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SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS VoL 13,No. 1, Mar. 1973

JapaneseSociety of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering

TECHNICAL NOTE

A SIMPLE METHOD OF IDENTIFYING AN EXPANSIVE SOIL

V. DAKsHANAMuRTHy* and V. RAMAN**

ABSTRACT
Expansive soils pose a preblem to the construction engineers. At present there isno
universally accepted simple procedure for identifyingthese soils. The authors present
in this paper a rnethod for identifyingexpansive soils from its liquidlimit,plasticity
index and shrinkage index values. Test results on fifty soil$ from Tamil Nadu and the
Deccan Trap regions and the data taken from other research publications are analysed
and a comparison is made between the differentmethods to demonstrate the re!iability
and simplicity of the proposed method over the other methods available to the practising
.engmeers.
･
'

Key words: expansive seils, liquidlimit,plasticityindex,shrinkage

identification, index,
modified plasticity chart
IGC; Dl

INTRODUCTION
Expansive soils are those which show large volume change when the natural environ-

mental conditions of the soil are altered. In tropicalcountries likeIndia, where there is
large seasonal variation in moisture and rainfall this volume change in soil causes
cracking light structures built on these soils
of (popularly knewn as Cotton
`Black

Soils').These types of soils have been encountered in widespred locationin many

parts of the world.
between
The distinction expanding and non-expanding soils is a matter of degree

rather than a difference in nature. At present there is no universally ac ¢ epted simple

procedure for identification of expansive soils. Though there exists many detailed
laboratorytechniques to identifyan expanding and non-expanding clay minerals, such

techniques are not useful for practising engineers, and many attempts have been rnade
to correlate simple identification test with expansive characteristics.

Ho!tzand Gibbs C1956), Altmeyer (1956), Sowers, Williams (1957), Ranganatham and
Satyanarayana (1965) have evolved different methods to identify expansive soils based
on liquidlimit, plasti¢ ity index, shrinkage Iimit (bothvolumetric and linear), shrinkage
index, free swell value, and percentage of colloid eontent. Accordingly they have
generally classified soils into very high, high, medium and low degrees of potential
expanslveness.

* Senior Technical Assistant,Department of Civil Engineering, Indian rnstituteof Technology,

Madras-36.
** Technical Assistant, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras-36.
Written discussions on this paper should be submitted before January 1, 1974.

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98 DAKSHANAMURTHY AND RAMAN

u PRETORIA

A HORSHAM
× INDeRE
O jABALPUR
-Zutvorulmtp-E"R=gJ
e UJJAIN

S.G.{2･71

S,GX2･71
1･O 1･2 1･4 1･6 1･B 2･O
DRY DENSITY-gmstc,c

Fig. 1. Identification
of swelling and slumping soils

(After
Da Nilev)3

LOW MEblUM HIGH VERYH:SH EXTRAHIGH

SWELLINGSWELLINGSWELLING SWELLING SWELUNG
NON-PLASTtC
FINE-SOtLSPLASTICtTYPLASTICITYPLASTiCLTY PLASTIC[TY PLASTICITY
70 70

CE
fio 60
ta=!zx>omEoraxs:mz=

cv ME
50 CH 50
=ZsxE:o!'t!tsEL

4o MV 40
c[

CL
30 30

MH

20 N 20

le MI 10

ML
o o
O 10 20 30 4050oo 70BO90100110120
(PERCENT}
LlaUIO LIMiT
Fig. 2. Chart fbr potential expansiveness of soils

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EXPANSIVE SOIL 99

Seed, Woodward and Lundgren (1963)

have evolved a practical method of predicting
swelling potential of artificially compacted soils with reference te activity oE the clay
(Pl]C-10) and clay fractionof the whole sample. Da Nilov (1964)has devised a chart
for identifyingswelling and slumping soils from dry density,specific gravity of soil
particlesand liquid limit data (Figure
1).
In thepresent study a plasticity chart (Figure2),as suggested by Casagrande (1948>
and latermodified by Dumbleton (1968); is evolved forclassification of degree of swelling
having liquid limit on the X-axis,plasticityindex and shrinkage index on leftand right
hand sides of the Y-axis. The chart is divided into six zones along X-axis with their
liquid limit values as follows:

Liquid limit Classification

O-20 Non-swelling
20-35 Low-swelling
35-50 Medium-swelling
50-70 High-swelling
70-90 Very high-swelling
>90 Extra high-swelling

APPLICABILITY OF THE CHART

Fifty soils covering in and around Madras City, Madurai,IPollachiS'andNellikuppam
of Tamil Nadu are investigated.Besides soils obtained from Deccan Trap are also
studied.
The following soil properties are determined,
(1) Natural water content

(2) Natural dry density

(3) Liquid limit
(4) Plasticityindex
(5) Sh;inkage limit(volumetric)
(6) Shrinkageindex (liquid limit-shrinkage limit)
(7) Percentage of c!ay fraction(<2p)from hydrometer analysis.
These test results are tabulated in Table 1. These values are fittedin the chart
prepared and their corresponding rating with respect to expansion is arrived at. A
comparative statement of all the methods of identifying an expansive soil viz., (Holtz and
Gibbs,1956;Sowers, Seedetal. 1963; Williams,1957; Ranganatham and Satyanarayana,
1965; and Da Nilov, 1964), is incorporatedin Table 1 for proper interpretation.
Adiditionaltest data of varieus research workers are also taken and tabulated in
Table 2 and their corresponding rating with respect to expansion is arrived at in cem-
parison with other methods. These soils fallunder M-Clay group (i. e., below A line).

CONCLUDING REMARKS
A careful study of the Tables 1 2 show
and that the proposed method in general
agrees with all the methods te the fieldengineer
available to identifyan expansive soil
and is particularly in close agreement with Rangatham and Satynarayana's method and
Da Nilov'srnethod. However, Ranganatharn's method of identifyingexpansive soil is
from the shrinkage index data (i. e. L`-Sz) and does not take plasticitycharacteristics
of the soil into consideration. It has been reported by Komornik and David (1969) that
`
there is a good correlation between plasticityindex (theparameter related to the specific

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100 DAKSHANAMURTHYANDRAMAN

Table 1

Naturalwatercontent
Drydensitygm/cc
Unified Shrinkage
S. No. Location classifica- index limit
% %Plasticity
tionLiquidlimit (PI) %Shirin-kageindex

L 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8, 9.
1. Madras, IIT, Ladies Hostel CHCHCHCHCHCICICICICICLCLCICICICLCLCHCHCICHCHCHCICI
20.016,310.410.013.919.215.229,316.036.035,814.336.036.616.335.815.126.2
1.651.641.781.851.731.541.721.551.781.341.331.821.351.331.801.341.781.
5860616456484848354232323635373330525236635362353
4!43424940353321222516191620191611313223
555516881722101124111019112051
535556594040403113322
2. "

3. "

4. "

5. "

6. "

7. "

8. IIT, VibrationLaboratory
9.10.11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.21.22.23.24.25.26.27.28.29.30.31.32.33.34.35.36.37.38.39.40.41.4
Madras-Manali
m""un"""Madras-Adyar

Madras-Porur 8.1
Madras-Egmore
"

"

ttMadras-Avadi

"

"

"Velachery

Tiruvanmiyur
Nellikuppamn"ffpttt""""Pollachi 1.711.601.71
20,320.720.119.9

Madurai 12.3011,5017,60
1,911.781.81
"

"NasikYelderyAdilabad

46.'47.48.
Akola
m

49. "Nagpur

50.

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EXPANSIVESOIL 101

Clay%-Activity Holtz and

et al. NilQv
ptC-10 Gibbs
(1956)SowersSeed (1963)Williams (1964)Proposedmethod
(1957)Ranga-natham(1965)Da

10.11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. l7. 18.

2.053.951.501.961.982.923.002.344.444.901.254.701.323.263.502.683.841.483.56O.921.181.65O.78
3021383530222119151523142215111615311935493356193041782530252328262517272222195044544950505149455152
HighHighV. HighHighHighHighHighHighHighModerate
V. High V. HighHighV.
HighHighHighHighHighHighHighHighLowHighMed
Swelling HighHighHighHighHighMedi
V. High Swelling
HighV. V. High High Swelling
High V. High V. HighV. Swelling
V. High V. High Swelling
HighHighHighMediumMediumMediumMediumMediumMediumMediumLowM
V. HighV. HighHighHighHighMediumHighLowMediumMediumLowLowLowHighHighHighHighHighHigh
Ordinary
High Swelling
MediumV. Ordinary
HighV. LowModerate Ordinary
High Slumping
MediumV. Moderate Slumping
High LowModerate Ordinary
MediumHighHighMediurn Slumping
Moderate Slumping
Moderate Ordinary
Moderate Slumping
MediumHighHighMediumV.
LowHighHighModerate Slumping
Ordinary
Swelling

High HighHighHighModerate HighHighHighMediumMediumHighV.

HighHighLowMediumMediumV. High
'2.101.20O.901.031.601.551.001.361.IO1.251.072.00O.88l.251.251.77O.78O.92O.79O.811.e31.03O.83
V. HighMediumHighHighV.

LowModerate

HighMederate -
HighMediumMediumLowLowLowLowLowLowLowLo
HighMediumHighMediumMediumLowMediumLowLowLowLowLowLowHighHighHighV.
HighMediumHighMediumMediumMediumMediumMediumMediumMediumMediumMediumMe
High ExtraSwelling
-
HighHighMediumMediumMediumMediumMediumMediumMediumMed
Medium
Moderate - Medium
Moderate Ordinary Low
Moderate Ordinary Low
LowLowModerate Ordinary Low
MediumLowLowLowLowLowLow

Moderate
Moderate
LowLowLowHighHighModerate

Swelling
High Swelling
HighHighHighHighHighHighHighHigh V. High
LowHighHighHighHighHighHighHigh Swelling
V. High
V. High
V. High
High V. High
HighHighHigh V. High
V. High
V. High

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102 DAKSHANAMURTHY ANDRAMAN

Table 2

S. No. Location
reg,{erai d,,":esty cPagilgeSa-Liquidlimit
%
PlasticityShrinkage Shrin-
index
(PI)
limit
9".
kage
index

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
L Black Cotton Soilt5 MHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHM
332916422531362733503027182825162
12le10812121323201824128
6754497454586135
796459826670745876956569677073596668815373676476
2. "

3. ff

4. "

5. "B.

6. C. Soi17
7. "B.

8s C. Soili?(Hyderabad)
(Poona)
9.10.11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.21.22.23.24.25.26.27.28.29.30.31,32.33.34.
m"""""n""""""mSoillin"nSoili2

(Poona)
(Dalta,
M. P.)
(Sholapur)t4
(Poona)
(Sidheswar)
(Nasik)(Nagpur)

(Sholapur)
(Yelderi)
(Amaravathi)
(Wadagoan)
CWadagoan)
(Poona)(Mysore)
B. C.

B. C. (Phadegaon)
"
(Kopegaon)
ff
(Batnapur)
'(Poona)i3
u

"
(Sholapur)
m
(Nagpur)
" (Baroda)
B. C. Soili6

surface area of the clay mineral) and free swell, and almost no correlation between
shrinkage limitand freesWell '.
Hence the authors are of the opinion that the plasticity
characteristics of the soil are also to be considered to identifyan expansive soil rather
than mere shrinkage index value.
Da Nilov'smethod requires elaborate testing in the fieldand the other methods viz.,
<Holtz and Gibbs,1956;Sowers; Seedetal, 1963,;and Williams 1957)show a wide scatter
in their rating. The method proposed by the authors requires simp!e laboratorydeter-
rnination of index values only. In the proposed chart (Figure 2) the Li-Pldata provide
plasti ¢ ity rating of the expansive soil and LL-SI provide .swelling rating. It may be
noted here that as the plasticity of soil increasesfrom non-plastic to very high plastic,

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EXPANSIVE SOIL 103

t 'tY "t(i,t,,Zb/,a,)"d
C66ay"--C.. s,.,,, Se?,d,gS)ai･Wel,ii,a,IysRanga-natham(1965)Da
Nilov Proposed
."' (1964) method
,,
'ri7sT 'Ts.
10.11. 12. 13. 14. 16. 17.
'2222202421
2.802.401.603.002.303.901.301.00O.701.70O.861.50O.901.12O.72O.46O.68O.55O.87O.48O.71O.352.10
HighMediumLowV.
HighHighModerate
HighHighMediumV.
HighHighMediurn High V. V. High
HighHighV. High
High
High HighModerate High HighHighHighV.High V. High
MediumHighHighMediumHighV.
HighHighHighHighV. HighHighV. High
183838 Moderate High
HighLowLowLowLowModerate High High V. High
HighV. HighHighV. High
57394528 High High V. High
High V. High V. High High Extra High
HighMediumLowMediumMediumLowMediumMediumHighMediumHighLowHighHighHighV.
HighHighMediumHighHighMediumHighHighHighHighBighMediumHighHighHighHighV.
V. High HighHighHighHighV. High
HighMediumHighHighMediumHighMediumV. High
303545 Moderate High
Moderate High
Moderate High V. High
4547 Moderate HighHighHighV. High
Moderate High
5049 Moderate High
HighModerate High ' High V. High
54 Medium HighHighHighHighV. High
54 HighModerate HighMediumHighHighV. V. High
61 High
23 Moderate High
23 HighHighHighHighHighHighModerate High V. High
28 High HighV. V. High
33 High V. High High V. High
62 V. High High V. High V. High V. High
55 HighHighHighHighMediumHighHigh
HighHighMediumMediumLowMediumMedium HighV. HighV. High
57 High High V. High
39 MediumHighLowLowHigh
HighHighHighHighHigh High
53 Moderate High
51 Moderate High
56 Moclerate High
30 High High

the swelling of soil also increase in the same range of plasticity. This have been
yerified for all the fiftysoils tested and also for data obtained from available literature.
The report of Biczok (1955) shows that `the
phenomenon of swelling is exhibited not
only by c!ay soils, but also by soils which contain a large quantity of organic matter
in a $imilar forrnto the clayey soils', is very well substantiated from the factthat an
expansive soil can easily be identified and fated by the proposed rnethod, irrespective
of whether the clays are under C or M.
Hence it is concluded that the suggested method with modified plasticity chart in-'
volving index properties viz., liquidlimit,plastic limit,and shrinkage index is a simple
and reliable method for identifyingexpansive soils from non-expansive ones.

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104 DAKSHANAMURTHY AND RAMAN

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors wish to thank Dr. P.C. Varghese, Head of the Department of Civi!
Engineering and Dr. K. S. Sankaran, AssociateProfessorin CivilEngineering, I.I.T.,
Madras for their kind encouragement during the preparation of this paper.

NOTATION
Lz=liquid Iimit
SII shrinkage index
Pl=plasticity index
C--clay fraction
SL shrinkage lirnit
=

REFERENCES
1) BiczQk,T. (1955):Untersuchung der boden organischen auf den graundban.
gehaltes mit rucksicht

Gedenkbuch fur Prof. Dr.'J.Jaky,p. 63, (From Salas, J.A.S. Serratosa, J. M. (1957): and
"Foundations
on swelling clays," IV International Conference on SMFE, Vol. 1).
2) Casagrande,A. (1948):"Classification and identification of soils;' Trans., ASCE, Vol. 113, pp.
783-810.
3) Da Nilov (1964): "Diagram
for dividing soils into ordinary slumping and swelling," Translated
irom Osnovaniya, Fundamental i Mekhanik O Gruntov No. 5, 1964. (FromNarahari D.R. and
Rao B.G. (1969): "The
Russian method of identification of swelling soils," Symposium on
Characteristics ef and ConstructionTechniques in Black Cetton Soil, Poona).
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"The

purposes,''
A suggested classification of the British System RRL report, LR 182, U. K.
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"`Engineering

ASCE, Vol. 121, pp. 641-677.

6) Komornik, A. and David, D. (1969): "Prediction
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ASCE, Vol. 95, pp. 209-225.

7) Ranganatham, B. V. and Satyanarayana,B. (1965): method
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of predicting swell potential
for compacted expansive clays," VI International Conference on SMFE, Vol. 1, pp. 92-96.
8) Seed, H.B., Woodward, R.J. and Lundgren, R. (1963): of swelling potential for'
"Prediction

compaeted clays," Transactions, ASCE, Vol. 128, Part I, pp. 1443-1477.

9) Sowers, G.F.: Earth and Rockfi11Dam Engineering,Asia PublishingHouse, India.
10) Williams, AA.B. (1957): on the prediction of total heave from the double oedo-
"Discussion

meter test," Symposium on Expansive Clays, South African Institution of Civil Engineer$, p. 57.
11) Bhatt, H.S. (1969): "Engineering

properties of B. C. Soils in Malaprabha project-Dharwar

district,"
Symposium on Black Cotton Soils,Poona, Part II.
12) Dlnesh Mohan (1957): and characteristics oi Indian Black Cotton Soil,"
"Consolldation
strength
IV International Conference on SMFE, Vol. I, pp. 74-76.
13) Katti,R. K. (1965): "Effect
of preload and side surcharge on the swelling pressure characteristics
of B. C. Soils," Indian Institute of Science Sympostum, Bangalore, pp. AIOfl-21.

14) Katti, R.K. (1966): "Research

en Btack Cetton Soilswith and withoutinorganic additives,"IRC.

Bulletin,No. 10.
15) Radhakrishnan, N. et al. <1967): "Studies
on thermal stabilization Black Cotton Soils,"3rd
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16) Ranganatham, B.V. and Satyanarayana, B. (1965): "Laboratory
studies on swelling pressure of

Black Cotton Soils,"IIsc. Symposium, Bangalore,pp. A13fl-15.

17) Shukla,K. P. (1962): "Engineering
propertiesof soils-U.P,;' Journalof Indian NationalSociety
of SoilMeehanics, Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 27-46.

(Received
February 9, 1972)

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