EXPANSIVE SOILS

Identification

Surface Unevenness over Long Distances;

Longitudinal Cracking;
Excessive Local Deformations;
Bearing Failure due to Extreme Softening

Expansive soil showing cracks

Expansive soil with "popcorn" texture

Residential driveway damaged by reactive soils

Typical "roller-coaster" road caused by reactive soils

Major cracks in exterior walls at doors and windows

Lack of appropriate void spaces under walls and slabs

No splash blocks or downspout extensions

Poor grade or reverse slope into house

Sprinkler system watering against house

A. Walls have been properly voided using appropriate carton forms (WallVoid
System)
B. Slabs have been properly voided using appropriate carton forms (SlabVoid
System)
C. The land slopes away from the foundation. Extra soil has been added to
compensate for settlement of backfilled soils. Trash, construction debris, frozen
soil, etc., has been kept out of backfill.
D. A foundation drain has been installed - to remove any water that might reach
the basement level.
E. Shrubbery requiring low moisture is located away from the house and is hand
watered as needed.

Field observation
Active Zone

Monsoon

Monsoon

Depth

Summer

W.C %

Active
zone
depth

Depth of active zone : 1.0 m to 5.5 m

Varies from place to place in the world / country
Mineral Montmorillonite / Illite

Crack width

Ho

Before water is
admitted to the soil

Ho

After water is
admitted to the
soil

Definition of Swelling Potential

H
Swelling Potential % = -------- 100

H0
Load/area (ps)

Load / area (p1)

H1

Ho

Ho

Definition of Swell Pressure

Other soil

Expansive soil

Structural load Base

deformation
due to structural
load

Structural load

Hogging moment

Sagging moments
Base
deformation
due to moisture
When swell pressure is
migration
greater than structural

MOUNT SHAPED HEAVE AND CRACKING

Effect of Variation of Moisture Content

on Building

APSIDC Building

District Industries Center Building

APSIDC Building

Schematic of
Cracking
due to
Doming

Cracking
due Edge
Heave

CLAY MINEROLOGY
Basic Unit-Silica Tetrahedral
Sheet

Basic Unit-Octahedral Sheet

SWELLING SOILS
Identification:
1. X ray diffraction
2. Free swell test:
10 cc of dry soil (-425) 100 cc graduated jar
filled with water
Free swell (%) = (F.V I.V)*100/(I.V)
Kaolinite 80 100%
Montimorillonite - >150%
Bentonite > 400% (1200 to 2000%)

3. Differential Free Swell Test

DFS = (Soil Vol. in water Soil vol. in
kerosene)x100/(Soil vol. in kerosene)

Degree of
expansion
Low
Medium
High
Very High

DFS (%)

< 20
20 to 35
35 to 50
> 50

4. PI, SL and Colloidal content

PI < 15 Low
PI > 35 very high
SL > 12 Non-Critical,
10> SL > 12 - Marginal
SL < 10 critical
Colloidal content < 15% - low, > 28% - very high
Activity = PI/(% clay)
< 0.75 Low
> 1.2 Very high

5. Swell Pressure Test

Field conditions that favor swelling

1. Field moisture content & Equilibrium moisture
content (Difference)
2. Fill compacted to a greater degree & OC
natural deposits swell more
3. Imposed loads are light
Consequences of swelling
Floors
Roof slab
Walls pushed out wards

Design of foundations on expansive soils

1. SBC of not more than 50 kN/m2
2. A minimum depth of foundation of 2 m

35

Swelling and shrinking of soil.

3. Bottom of trench sand or moorum or broken

stone
Side filing sand
4. Plinth beams and
RCC bands to be used at foundation level
5. Under reamed pile foundation

Soil Properties Effecting

Swell-Shrink Potential
Clay Mineralogy

Soil-Water Chemistry
Soil Suction
Plasticity

Soil Structure & Fabric

Dry Unit Weight

Environmental Conditions Influencing

Swell-Shrink Potential
1. Initial Moisture Content
2. Moisture variations
a. Climate
b. Ground water
c. Drainage & Manmade Water Resources
d. vegetation
e. Permeability
f. Temperature

Environmental Conditions - 2
3. Stress Conditions

a. Stress History
b. In Situ Conditions
c. Loading
d. Soil Profile

TREATMENT
APPROACHES

Conventional Design with Appropriately

Designed Shoulders & Provision of
Drainage Measures beneath the Pavement;
Asphaltic Pavements with Special Design of
Shoulders;
Rigid Pavements with Strengthened Base,
Specialised Shoulders and Drainage
Measures;
Sand-Cushioning;

TREATMENT
APPROACHES-2
CNS Layer;

Chemical Treatment Lime;

Cement-mixed Soils;
Moisture Barriers Horizontal and Vertical;

Encapsulation; etc.

Membrane Encapsulated
Expansive Soil

MASS CONCRETE

SAND CUSHION

SAND CUSHION METHOD

Dial gauge
Heave stake
Test Tank
150 mm Thick
fly ash cushion

150 mm Thick
B.C soil bed
Sand drain all round
and at the bottom

Experimental Set-up