SWELL AND SWELLING POTENTAL

PRESSURE TESTS
• When geotechnical engineers refer to expansive soils, we
usually are thinking about clays , and the volume changes that
occur as a result of changes in moisture content.
• Clays are fundamentally very different from gravels, sands, and
silts. All the later consist of relatively inert bulky particles and
their engineering properties depend primarily on the size,
shape, and texture of these particles.
• In contrast, clays are made up of very small particles that are
usually plate-shaped.
• The engineering properties of clays are strongly influenced by
the very small size and large surface area of these particles
and their inherent electrical charges.
• What cause a clay to Expand ?
• Several different clay minerals occur in nature, the differences
being defined by their chemical makeup and structural
configuration.
• Three of the most common clay minerals are
– Kaolinite
– Illite
– Montmorillonite

• The different chemical compositions and crystalline structures of

these minerals give each a different susceptibility to swelling.

• Swelling occurs when water infiltrates between and within the

clay particles, causing them to separate.
• Kaolinite Mineral
• Its basic structural unit consists of aluminum sheet (gibbsite) (G)
combined with a silica sheet (S) .Tips of the silica sheet and one base
of the aluminum sheet form a common interface.
• The total thickness of the structural unit is about 7 Angstrom (Ao),
where one Angstrom is equal to 10-10m or 10-7mm.
• The kaolinite mineral is formed by stacking, one over the other, several
such basic structural units.
• The structural units join together by hydrogen bond, which develops
between the oxygen of silica sheet and hydroxyls of alumina sheet.
• As the bond is fairly strong, the mineral is stable. Moreover, water
cannot easily enter between the structural units and cause expansion.
G
7Ao S
G
7Ao S HODROGEN
BOND
• Montmorillonite Mineral
• The basic structural unit consists of an aluminum sheet sandwiched
between two silica sheets. Successive structural units are stacked one
over another, like leaves of a book.
• The thickness of each structural unit is about 10Ao.
• The two successive structural units are joined together by a link
between oxygen ions of the two silica sheets.
• The negatively charged surfaces of the silica sheet attract water in the
space between two structural units. This results in an expansion of the
mineral
S
10Ao G WATER MOLECULES
S

S
10Ao G
S
• Illite Mineral
• The basic structural unit is similar to that of the mineral
montmorillonite. However, the link between different structural unit is
through non-exchangeable potassium (K+) and not through water. This
bonds the units more firmly than in montmorillonite.
• Illite swells less than montmorillonite. However, swelling is more than
in kaolinite.

S
10Ao G POTASSIUM IONS
S
K K K
S
10Ao G
S
• Identification of expansive soils
• When working in an area where expansive soil can cause
problems, geotechnical engineers must have a systematic method
of identifying, testing, and evaluating the swelling potential of
troublesome soil.
• An experienced geotechnical engineer is usually able to visually
identify potentially expansive soils.
• To be expansive, a soil must have a significant clay content ,
probably falling within the unified symbols CL or CH.
• A dry expansive soil will often have fissures, slickensides, or
shattering, all of which are sign of previous swelling and
shrinkage. When dry, these soils usually have cracks at the ground
surface.
• However, any such visual classification is only a first step ; we
must obtain more information before we can develop specific
design recommendations.
• X-ray diffraction , Differential thermal analysis and
Electronmicroscope resolution
• These methods are usually employed for mineralogical
examination.
• Indirect Methods
• In these methods, the swelling potential of expansive soils is
estimated based on the Atterberg limits, sometimes in
conjunction with grain size analysis.
• Plasticity chart
• Developed by Casagrande.
• Employing this plasticity chart, many authors found that the
A-line in the chart generally defines the expansive soils, since
the great majority of plots, representing soils known to be
expansive, fall above the A-line.
 Plasticity chart

70
inorganic
Plasticity Index

60 inorganic inorganicclays of
clays of
clays of medium high plasticity
50 low
plasticity
40 plasticity
inorganic silts of
30
high
20 inorganic silts of compressibility
inorganic silts of and organic clays
low compressibility
10 medium
compressibility and
0 organic silts
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Liquid limit
• Activity of soils
• On the basis of laboratory tests, Skempton observed that for a
given soil the plasticity is directly proportional to the percent
of clay size fraction.
• He introduced the concept of activity, by relating the plasticity
to the quantity of clay-size particles, and define the activity as
the ratio of plasticity index to the percent by weight of soil
particles of diameter smaller than two microns present in the
soil.
•
Degree of Activity Activity
Inactive clay A<0.75
Normal clay A = 0.75 to 1.25
Active clay A>1.25
 Activity chart, A= Ip/clay
fraction

90
80
plasticity index

70 ACTIVE
NORMAL
60
50
40
INACTIVE
30
20
10
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Clay fraction
• Free swell of clay particles

 This test tries to give a fair approximation of the degree of

expansiveness of a given soil sample.
 Test Procedure
Pouring very slowly 10cc of dry soil passing No. 40 sieve
into 100cc of distilled water
Letting the content stand for about 24 hrs until all the
sample completely settles on the bottom of the cylinder.
Record the final volume of the sample
• .
Final Volume − Initial Volume
Free Swell = x100
Initial Volume
 Free swell< 50% ,Not Expansive
Free swell between 50-100%, Marginal
Free swell > 100,Expansive
• Relation between swelling potential and plasticity index
of clays .
1. According to Chen
Swelling potential Plasticity index
Low 0-15
Medium 10-35
High 20-55
Very high >55

2. According to Anderson et al
S=0.23Ip-3.12, where S= swelling potential
Ip = plasticity index
 Degree of expansion Plasticity index Swelling potential

Low 20 1.5
Medium 20-31 1.5-4.0
High 31-39 4.0-6.0
Very high 39 6.0

• Correlation with common soil tests (Adapted from Holtz and

Gibbs , 1969)

Percent colloids Plasticity Shrinkage Liquid limit Swelling

index limit potential
<15 <18 <15 <39 Low
13-23 15-28 10-16 39-50 Medium
20-31 25-41 7-12 50-63 High
>28 >35 >11 >63 Very high
• Swelling Potential and Swelling Pressure
• The term swelling potential is generally used to indicate the
amount of vertical swell (expressed as percent of initial
sample thickness ) obtained under a particular surcharge
(usually 1psi).
δh
Sp = x100
h
Where Sp = swelling potential in percent
δh = amount of vertical swell
h = initial height

• The swelling pressure is defined as the vertical pressure

required to prevent volume change of laterally confined sample
when it is allowed to take in water.
• The magnitude of swelling and/or swelling pressure is governed
by the following factors
– Amount and type of clay in the soil
– Placement conditions which involve initial water
content, initial density and confining pressure
– Time allowed for swelling
• In general
• For a given dry density percent expansion decreases with
increase in moisture content
• For a given initial moisture content the swelling pressure
increases with increase in dry density
• Percent expansion also increases with increase in dry density for
a given initial moisture content
• Percent expansion decreases with increase in confining pressure for
a given initial moisture content and density
• For expansion time is necessary. The same thing is true for swelling
pressure.

• Laboratory Testing Methods for Determining Swelling

Potential
• Swell – Consolidation Method (Free swell method)
• Place an undisturbed soil sample in a consolidometer and apply a
normal load equal to 1psi (7kN/m2)
• Inundate the sample and allow it to swell .
• After the swelling is complete, load the sample in increments until
the soil returns to its original volume. The pressure that corresponds
to the original volume is the swelling pressure.
 Dial gauge for measuring
Loading P vertical deformations
Plate

Water
Porous
stone

Metal Soil Sample

Ring

Porous
stone

Consolidometer
 Wetting
e

Setting load

Log P Ps ( swelling
pressure)
• Constant volume swell test
• Place an undisturbed soil sample in a consolidometer and apply
a normal load equal to 1psi (7kN/m2) or in-situ overburden
pressure
• Inundate the sample and begun increasing the normal load in
increments as necessary to restrain any swelling. Continue until
the swelling pressure is fully developed.
• Unload the soil in increments to obtain the swell curve.
e

Setting load

Log P Ps ( swelling
pressure)