Development of Shrinkage Model for Clays Based on Moisture Variation

The low-volume road pavement systems on high plasticity index (high PI) clay subgrades are perceived to fail prematurely by some highway agencies. The most common distress, at least in Texas, is longitudinal shrinkage cracking. Several models have been developed to estimate the shrinkage characteristics of various types of clays from their index properties. The process of estimating the shrinkage strain, modulus and tensile strength from index properties of clays is presented in this paper. The estimation of these parameters from their index properties can be reasonably carried out.