A Review of Expansive Soil – Effects, Reason, Mitigation Techniques

Arshad K. Siddiqui*, Trudeep N. Dave**

* - postgraduate student, ** - Assistant Professor

Department of Civil Engineering, Institute of Infrastructure Technology Research and Management (IITRAM),
Ahmedabad, India, Pin – 380026

Abstract:
The swelling and shrinkage phenomenon in expansive soil is one of the major cause for
infrastructure distress from decades. The soils with montmorillonite as primary mineral
composition possess property of excessive volumetric variation. The volumetric changes depends
on proportion of clay mineral available, their exchangeable ions and internal structure. The
damages associated with expansive soil is more than that of natural calamities such as flood,
earthquake and tornadoes. The construction of structures on expansive soils experiences total and
differential settlements resulting in cracking of building and basement walls, upheaving of rigid
and flexible pavements, cracking and failure of utility lines and damage to doors and windows.
In order to understand expansive soil behavior, index properties such as Atterberg’s limits and
associated indices, free swell index, conventional consolidation test and swelling pressure
determination by constant volume method are primarily used worldwide. In order to reduce
swelling potential or expansive soils, various methods such as use of admixtures, application of
preloading, providing compressible inclusion such as EPS geofoam at interface are few of the
techniques. In spite of extensive research worldwide, reduction of swelling pressure in expansive
soil lacks a unique solution which can be applicable at every location and for all expansive soils
irrespective of soil’s mineralogical composition. This paper reviews state of the art research on
expansive soils and various approaches adopted worldwide till date.

Keywords: expansive soil, reason for expansion, effect to infrastructure, mitigation techniques