickly absorbs water and the soil texture is strong and dense indicates the type of soil used for a mixture to make roads. This study aims to identify and characterize the lateritic soils to support the construction of roads that will be used. It is needed to test the soil’s property index, including moisture content test, density test, Atterberg limit, and grain sieve analysis. At the same time, it tested the classification of laterite soil characteristics using standards of USCS and AASHTO. To test the shear strength of the laterite soil is using Direct Shear. Based on the analysis, the laterite soil from sedimentation in Wonogiri dam is classified as poor and does not meet the requirements to be used as a subgrade in building construction. It can be considered include need to improve to carried out first.