Dataset of soil particle images and particle size distribution for applications in granular materials

This dataset introduces soil particle images corresponding to sieve-based particle size distribution (PSD) obtained from black cotton soil sourced from the laboratory stock of the Geotechnical Laboratory, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, Maharashtra, India. A bulk sample of 1500 grams was processed by implementing the mechanical sieve analysis using ASTM/ISO standard sieves (2.36 mm to 0.075 mm) under mechanical vibration for 15 min in three stages of 500 grams each. Representative fractions from each sieve were used for multi-scale image acquisition. A total of 1350 smartphone images were captured with the use of an iPhone 15 Pro Max at three heights (15 cm, 30 cm, 45 cm), incorporating repeated disturbance cycles to ensure the variability in particle exposure. In addition to the smartphone images, 1350 microscopic images were acquired from sub-sampled sieve fractions using varying magnifications (4x, 10x, and 20x) under an inverted microscope Olympus CKX53. The inclusion of both macro-scale and micro-scale imaging aligned with standardized sieve data supports development and validation of predictive models in geotechnical engineering. Even though the dataset is generated from black cotton soil obtained from a single source, it provides a useful benchmark for developing and evaluating image-based characterization methods. Application to other soil types or granular materials requires additional validation.