CAPILLARITY

AND THE
SHRINKAGE
OF SOILS
The Capillary Phenomenon
Capillarity is that property of soil by which water is drawn into it from a free water
surface. The movement of water or capillary movement is similar to the wetting of a
lamp or stove wick oil reservoir at a lower level.

Capillary movement is generally associated to upward flow, but in reality it can be

in any direction. Capillary action is manifested by the saturated or partially saturated
condition of soils located at considerable distances above the ground water table.
Capillary movement is different in different types of soil.
In coarse-grained soils, capillary water moves only a short distance, but very
quickly;

In fine-grained soils, the distance of movement is ultimately considerably greater,

but it takes a much longer period, sometimes months or even years.
Hypothesis of Capillary Action in Soils
Hypothesis of Capillary Action in Soils

 D 2
T
 H  D w   D cos 
4 g

Where:
T = surface tension of 72.8 dynes per cm
G = 1 gram or 981 dynes Equilibrium is reached when the meniscus is
H = height of capillary rise, cm. semi-spherical or δ = 0. hence,
D = tube diameter, cm. H(max) = 0.3 / D
Dw = unit weight of water, gm / cc.
Capillary Pressure
The surface tension in a capillary tube is balanced by a compressive stress in the
walls of the tube. The action of this stress is similar to that of a man hanging by his
hands inside a water tank. The tank supports the man and the reaction to his weight
causes a compression on the walls of the tank. Similarly, in a soil mass, the capillary
water in the void spaces causes a compression in the soil particles which contribute to
the strength of the mass. The maximum compressive stress which can be exerted by
capillary forces in a soil subjected to drying has been estimated to equal

pc = (0.3 / b) gm. Per sq.cm.

Where b = length of capillary opening (assumed square), cm
Length of Capillary Movement

The length of capillary movement can be determined by laboratory or

field observations. Theoretical values of capillary rise which have been
reported for different soil types, appear to be too high, especially in clays
where a maximum capillary rise of 30 meters is indicated. Actually, the
ultimate capillary rise in fine-grained soils may be reach 20 meters in
extreme cases, but ordinarily it is only 3 to 4 meters. Coarse-grained soils
are not susceptible to capillary action, hence the height of capillary rise
may be only be a few centimeters.
Engineering Application of Capillarity
Fine-grained soil, especially clays, when occurring as sub-grades or used in
embankment construction for highways or airport runways, may present difficult
problems due to capillary action. Due to the water-tight pavement, capillary water is
sealed and prevented from escaping to the atmosphere. This causes saturation or near
saturation of the sub-grade soil and a considerable reduction of its bearing capacity. As
a result, the entire pavement structure may fail. In such cases, the solution is to place
an interposing layer of granular material which is not susceptible to capillary action
between the base course and the sub-grade.
Surcharge and Swell of Soils
Volume-charge in soils is closely related to capillary action. Fine-grained soils undergo a considerable
reduction in volume, called shrinkage, when the water content is reduced, especially if the water reduction
occurs from the liquid to the solid state of the soil. On the other hand,the same type of solid undergo a
considerable increase in volume, called swell, when the water content is increased in water occur from the
solid to the liquid state of the soil. Coarse-grained soils are not susceptible to similar changes in volume due
to variation in the water content; if there is any volume-changes, it is only very slight and will have negligible
effects.

The shrinkage of fine-grained soils during drying is caused by capillary forces. When the soil mass is
saturated, there is a free water surface outside of the soil mass, therefore the mass is not affected by the
surface tension of the water. As the soil dries out due to evaporation or heat, the free water surface is
removed . as explained in the capillary-tube hypothesis, as soon as the surface of the capillary water, or the
meniscus, becomes concave, it will develop an oblique surface tension. The tension along the meniscus is
balanced by a compression of the soil grains. The grains are forced together, hence the soil mass shrinks.
As the drying continues, the internal compressive stresses become greater and greater until the soil attains
its minimum volume. The high dry-strength of clay is a manifestation of the intensity of said compressive
stresses.
 If a dried soil mass becomes wet and saturated, the surface tension is shifted
from the concave meniscus to the horizontal surface of free water outside the
mass. Since the lifting forces of he meniscus is removed, the balancing internal
compressive stresses are also destroyed. As a result, the soil if confined will
expand or swell; if unconfined, it will slake or disintegrate.

Soils are which are susceptible to shrinkage and swell should be handled with
care om engineering work, as the stability and durability of a structure will be
affected by the presence of such soils. For example, it is sound practice if these
soils are not placed close to the surface of a pavement. It will also prove
detrimental to the road structure if these souls are present in excessive amounts in
base or surface courses. If difficulties due to the presence of those soils are
encountered, the remedial measure will be removal and replacement with course-
gained soils.