Swell pressure prediction by suction methods

Soil suction is the most relevant soil parameter for characterization of the swell behavior. An attempt was made to predict swell pressures from soil suction measurements. In this study, Na-bentonite was mixed with kaolinite in the ratios of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% of dry kaolinite weight to obtain soils in a wide range of plasticity indices (i.e. 30, 50, 68, 84 and 97%). Suction measurements using thermocouple psychrometer technique were made on statically compacted specimens. The dependence of soil suction on water content, dry density and bentonite content was examined. Soil suction was correlated to the soil properties, namely, water content, plasticity index, dry density, cation exchange capacity and specific surface area using multiple regression analyses. The correlations revealed a simple regression equation for a quick prediction of soil suctions from easily determined soil properties. In order to investigate soil suction versus swell pressure behavior, the results of standard constant volume swell tests (ASTM, 1990) performed on statically compacted samples of these clay mixtures were used. A linear relationship was established between the logarithm soil suction and the swell pressure. It was also found that an experimental relationship which would directly relate the initial soil suction to the swell pressure can be established.

[1]  D. Singh,et al.  PARAMETERS AFFECTING SOIL-WATER CHARACTERISTIC CURVES OF FINE-GRAINED SOILS , 2005 .

[2]  H B Seed,et al.  Clay Mineralogical Aspects of the Atterberg Limits , 1964 .

[3]  F. Chen.  Foundations on expansive soils , 1975 .

[4]  E. Selig,et al.  Laboratory Evaluation of Soil Suction Components , 1984 .

[5]  K Prakash,et al.  Critical appraisal of the cone penetration method of determining soil plasticity , 2006 .

[6]  Sudhakar M. Rao,et al.  Liquid limit of kaolinitic soils , 1988 .

[7]  James Blatz,et al.  Suctions, stresses and strengths in unsaturated sand–bentonite , 2002 .

[8]  C. Rogers,et al.  Liquid limit and the temperature sensitivity of clays , 1998 .

[9]  Gérard Ballivy,et al.  Mineralogy, chemistry, and physical properties interrelationships of some sensitive clays from Eastern Canada , 1984 .

[10]  Harianto Rahardjo,et al.  Total suction measurement of unsaturated soils with a device using the chilled-mirror dew-point technique , 2003 .

[11]  Sudhakar M. Rao,et al.  Liquid Limit of Montmorillonite Soils , 1986 .

[12]  Alan E. Kehew,et al.  Geology for Engineers and Environmental Scientists , 1994 .

[13]  Wk Wray,et al.  THE PRINCIPLE OF SOIL SUCTION AND ITS GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS , 1984 .

[14]  T. Edil,et al.  Mechanical behavior and testing methods of unsaturated soils , 1981 .

[15]  Gabriel Kassiff,et al.  Experimental Relationship Between Swell Pressure and Suction , 1971 .

[16]  E. Çokça,et al.  Effects of compaction moisture content on the shear strength of an unsaturated clay , 2004 .

[17]  Donald R. Snethen,et al.  Characterization of Expansive Soils Using Soil Suction Data , 1980 .

[18]  M. Ohtsubo,et al.  Relationships of Consistency Limits and Activity to Some Physical and Chemical Properties of Ariake Marine Clays , 1983 .

[19]  James K. Mitchell,et al.  Fundamentals of soil behavior , 1976 .

[20]  Robert Charlier,et al.  Chemo–mechanical interactions in clay: a correlation between clay mineralogy and Atterberg limits , 2004 .

[21]  K Prakash,et al.  Percussion and cone methods of determining the liquid limit of soils: controlling mechanisms , 2000 .

[22]  Gaylon S. Campbell,et al.  PSYCHROMETRIC MEASUREMENT OF SOIL WATER POTENTIAL: TEMPERATURE AND BULK DENSITY EFFECTS , 1971 .

[23]  Paul F. Hudak,et al.  Geologic controls on foundation damage in north-central Texas , 1998 .

[24]  Snethen,et al.  PREDICTION OF POTENTIAL HEAVE OF SWELLING SOIL , 1978 .

[25]  J. E. Box,et al.  Influence of Soil Bulk Density on Matric Potential1 , 1962 .

[26]  Sq Zhao,et al.  Estimation of the Uncertainty of Fe in Metallic Silicon Determined by Inductively Coupled Plasmas-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy , 2005 .

[27]  John D. Nelson,et al.  Expansive Soils: Problems and Practice in Foundation and Pavement Engineering , 1992 .

[28]  D. Singh,et al.  A Study to Investigate the Influence of Soil Properties on Suction , 2005 .

[29]  Alec Westley Skempton,et al.  The Colloidal “Activity” of Clays , 1984 .

[30]  G. Churchman,et al.  Properties of sub soils in relation to various measures of surface area and water content , 1991 .

[31]  Yu-Hsing Wang,et al.  Specific surface: determination and relevance , 2002 .

[32]  E. Stavridakis.  Influence of Liquid Limit and Slaking on Cement Stabilized Clayey Admixtures , 1999 .

[33]  Dennes T. Bergado,et al.  Development in Geotechnical Engineering , 2000 .

[34]  D. Fredlund,et al.  Soil Mechanics for Unsaturated Soils , 1993 .

[35]  A. Kaya,et al.  Comparison of Methods for Determining Specific Surface Area of Soils , 2006 .

[36]  Delwyn G. Fredlund,et al.  ON TOTAL, MATRIC AND OSMOTIC SUCTION , 1972 .

[37]  Roy E. Olson,et al.  Pore Water Pressures in Unsaturated Soils , 1965 .

[38]  Erdal Cokca.  Relationship between Methylene Blue Value, Initial Soil Suction and Swell Percent of Expansive Soils , 2002 .