TECHNICAL NOTE
Asuri Sridharan,1 Sudhakar M. Rao, 1 and Sanjeev Josht~
Classification of Expansive Soils by Sediment Volume Method
REFERENCE: Sridharan, A., Rao, S. M., and Joshi, S., "Classi-
fication of Expansive Soils by Sediment Volume Method," Geotech-
nical Testing Journal, GTJODJ, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 1990, pp.
375-380.
ABSTRACT: A soil expansivity classification is proposed based on
the sediment volume ratio defined as the ratio of the sediment volume
in 0.025% sodium chloride solution to that in kerosene. The results
of the proposed classification agree well with one based on the oed-
ometer test results of compacted soil specimens.
KEY WORDS: clays, swelling, sediment volume, heave, kaolinite,
montmorillonite
Sridharan et al. [1-3] have proposed in earlier studies a simple
procedure based on "sediment volumes" occupied by a soil in
polar water and a nonpolar solvent. The term sediment volume
refers to the equilibrium volume attained by a known weight (10
g) of dry soil in a given (I00 mL) solvent volume under no
external constraint. Results illustrated that the classification
based on the sediment volume procedure provides a more reli-
able method of estimating soil expansivity in relation to index
properties. A new classification system which is simple, quick,
and effective is proposed that further improves estimation of soil
expansivity.
Experimental Program
The soils used in this study are mainly from the southern part
of India. Sufficient amounts of disturbed soils were collected
from various locations and depths of 0.5 to 3.0 m (Table 1).
After removal of the gravel fraction, the soils were air dried and
wet sieved to pass a 425-~m sieve. The mineralogy and physical
properties were determined as described in earlier papers [2-4].
Compaction tests were performed with the soils as per standard
Proctor's method [ASTM Test Methods for Moisture-Density
Relations of Soils and Soil-Aggregate Mixtures, Using 5:5-1b
(2.49-kg) Rammer and 12-in. (304.8 mm) Drop (D 698)].
Sediment volumes (expressed in units of m3/Mg) were deter-
mined for the various soils in distilled water, 0.01 to 1.00%
sodium chloride solutions (by weight of salt), carbon tetrachlo-
~Professor and research scientist, respectively, Department of Civil
Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangladore 560 012, India.
~Undergraduate student, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian In-
stitute of Technology, Madras 600 036, India.
© 1990 by the American Society for Testing and Materials
375
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ride and kerosene by procedures detailed in earlier papers [2,3].
The various soil specimens were also compacted at standard
Proctor's maximum dry density and optimum moisture contents
values in oedometer rings (ring diameter = 7.6 Cm, height =
2.5 cm) and inundated with water under a nominal load of 7 kPa
(1 psi) using a standard consolidation apparatus to determine
percent swell after Seed et ai. [5].
Results and Discussion
Table 1 presents the index properties of kaolinitic (Soil Nos.
1 to 8) and montmoriUonitic soils (Soil Nos. 9 to 15). The liquid
limits of the kaolinitic soils range from 43 to 70%, while those
of the montmorillonitic soils vary between 84 and 123%. The
kaolinitic soils with a relatively lower plasticity index generally
exhibit higher standard Proctor's maximum dry densities and
lesser optimum moisture content values than the more plastic
montmorillonitic soils.
In earlier studies [2,3] the sediment volumes of soils in non-
polar carbon tetrachloride and in polar water were determined
to provide information on the clay mineralogical composition of
a soil and to estimate its relative expansivity. In comparison to
carbon tetrachloride, kerosene would be a better choice as a
nonpolar solvent owing to its greater accessibility in soil engi-
neering laboratories. Table 2 gives the sediment volumes of the
kaolinitic and montmorillonitic soils in nonpolar carbon tetra-
chloride and kerosene, respectively. A good correlation exists
between the sediment volumes in the two solvents.
The sediment volume method of the authors is designed to be
a rapid method for estimating a soil's relative expansivity. In the
course of extensive experimentation in the laboratory, it was
experienced in a number of instances that natural soils (both
kaolinitic and montmorillonitic) exhibit colloidal behavior and
do not tend to reach equilibrium sediment volumes in water even
after 24 h, the time required to attain equilibrium volumes in
water varying from 24 h to as high as 216 h. The long duration
required by the soils to attain equilibrium volumes in water is a
consequence of mutual interparticle repulsion, which prevents
soil particles from rapidly settling and provides a quick estimate
of the soil's expansivity.
It is known that the presence of dissolved electrolytes in pore
water minimizes interparticle repulsion and accelerates the set-
tling process [6]. Consequently, the influence of dissolved pore
electrolyte concentration on the settling times of a kaolinitic and
a montmorillonitic soil (Numbers 7 and 15, Table 1), which took
0149-6115/90/0012-037552.50
376 GEOTECHNICAL TESTING JOURNAL

TABLE 1--Physical properties of the soils studied.

Grain Size Standard Proctor's Compaction

Distribution, % Characteristics

Liquid Plastic Maximum Dry

Soil Limit, Limit, Density, Optimum Water Specific Clay
Number Location % % Sand Silt Clay Mg/m3 Content, % Gravity Mineralogy

1 Visakhapatnam Dt 43 22 48 20 32 1.63 20,4 2.76 Kaolinite (P)

Andhra Pradesh Smectite (tr)
2 Bangalore Dt 50 27 40 36 24 1.44 25.5 2.78 Kaolinite (P)
Andhra Pradesh Smectite (tr)
3 Visakhapatnam Dt 51 22 60 14 26 1.59 21.0 2.63 Kaolinite (P)
Andhra Pradesh Smectite (tr)
4 Bangalore Dt 52 26 40 27 33 1.43 24.9 2.76 Kaolinite (P)
Karnataka Smectite (tr)
5 Tumkur Dt 58 36 16 59 25 1.25 35,0 2.79 Kaolinite (P)
Karnataka
6 Bangalore Dt 61 37 39 55 6 1.20 36.6 2.77 Kaolinite (P)
Karnataka Smectite (tr)
7 Koraput Dt 66 40 12 58 30 1.18 39.0 2.76 Kaolainite
Orissa (P)
Smectite (tr)
8 Bangalore Dt 70 39 6 28 66 1.19 38.0 2.77 Kaolinite (P)
Karnataka Smectite (tr)
9 Chitradurga Dt 84 43 26 30 44 1.09 42.0 2.77 Smectite (P)
Karnataka
10 Dharwar Dt 84 49 5 58 37 1.05 48,7 2.79 Smectite (P)
Karnataka
11 Hubli Dt 92 50 13 45 42 1.04 49,0 2.53 Smectite (P)
Karnataka
12 Inam Hongal--1 94 45 18 34 48 1.08 44.1 2.58 Smectite (P)
Karnataka
13 Inam Hongal--2 109 49 10 18 72 1.05 48.0 2.54 Smectite (P)
Karnataka
14 Black soil Ill 48 10 26 64 1.06 46.7 2.77 Smectite (P)
Karanja
15 Chitoor Dt 123 23 33 28 39 1.56 22.0 2.72 Smectite (P)
Andhra Predesh
Note: P = Principal clay mineral.
tr = Present in trace amounts.
Dt = District.

TABLE 2--Sediment volumes of natural soils in kerosene and in carbon tetrachloride.

Soil Number

Soil Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Equilibrium sediment 1.00 1.15 1.10 1.05 1.10 1.40 1.20 1.35 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.10 1.05 1.05 1.00
volume in kerosene,
m3/Mg
Equilibrium sediment 1.00 1.10 1.10 1.00 1.15 1.45 1.20 1.35 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 I.t0 1.05 1.00
volume in carbon
tetrachloride, m3/Mg

an unusually long time (about 168 h) to attain equilibrium sed-
iment volumes in water, was studied.
Table 3 presents the duration required by the soils to attain
equilibrium sediment volumes in water and in various concen-
trations of (0.01 to 1.0%) sodium chloride solutions. One percent
sodium chloride solution refers to 1 g of sodium chloride dis-
solved in 100 mL of distilled water. Results show that a small
presence of dissolved electrolyte in pore water (0.01%) leads to
a dramatic decrease in the duration required to attain equilibrium
sediment volumes by the soils; a subsequent increase in dissolved
sodium chloride concentrations results in a progressive decrease
in the duration required to attain equilibrium volumes. It is also
observed that an increase in pore electrolyte concentration re-
sults in an increase in sediment volumes in the case of the ka-
olinitic soil (Number 7) but has the opposite effect on the mont-
morillonitic soil (Number 15). With the kaolinitic soil, the
increase in pore electrolyte concentration leads to a more floe-
culant fabric and hence a higher sediment volume, while in the

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 SRIDHARAN ET AL. ON EXPANSIVE SOILS 377

TABLE 3~Influence o f dissolved sodium chloride concentration on sediment volume behavior o f natural soils.

Sodium Chloride Solution, %Q

Soil 0 0.01 0.025 0.05 0.10 0.25 0.50 1.0

Soil number 7, Equilibrium sediment volume 1.65 1.70 1.75 1.80 1.85 1.90 2.00 2.00
Koraput Dt, in m3/Mg(cm3/g)
Orissa Time required to attain 168 36 7 6 5 3 2 1
equilibrium sediment volume,
h
Soil number 15, Equilibrium sediment volume 4.50 4.45 4.20 2.40 2.30 2.30 2.25 1.65
Chitoor Dt, in m3/Mg (cm3/g)
Andhra Pradesh
Time required to attain 168 48 24 16 9 5 3 2
equilibrium sediment volume,
h
q.0% means 1 g of sodium chloride dissolved in 100 mL of distilled water.

case of the montmorillonitic soil, it leads to a suppression of the
diffuse double layer thickness and, consequently, a lower sedi-
ment volume [6].
Optimum dissolved salt concentration, besides accelerating the
process of settling, should also lead to an equilibrium sediment
volume approximating that in distilled water. Although the min-
imal salt concentration of 0.01% yields equilibrium sediment
volumes nearest to those in distilled water (Table 3), it is incap-
able of restricting the final settling times to -<24 h. Compara-
tively, the salt concentration of 0.025% limits the equilibrium
settling times to -<24 h and also gives sediment volumes reason-
ably close to those in distilled water, in particular for the mont-
morillonitic soil. Hence, the dissolved salt concentration of
0.025% was chosen for determining the soil sediment volumes
in aqueous medium.
Table 4 compares the time required by the various kaolinitic
and montmorillonitic soils to reach equilibrium sediment vol-
umes in distilled water and in 0.025% sodium chloride solution.
In all instances, the presence of dissolved sodium chloride in
pore water restricts the time required to attain equilibrium sed-
iment volume by the soils to a maximum of 24 h. Figure 1 shows
a good correlation between the sediment volume in distilled
water versus sediment volume in 0.025% sodium chloride so-
lution for the soils studied.
In order to conform as closely as possible with the United
States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) standards for expansive
characteristics [7], it is necessary to correlate the evaluations
based on the sediment volume procedure with the USBR rec-
ommendations. The USBR criterion for expansiveness of a soil
is taken as the total volume change of a soil from air dry to
saturated condition under a surcharge of 7 kPa (1 psi) [7]. The
USBR studies were, however, conducted on undisturbed spec-
imens with a variety of initial density and water content condi-
tions, resulting in nonuniformity in initial specimen placement
conditions. Consequently, Seed et al. [5] compacted soils at max-
imum dry density and optimum moisture content conditions con-
sistent with ASTM D 698 to determine swell potential under a
7-kPa (1-psi) surcharge. These swell potential values were cor-
related with total expansions as used by USBR to estimates
degrees of expansivities (Table 5). Table 6 presents the percent
expansions on soaking with distilled water under a load of 7 kPa
(1 psi) for the kaolinitic montmorillonitic soils compacted at
standard Proctor's maximum dry density and optimum moisture
content conditions and their corresponding expansivity classifica-
tions as per Seed et al. [5] recommendations. Results show that
the kaolinitic soils exhibit low to medium expansivity, while the
montmorillonitic soils classify as moderate to highly expansive.
In earlier studies of Sridharan et al. [2,3], the soil expansivity
classification was based upon the sediment volumes occupied by
natural soils in water and in carbon tetrachloride, respectively.
The classification system also anticipates that nonswelling and
swelling groups of clays would exhibit a distinct behavior in non-
polar carbon tetrachloride. Kaolinitic soils occupy sediment vol-
umes generally greater than 1.10 m3/Mg (1.10 cm3/g) and in some
instances 1.0 m3/Mg. In no cases was less than 1.0 m3/Mg ob-
served, whereas montmorillonitic soils generally exhibit a sedi-
ment volume of 1.10 m3/Mg or less (Table 7). Recent experi-
mental results however, have, indicated that montmoriUonitic
soils can also possibly occupy sediment volumes slightly greater
than 1.10 m3/Mg in nonpolar solvents [3]. It was hence felt that

TABLE 4--Settling time o f soils in distilled water and in 0.025% sodium chloride solution.

Soil Number

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Time required to attain equilibrium 48 96 48 48 144 72 168 24 216 120 216 24 48 72 168
sediment volume in water, h
Time required to attain equilibrium 8 12 8 12 12 12 8 8 12 8 12 4 8 8 24
sediment volume in 0.025% NaCI
solution, h

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378 GEOTECHNICAL TESTING JOURNAL

~Z..6

E
®
C
O

"~ 3.8 -

Ul,

(..)
o
z 3./.-

~"
O
3.0 -
O
¢-

2.6-
E

2.2-

.E_. 1 . s -
"O

l,n
1.4

I I I I I I I
1.0 1.Z, 1.8 2.0 2.6 3.0 3./, 3.8 z,.2 4.6
Sediment volume in w a t e r ( m 3 / M g )

FIG. 1--Plot of equilibrium sediment volume in 0.025% sodium chloride solution versus
equilibrium sediment volume in distilled water for the natural soils.

TABLE 5---Expansivity classification as per Seed et al. [5].
Swelling Potential
in Percentage Degree of Expansion
0 to 1.5 Low
1.5 to 5 Medium
5 to 25 High
>25 Very high
the expansivity classification as given in Table 7 based on the
sediment volume procedure be reexamined and modified if a
simpler yet better classification system could be proposed. From
physicochemical concepts it is evident that the expansivity ex-
hibited by a soil on contact with water is dependent on the net
electrical attraction, A, and repulsion, R, forces. However, re-
pulsion in soils predominates over attraction and hence the soil
sediment volume reaches an equilibrium value to such an extent
when its repulsion matches with attractive forces together with
its effective self weight [6]. If weak repulsion prevails, a low
expansivity can result (example: kaolinitic soils, numbers 1-8,
exhibiting low to moderate expansivity, Table 6); conversely, if
strong interparticle repulsion predominates, then high expansiv-
ity can result (example: montmorillonitic soils, Number 9-15,
exhibiting moderate to high expansivity, Table 6). Sediment vol-
umes in kerosene/carbon tetrachloride and in water show the
extreme range of expansive characteristics. Further, certain ka-
olinitic soils can show higher volumes in nonpolar solvents than
in water [1] because of flocculation in the former solvent. Any
classification system proposed should be based on the data ob-
tained in these solvents in order to be more realistic. Guided by
the above considerations, and studying various possibilities, it is
proposed to classify the soil expansivity based on the magnitude
of the ratio of sediment volume in water (0.025 % sodium chloride
concentration) and in kerosene. Table 8 presents the results and
Table 9 describes the proposed simple classification system for
soil expansivity.
Table 10 compares soil expansivity classifications based on
sediment volume ratio with the method proposed by Seed et al.
[5]. Good agreement is observed between the two methods.
Table 10 also includes the expansivities of the natural soils pre-
dicted from activity [8], liquid limit [9], and plasticity index [7]
values. Results show that clasifications based on index properties
overestimate the swelling capability of the soils, also noted in
earlier studies by Sridharan et al. [2,3].
Conclusions
The present study improves upon the sediment volume test
procedure earlier proposed by Sridharan et al. [1-3]. Use of

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 SRIDHARAN ET AU ON EXPANSIVE SOILS 379

TABLE 6--Results o f oedometer swell tests on compacted soils.

Standard Proctor's Compaction Characteristics

Percent Swell from Expansivity
Maximum Dry Density, Optimum Water Content, Compacted Saturated Classification,
Sample mg/m3 % State Seed et al. [5]

1 1.63 20.4 1.50 Low/medium

2 1.44 25.5 1.55 Medium
3 1.59 21.0 1.55 Medium
4 1.43 24.9 2.50 Medium
5 1.25 35,0 4.10 Medium
6 1.20 36.6 2.00 Medium
7 1.18 39.0 1.80 Medium
8 1.19 38.0 1.50 Low/medium
9 1.09 42.0 5.20 High
10 1.05 48.7 5.00 High
11 1.04 49.0 4.80 Medium
12 1.08 44.1 7.60 High
13 1.05 48.0 7.40 High
14 1.06 48.7 4.00 Medium
15 1.56 22.0 11.80 High

TABLE 7--Expansivity classification as per Sridharan et al. [2].

Sediment Volume in
Sediment Volume Carbon Tetrachloride, Soil
in Water, m3/Mg m3/Mg Clay Type Expansivity

> t.50 1. t0 to 3.00 Nonswelling Negligible

1.50 to 2.00 <t.10 and <sediment Mixture of swelling Low
volume in water and nonswelling
1.50 to 2.00 ---1.10 Swelling Moderate
2.00 to 4.00 -<1.10 Swelling High
>4.00 -<1.10 Swelling Very high

TABLE 8---Sediment volume behavior o f natural soils in 0.025% NaCI solution and in kerosene.

Sediment Volume in Sediment Volume in Sediment Volume Ratio in

Distilled Water, 0.025% NaCI Solu- Sediment Volume in Trace Salt Concentration
Soil No. m3/Mg tion, m3/Mg Kerosene, m~/Mg and in Kerosene

1 1.I0 1.20 1.00 1.20

2 1.50 1.45 1.15 1.26
3 1.55 1.65 1.10 1.50
4 1.30 1.25 1.05 t.20
5 1.50 1.65 1.10 1.50
6 1.45 1.55 1.40 1.10
7 1.65 1.75 1.20 1.45
8 1.70 1.65 1.35 1.20
9 2.25 2.25 1.00 2.25
10 •.95 1.90 1.00 1.90
11 2.00 2.00 1.00 2.00
12 2.50 2.50 1.10 2.25
13 2.55 2.45 1.10 2.20
14 2.00 1.95 1.05 1.85
15 4.50 4.20 1.00 4.20

nonpolar kerosene instead of carbon tetrachloride is suggested
owing to its greater accessibility. Determination of sediment vol-
umes of the soil in a weak electrolyte solution of sodium chloride
(0.025 g of sodium chloride dissolved in 100 mL of distilled water)
in place of distilled water is recommended to accelerate the set-
tling of soil particles. Soil expansivity potential is represented as
the ratio of soil sediment volumes in 0.025% sodium chloride
solution to that in kerosene. A soil expansivity classification
based on such a ratio is proposed and has been compared, for
15 natural soils, with other existing popular classification systems.
The newly proposed methods is rational, simple, quick, and ef-
fective.

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380 GEOTECHNICAL TESTING JOURNAL

TABLE 9--Classification system for soil expansivity.

Sediment Volume Ratio in

0.025% NaCI Solution and
in Kerosene Degree of Expansion

-<1.00 Negligible
1.00 to 1.5 Low
1.5 to 2.25 Medium
2.25 to 4.5 High
>4.5 Very high

TABLE lO~Comparison of soil expansivity from various evaluation techniques.

Oedometer Van Der Merwe Liquid Limit Plasticity Index

Sample Test {5] Present Study [8] [91 [71
1 Low-medium Low Medium Medium Medium
2 Medium Low Medium-high Medium-high Medium
3 Medium Medium High Medium-high Medium-high
4 Medium Low High Medium-high Medium-high
5 Medium Medium Medium-high High Medium
6 Medium Low Low Very high Medium
7 Medium Low-medium High Very high Medium-high
8 Low Low Medium Very high High-very high
9 High High Very high Very high High-very high
10 High-medium Medium Very high Very high High-very high
11 Medium Medium Very high Very high High-very high
12 High High Very high Very high Very high
13 High Medium-high Very high Very high Very high
14 Medium Medium Very high Very high Very high
15 High High Very high Very high Very high

References
[1] Sridharan, A., Rao, S. M., and Murthy, N. S., "Free Swell Index
of Soils: A Need for Redefinition," Indian Geotechnical Journal,
Vol. 15, 1985, pp. 94-99.
[2] Sridharan, A., Rao, S. M., and Murthy, N. S., "A Rapid Method
to Identify Clay type in Soils by the Free Swell Technique," Geo-
technical Testing Journal, Vol. 9, 1986, pp. 198-203.
[3] Sridharan, A. and Rao, S. M., "A Scientific Basis for the Use of
Index Tests in Identification of Expansive Soils," Geotechnical Test-
ing Journal, Vol. 11, 1988, pp. 208-212.
[4] Sridharan, A., Roa, S. M., and Murthy, N. S., "Liquid Limit of
Montmorillonitic Soils," Geotechnical TestingJournal, Vol. 19, 1986,
pp. 156-159.
[5] Seed, H. B., Woodward, R. J., and Lundgren, R., "Prediction of
Swelling Potential of Expansive Clays," Journal of Soil Mechanics
and Foundation Engineering, Proceedings of the American Society
of Civil Engineers, Vol. 88, 1962, pp. 53-87.
[6] Van Olphen, H., An Introduction to Clay Colloid Chemistry, John
Wiley, New York, 1963.
[7] Holtz, W. G. and Gibbs, H. J., "EngineeringProperties of Expansive
Clays," Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol.
121, 1956, pp. 641-663.
[8] Van der Merwe, D. H., "The Prediction of Heave from Plasticity
Index and the Percentage Clay Fraction of the Soils," The Civil
Engineer, South African Institution of Civil Engineering, Vol. 6,
1984, pp. 103-107.
[9] Gibbs, H. J., "Discussion, Proceedings of the Speciality Session No.
3 on Expansive Soils and Moisture Movement in Partially Saturated
Soils," Proceedings, Seventh International Conference on Soil Me-
chanics and Foundation Engineering, Mexico City, Mexico, 1969,
published by the Mexican Society for Soil Mechanics and Foundation
Engineering, Mexico City, pp. 479-494.

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