UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE

Faculty Of Engineering
Department Of Civil Engineering

GEOTECHNOLOGY- CE404
PRESENTATION BY GROUP 1
Group Members

Simoyi Kudzai
Mapangire Blessing
Mupondi Tonderai
Masara Tavonga
Mutengwa Augustine
Madzimbamuto Simbarashe
 Question

For collapsible soils

 Discuss the nature of the engineering problem
 Evaluation and prediction (testing)
 Engineering solutions.
 1. Collapsible soils

 Collapsible soils are also known as metastable soils.

 They are unsaturated soils that undergo a large volume change upon saturation.
 Collapsible soil can also be defined as a soil that is susceptible to a large and sudden reduction
in volume upon wetting.
 The sudden and usually large volume change could cause considerable structural damage.
 The greatest problems with collapsible soils arise when the existence and extent of the collapse
potential are not recognized prior to construction.
 Collapsible soil usually has a low dry density and low moisture content.
 Such soil can withstand a large applied vertical stress
with a small compression, but then experience much larger settlements after wetting,
with no increase in vertical pressure.
 Collapsible soil falls within the second basic
category of settlement, which is settlement of the structure due to secondary influences
1. Collapsible soils cont…

 Therefore, the identification of collapsible soils and estimation of the collapse

potential are major components in appropriate engineering for these moisture
-sensitive soil sites.
 Evaluation and prediction

a). Geological Reconnaissance

 Geologic and geomorphologic information can be helpful in anticipating collapsible soil
deposits.
 Geotechnical and geological engineers know from experience that alluvial and colluvial
deposits in arid regions are likely to exhibit some collapse potential.

b). Indirect Correlations

 Qualitative and semi -quantitative correlations between collapse potential and various
index properties have been developed and reported.
 Low initial density is of course a fair indicator of collapse potential, but some soils with
moderately high density have also exhibited significant collapse. Another index property,
which relates closely to density, is the water content at saturation.
 When the water content corresponding to full saturation significantly exceeds the liquid
limit, substantial collapse potential is indicated.
 Evaluation and prediction cont…
c). Laboratory Testing
 The one -dimensional response -to -wetting test, performed using conventional
consolidation equipment, represents the most used laboratory collapse test.
 The odometer (also known as a consolidometer) is the primary laboratory
equipment used to study the settlement behaviour of soil.
 The odometer test should only be performed on undisturbed soil specimens, or in the case
of studies of fill behaviour, on specimens compacted to anticipated field and moisture
conditions
 A specimen, at in - situ moisture content, is first subjected to a total stress corresponding
to that anticipated for the field conditions.
 Then, with the total load in place, the specimen is given free access to water, and the
collapse settlement is observed.
 The advantage of this simple laboratory test is that the test interpretation is simplified due
to the relatively uniform stress state within the specimen, so that reasonable stress -strain
relationships can be developed for estimating collapse settlements.
 Evaluation and prediction cont…

d). Field Testing

 Field tests are frequently used to help identify and characterize collapsible soil deposits.
 Field tests normally consist of some type of plate load test, wherein water is introduced to
the loaded soil.
 The disadvantages of conventional field collapse tests include non -uniform stress state within
the region of soil contributing to settlement, and the corresponding difficulty in obtaining
stress -strain relationships.
 It is typically only the load and displacement relationship that is obtained for the field
collapse test.
 Advantages of field collapse tests include minimization of sample disturbance, typically
larger volume of soil tested, and attainment of a degree of wetting that is likely to be similar
to the prototype.
 Engineering solutions

The choice of a foundation system depends on whether the foundation will be

exposed to wetting or not.
a) If the expected depth of wetting is about 150 to 200 cm below the ground surface, then,
the soil may be moistened and re-compacted with heavy rollers, or compacted with
heavy tamping such as deep dynamic compaction, wherein a heavy weight repeatedly
dropped upon the ground.
b) Alternatively, if conditions are favourable, the foundation trenches could be flooded
with solutions of:
•sodium silicate and
•calcium chloride , to stabilize the soil chemically.
The soil will behave like a soft sandstone and resist collapse upon saturation. This
method is successful only if the solutions can penetrate to the desired depth.
Engineering solutions cont…
c). Another method used for dry collapsible soils and for wet collapsible soils that are likely
to compress under the added weight of the structure to be built is to:
 Inject carbon dioxide into the treated stratum to remove any water present.
 Inject sodium silicate grout so as to densify the soil.

d). When a soil stratum is susceptible to wetting to a depth of about 10.0 m, there are
several techniques that may be used to cause the collapse of the soil before foundations are
constructed:
 Engineering solutions cont…

1). Vibroflotation: used successfully in free-draining soils (granular).

2). Ponding or flooding an area by building low dikes around the site.

 However, some additional settlement of the soil may occur after the foundations are
built.
 If precollapsing the soil is not practical, the foundations must be extended below the
zone of possible wetting, which may require drilled shafts or other type of deep piles.
 However, their design must take into consideration the effect of negative skin friction
resulting from the collapse of the soil structure around them, and the associated
settlement of the critical soil zone when wetted.
Engineering solutions cont…

 There are also other foundation options that can be used for sites containing
collapsible soil.
 A deep foundation system, which derives support from strata below the
collapsible soil, could be constructed.
 Also, post-tensioned foundations or mat slabs can be designed and installed to
resist the larger anticipated settlement from the
collapsible soil.
THANK YOU