KNS 3243 Foundation Engineering

CHAPTER 3: Foundation on
Collapsible and Expansive Soils

Prepared by Fauzan Sahdi and Dr

Norazzlina M. Sadon

Foundation on Collapsible Soil

Foundation engineers who work in arid and semiarid areas of the world
often encounter deposits of collapsible soils.
These soils are generally very strong when dry, but, if they become
wet, these soils consolidate, causing unexpected settlements
These soils are stable so long as they remain dry, so they are
sometimes called metastable soils
The collapse process is known as
hydroconsolidation/hydrocompression/hydrocollapse
To avoid problems with collapsible soils, you must be able to identify
collapsible soils, assess the potential settlements, and apply the
necessary mitigation procedures when required.

The Microstructure of Collapsible Soil

Collapsible soils consist predominantly of sand and silt size particles
arranged in a loose honeycomb structure (as shown below)

This loose structure is held together by small amounts of water-softening

cementing agents, such as clay or calcium carbonate. Upon wetting, the
cementing agents soften and the honeycomb structure will collapse

The Geology of Collapsible Soils

Alluvial and Colluvial Soils

Alluvial soils soils transported by water

Colluvial soils soils transported by gravity.

In areas such as in the southwestern United States, short bursts of rain often
induces rapid downslope movements of soil known as flows. While moving,
these soils are nearly saturated and have a high void ratio. During a calm
period, they dry up quickly by evaporation.

During evaporation, capillary tension draws the pore water toward the particle
contact points, bringing clay and silt particles and soluble salts with it (as
shown below).

Once the soil becomes dry, these materials bond the sand particles together,
thus forming a honeycomb structure

The Geology of Collapsible Soil

Aeolian Soils

These are soils deposited by winds, which include windblown sand dunes, loess,
volcanic dust deposits, as well as other forms.

Loess (an aeolian silt or sandy silt) is the most common aeolian soil and it covers
areas in the US, central Europe, China, Africa, Australia, etc.

The individual particles of loess are usually coated with clay, which acts as a
cementing agent to maintain the loose structure.

This cementation is often not as strong as that in many alluvial soils, so collapse
can occur either by wetting under moderate normal stress or by subjecting the
soil to higher stresses without wetting it.

Loess deposits are generally much less erratic than other types of collapsible
soils, but they are often much thicker.

Deposits of 60 m thick are not uncommon.

Sampling Collapsible Soil

Laboratory Tests for Collapsible Soils

Once the samples have been obtained, they can be tested in the lab by
conducting collapse tests.

These are conducted in a conventional oedometer.

During test, you only need to measure the strain that occurs during wetting +
loading.

Collapse tests can be divided into two types, the double oedometer test and
the single oedometer test

Double Oedometer test

Uses two parallel oedometer tests on

identical samples
The first test is performed on a
sample at its in-situ moisture content,
and the second on a soaked sample
The results of the two samples are
plotted together
The vertical distance between the
test results represents the potential
hydrocollapse strain w, as a function
of TOTAL normal stress

Laboratory Tests for Collapsible Soil

Single Oedometer test

Classification of Collapsible Soil

Foundation on Collapsible Soil

Settlement

Foundation on Collapsible Soil

Foundation on Collapsible Soil

Foundation on Collapsible Soil

Foundation on Collapsible Soil

Foundation on Expansive Soil

There are many plastic clays that swell significantly when water is
added to them and then shrink with the loss of water.
Foundations constructed on these clays are subjected to large
uplifting forces caused by swelling.
These forces will induce heaving, cracking, and breakup both of
building foundations and slab-on-grade members.
Expansive clays cover large parts of the US, South America, Africa,
Australia, and India.
Generally, potentially expansive clays have liquid limits and
plasticity indices greater than about 40 and 15, respectively.

Foundation on Expansive Soil Clay

Mineralogy

Foundation on Expansive Soil Clay

Mineralogy

Foundation on Expansive Soil Clay

Mineralogy

Foundation on Expansive Soil Clay

Mineralogy

Foundation on Expansive Soil Clay

Mineralogy

Foundation on Expansive Soil Clay

Mineralogy

Foundation on Expansive Soil Clay

Mineralogy

Foundation on Expansive Soil Clay

Mineralogy

SEM micrograph of
monmorillonite

SEM micrograph of illite

Foundation on Expansive Soil

Foundation on Expansive Soil

To measure the magnitude of possible swell in a clay, simple laboratory oedometer

tests can be conducted on undisturbed samples. Two common tests are the
unrestrained swell test and swelling pressure test

Unrestrained Swell Test

The specimen in placed in an oedometer under a small surcharge of about 6.9

kN/m2. Water is then added to the specimen, and the expansion of the volume of
the specimen (height for an oedometer test) is measured until equilibrium is
reached.

The percent of free swell may be expressed as a ratio:

Foundation on Expansive Soil

Correlation of free swell with the liquid limit of clay:
The free surface swell can be
calculated by use of this chart via:

Read off from the left figure

Foundation on Expansive Soil

The swelling pressure test

Foundation on Expansive Soil

The swelling pressure test

Foundation on Expansive Soil

Expansive Soil Classification System

Foundation on Expansive Soil

Foundation on Expansive Soil

Foundation on Expansive Soil

Foundation on Expansive Soil

Foundation on Expansive Soil

Foundation on Expansive Soil

Foundation on Expansive Soil

Foundation on Expansive Soil

Foundation on Expansive Soil Drilled

Shaft Design

Foundation on Expansive Soil Drilled

Shaft
ExampleDesign
1