Expansive Soils

By
Dr. Magdi Zumrawi
 Major Problem Soils
 High shrink-swell clays (Expansive Clays)
 Soft Clays (saturated clay)
 Collapsible Soils (Fine, poorly graded sands
with silty fines - SP, SP-SM)
 Loose Sands
 Expansive Soils

 known as black cotton soils, swell-

shrinkage soil and cracking soils, etc.
 Expansive or swelling soils are soils
that swell when absorb water and
shrink when they loose water.
 Only certain clays are expansive,
mainly those containing
montmorillonite.
Clay Minerals Plates Structure
 Expansion Mechanism

 Expansive clays are made up of small, negatively

charged plates.
 When water is added to these expansive clays, the water
molecules are pulled into gaps between the clay plates.
 As more water is absorbed, the plates are forced further
apart, leading to an increase in soil pressure or an
expansion of the soil's volume.
Expansion Mechanism
 Appearance

 Soils containing expansive clays become very

sticky when wet.
 Usually are characterized by surface cracks or a
"popcorn" texture when dry.
 the presence of surface cracks is usually an
indication of an expansive soil.  
Expansive soil with "popcorn" Expansive soil showing
texture cracks
 Measurements
 Swelling potential and swelling pressure
 The swelling potential :
1. Free Swell
2. Swell Percent
 Direct Methods : Odometer test
 Indirect Methods : Equations
 Classifications
Colloidal Probable
Shrinkage Plasticity Content Expansion Degree of
Limit Index (percent less Expansion
than 1μm) (%)

< 11 > 35 > 28 > 30 Very High

7 - 12 25 - 41 20 - 31 20 - 30 High
10 - 16 15 - 28 13 - 23 10 - 20 Medium
> 15 < 18 < 15 < 15 Low
.Potential severity of volume change for clay soils 
 Factors Affecting Swelling

1) Clay mineral type

2) Amount of clay
3) Soil structure and fabric
4) Moisture content
5) Soil density
6) Surcharge pressure
7) Depth of active zone
Engineering problems
.Swelling and shrinking of soil

Available: www.denverfoundationrepair.com/images/expansive-soils2.jpg

13
Shrink-Swell Problems

Shrinkage caused by drying

NPEG - Geotechnical Engineering -

Problem Soils Slide 15
Shrink-Swell Problems

Heave caused by wetting

at edges
NPEG - Geotechnical Engineering -
Problem Soils Slide 16
Road way damaged by expansive soils
Road surface damaged
Cracks in walls caused by upward soil expansion
Major cracks in walls at doors and windows