Soil clustering by fuzzy c-means algorithm

Abstract

In this study, hard k-means and fuzzy c-means algorithms are utilized for the classification of fine grained soils in terms of shear strength and plasticity index parameters. In order to collect data, several laboratory tests are performed on 120 undisturbed soil samples, which are obtained from Antalya region. Additionally, for the evaluation of the generalization ability of clustering analysis, 20 fine grained soil samples collected from the other regions of Turkey are also classified using the same clustering algorithms. Fuzzy c-means algorithm exhibited better clustering performance over hard k-means classifier. As expected, clustering analysis produced worse outcomes for soils collected from different regions than those of obtained from a specific region. In addition to its precise classification ability, fuzzy c-means approach is also capable of handling the uncertainty existing in soil parameters. As a result, fuzzy c-means clustering can be successfully applied to classify regional fine grained soils on the basis of shear strength and plasticity index parameters.