Expansive Soils and Identification Methods

Ahmed Ali; Abbas J. Al-Taie; Ahmed Al- Kalili

Abstract

Expansive soil is a well-known type of difficult soil. It can cause critical damage to civil engineering facilities. The unfavorited physical, mineralogical, and engineering characteristics are the main reasons for the difficult nature of expansive soil. Understanding specific parameters and properties of expansive soil are important to categorize and identify swell potential. Furthermore, reviewing the most useful methods for identifying and measuring the expansive soil characteristics may help the engineer to evaluate its problems. This review paper presented the main parameters of the expansive soil and reviewed different methods adopted in identifying and classifying this soil. It reviewed the direct method (using the oedometer apparatus), and the indirect method (using the plasticity index, colloidal content, and shrinkage limit) to identify the expansive soil. Finally, the main geotechnical and environmental parameters affecting the potential of soil to swell were presented, these are soil structure, plasticity, dry density, clay mineralogy, soil water chemistry, initial moisture content, moisture variations, soil permeability, climate, temperature, and groundwater

Abstract

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