NEUROQUANTOLOGY | OCTOBER 2022 | VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 12 | PAGE 2707-2712| DOI: 10.14704/NQ.2022.20.12.

NQ77264
S. Siva Gowri Prasad/ PROBLEMS DUE TO EXPANSIVE SOILS AND THEIR REMEDIES

PROBLEMS DUE TO EXPANSIVE SOILS AND THEIR REMEDIES

S. Siva Gowri Prasad1, Prof. P.V.V.Satyanarayana2
1
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, GMR Institute of technology, AP, India,
ssgprasad@gmail.com
2
Department of Civil Engineering, Professor, Andhra University, Visakha Patnam, India, 2707
pasalapudisat@yahoo.co.in

ABSTRACT
Expansive soil, also called shrink-swell soil, is a very common cause of foundation problems. Depending
upon the supply of moisture in the ground, shrink-swell soils will experiences changes in volume of up to
thirty percent or more. Foundation soils which are expansive will “heave” and can cause lifting of a
building or other structure during periods of high moisture. Conversely during periods of falling soil
moisture, expansive soil will “collapse” and can result in building settlement. Either way, damage can be
extensive. Expansive soil will also exert pressure on the vertical face of a foundation, basement or
retaining wall resulting in lateral movement. Shrink-swell soils which have expanded due to high ground
moisture experience a loss of soil strength or “capacity” and the resulting instability can result in various
forms of foundation problems and slope failure. Expansive soil should always be a suspect when there is
evidence of active foundation movement. In order for expansive soil to cause foundation problems,
there must be fluctuations in the amount of moisture contained in the foundation soils. If the moisture
content of the foundation soils can be stabilized, foundation problems can often be avoided. This paper
discusses different types of expansive soils and problems associated with them and remedies during and
after construction.
DOI Number: 10.14704/NQ.2022.20.12.NQ77264 NeuroQuantology2022;20(12): 2707-2712

1.0 INTRODUCTION obstructing the soil movement and reducing the

swelling pressure of soil or making the structure
Foundation materials that exhibit volume
sufficiently resistant to damage from soil
change from change in soil moisture are
movement. The main objective of this study is
referred to as expansive or swelling clay soils.
to focus on the characteristics and the
Characteristic expansive or swelling materials
behaviour of swelling-shrinkage properties of
are highly plastic clays and clay shales that
expansive soils on foundation. The engineering
often contain colloidal clay minerals such as the
properties, problems and solution need to be
montmorillonite. Soils that exhibit greatest
considered when constructing a foundation on
volume changes from dry to wet state usually
expansive soils. The foundation types to be
possess a considerable percentage of
applied on expansive soils will also be
montmorillonite. Since expansive soils have a
elaborated.
tendency to change their volume to a large
1.1 Expansive Soils
extent, they cause heavy distress to engineering
The swelling and shrinkage of soil depending on
constructions. The lightweight structures are
the amount of water present. In other words,
severely affected due to high swelling pressure
expansive soils are soils that expand when
exerted by these soils. Such type of large scale
water is added, and shrink when they dry out.
distress, due to expansive shrinking nature of
Expansive soil expands due to the clay content.
expansive soil, can be prevented by either

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NEUROQUANTOLOGY | OCTOBER 2022 | VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 12 | PAGE 2707-2712| DOI: 10.14704/NQ.2022.20.12.NQ77264
S. Siva Gowri Prasad/ PROBLEMS DUE TO EXPANSIVE SOILS AND THEIR REMEDIES

Soil with little clay content will expand only a soils depend on the grain size, mineralogy and
little bit, while soil with a greater amount of water content, all of which are inter-related
clay content will expand more. Most soil (Waltham 2002).
expansion is triggered by water, but some Chemical weathering of parent rock in high
expansion can be triggered by changes in rainfall climatic conditions mainly form primary
temperature. These soils often expand by 10 minerals. The primary minerals altered through
percent or more during a rainfall. When the chemical weathering processes into secondary 2708
soils dry out, they shrink back to the original minerals. For example, the hydrothermal
size. This continuous change in soil volume may alteration of primary ferromagnesian minerals
cause homes built on this soil to move unevenly can result in secondary chlorite (Mclean and
and crack. The formation of expansive soils is Gribble 2005). Chemical decomposition of
shown to occur, in general, under similar primary minerals of the rock are altered to
geological, geomorphological and climatic secondary minerals such as the smectite group,
conditions. This is problematic at building mainly montmorillonite which is a 1:2 clay type
basements and foundations, as high levels of mineral which further weathers to kaolinite,
expansive soils can require costly designs and which is a 1:1 clay mineral as moisture content
repairs. of the soil increase (Brink 1983).
1.2 Identifying Expansive Soils Expansive soils have swelling tendencies which
Soils containing expansive clays become very are quantified by the swell potential and
sticky when wet and usually are characterized swelling pressure parameters (Al-Rawas and
by surface cracks or a "popcorn" texture when Goosen 2006). Al-Rawas and Goosen (2006)
dry. Therefore, the presence of surface cracks is defined swelling pressure and swell potential
usually an indication of an expansive soil. The “The swell pressure of a soil is the external
swelling behavior of a soil would also depend pressure that needs to be placed over a swelling
largely on the type of clay minerals that are soil to prevent volume increase, while the swell
present in these soils and the proportion in potential of an expansive soil is the magnitude
which they are present. The commonly used of heave of a soil for a given final moisture
methods are the differential thermal analysis content and loading condition. There are
(DTA), X-ray diffraction method and electron different ways to recognise expansive soils in
microscopy. the field before constructing a foundation. Field
1.3 Characteristics of expansive soils recognition of expansive soils (Waltham 2002):
The expansion potential of expansive soil on a Stick when wet, polished glaze on cut dry
foundation is determined by the amount of clay surfaces, Dry lump dropped in water expands so
and type of particular clay in the soil. Expansive fast that it breaks up explosively.
soils form mainly by the alteration of other 2.0 Foundation Problems Due to Expansive
minerals through the action of chemical Soils
weathering (Mclean and Gribble 2005). The Expansive soil shrinks and cracks when it dries
type of soil formed depends on the composition out. When it rains, soils with high clay and silt
of the parent material that has undergone content don’t allow water to pass through the
weathering and the climatic conditions where soil. Instead, water is absorbed and held in the
weathering took place (Mclean and Gribble soil, significantly increasing its volume. Some of
2005). The engineering properties of expansive the foundation problems due to expansive soils

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NEUROQUANTOLOGY | OCTOBER 2022 | VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 12 | PAGE 2707-2712| DOI: 10.14704/NQ.2022.20.12.NQ77264
S. Siva Gowri Prasad/ PROBLEMS DUE TO EXPANSIVE SOILS AND THEIR REMEDIES

are swelling of soil, cracking and buckling of however the ground moisture and soil
walls, Foundation Movement, Failure under parameters vary around the house and cracking
External, Loads and Support Structure can occur in any number of locations.
Deflection. 2.3 Cracking and Buckling of walls
 Cracked and buckled walls probably occur
more frequently due to expansive soils than
2.1 Swelling of soil other foundation problems. 2709
 The most obvious way in which expansive  During a dry spell, clay-rich soil is likely to
soils can damage foundations is by uplift as pull away from a foundation wall, creating a
they swell with moisture increases. Swelling gap that can fill with stone, gravel, loose soil
soils lift up and crack lightly-loaded, and other debris. Some homeowners even
continuous strip footings, and frequently deliberately fill in this shrinkage gap.
cause distress in floor slabs.  Nothing bad happens until there’s a long,
 Because of the different building loads on soaking rain. Then the extra material in the
different portions of a structure's crack increases pressure on the foundation
foundation, the resultant uplift will vary in wall as the soil expands.
different areas.  Since there’s not a balancing volume of
 The exterior corners of a uniformly-loaded expansive soil against the inside of the wall,
rectangular slab foundation will only exert this one-sided pressure can push the wall
about one-fourth of the normal pressure on inward, causing it to crack and bow in
a swelling soil of that exerted at the central sections.
portion of the slab.  Occasionally the foundation wall will resist
 As a result, the corners tend to be lifted up cracking or bowing, but the damage will take
relative to the central portion. This the form of tilting. The top of the wall will be
phenomenon can be exacerbated by pushed in by the expansive soil, creating a
moisture differentials within soils at the foundation that tilts inward.
edge of the slab. Such differential movement 2.4 Damage to home supported on shallow
of the foundation can also cause distress to piers
the framing of a structure.  At the beginning of the rainy season, the
2.2 Foundation Movement piers are still supported by friction with the
Foundation Movement normally results in soil. When it begins to rain, water enters
stepped cracking often emanating from the deep into the soil through the cracks.
corners of windows and doors. Such cracks are  After 5 to 10 large storms, the soil swells,
normally widest at the top. In a building lifting the house and piers. In the dry season,
constructed on a flat block, founded on uniform the groundwater table falls and the soil dries
soil and with no gardens close by, this swelling and contracts.
would lift the outside foundations uniformly  Tension cracks grow around the pier, the
and only have a tendency to crack inner walls. skin friction is reduced and the effective
This is because the moisture regime under the stress of the soil increases (due to drying).
house would tend to stay the same while the When the building load exceeds the
perimeter would be affected by the usual remaining skin friction, or the effective
seasonal variations. In normal circumstances stress of the soil increases to an all-time

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NEUROQUANTOLOGY | OCTOBER 2022 | VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 12 | PAGE 2707-2712| DOI: 10.14704/NQ.2022.20.12.NQ77264
S. Siva Gowri Prasad/ PROBLEMS DUE TO EXPANSIVE SOILS AND THEIR REMEDIES

high, adhesion is broken by this straining, small subsequently. Reduction of compaction

and the pier sinks. density could reduce the total swell magnitude.
 The soil below will exert swelling pressure This is done by compacting the soil wet of
both upwards and laterally. As a result, the optimum and by pre-wetting. The resulting
floor slab is lifted up, typically in an irregular lowered soil density will reduce the rebound
dome shaped or corners-down pattern, swell magnitude in such the same way that a
leading to the cracking of floor. coiled spring will rebound less if the pre- 2710
 The soil below will exert swelling pressure compression is reduced.
both upwards and laterally. As a result, the 3.2 Chemical treatment (quicklime, Portland
floor slab is lifted up, typically in an irregular cement or other stabilizing agents)
dome shaped or corners-down pattern, The liquid Limit and the Plasticity Index of
leading to the cracking of floor. expansive soils stabilized with quicklime
 The footing walls are pushed outward, abruptly decreases which also indicates that the
leading to cracking of the end walls of the swell potential is significantly reduced. The
structure. Since there is restriction of quicklime chemically reacts with the soils and
movement at the junctions between the reduces the activity of the soil as well as
walls and the floor as well as between the providing bonding of the soil particles as to
walls and the roof slab, structural distress is reduce the swell potential. Stabilization by
apparent at these locations. quicklime also increased the overall strength of
 Cracking is also normally evident at the the stabilized soil. Other chemical stabilizing
corners of window and door openings. These agents are also available that could act on the
usually assume the form of diagonal cracks - expansive soils but these should be tested in
a consequence of differential settlement in the laboratory before being used in the
the wall. problem.
 Often, utilities buried in the soil such as the 3.3 Footings with special cushions
water pipes and sewage lines get damaged In this method the excavation is carried out up
due to displacement in the soil in which they to a depth of greater than depth of foundation
are buried. The ensuring leakage of their and freely draining soil such as a mixture of
contents would result in a further wetting of sand and gravel, is filled up and compacted up
the soil and enhances the swelling. to base level of the foundation. Reinforced
3.0 SOLUTIONS concrete footing is constructed at this level and
3.1 Reduction of soil compaction and over this brick wall may be constructed. Mixture
compacting wet of OMC (Pre-wetting) of sand and gravel is filled up loosely over the
One technique for stabilization of expansive footing. A cushion of granular soil below the
soils that can be effective under light structures foundation absorbs the effect of swelling and so
such as residential houses is to flood the area its effect on foundation will considerably
prior to construction. As in natural expansive reduce.
soils extensive network of fissures and cracks 3.4 CNS – MSM Technologies
present initially, ponding process is easily CNS Technology
facilitated, Because of pre-wetting the water In this technology we intercept Cohesive Non-
content will be closer to be attained after Swelling soil layer below the shallow
construction, hence volume changes will be foundations on expansive soils. Thus CNS

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NEUROQUANTOLOGY | OCTOBER 2022 | VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 12 | PAGE 2707-2712| DOI: 10.14704/NQ.2022.20.12.NQ77264
S. Siva Gowri Prasad/ PROBLEMS DUE TO EXPANSIVE SOILS AND THEIR REMEDIES

concept is based on self-equilibrating rate than the ingress of water molecules into
phenomenon with a difference that clay the interlayer of the expanding lattices of
minerals present in CNS are non-expanding montmorillinite, thereby reducing heave. The
such as kaonite, chlorite etc., The thickness of heave of expansive soil underlying a CNS layer
CNS needed to prevent transmission of swelling reduces exponentially with increase in thickness
pressure and heave to the foundation. of the CNS layer and attains a value of no heave
Thickness depends upon swelling pressure, around a depth of 1.0m.The shear strength of 2711
heave, index properties, density, and the underlying expansive soil at the interface
compression index of under laying expansive and below increases with the thickness of CNS
soil and also on the index properties, density, layer.
and compression index of CNS material. CNS 2. Provide under-reamed pile foundation.
can be obtained as a natural material or can be Provide slotted footing so that this may reduce
made produced by blending two or more the swelling pressure.
materials. 3. Addition of gypsum will reduce the swelling
MSM Technology pressure.
In this technology we intercept the layer of 4. Limit the foundation depth if swelling soil is
Mechanically Stabilized Mix over CNS at some depth so that distance between
intercepting layer, to improve the bearing foundation and swelling soil will be more and as
capacity of the system. Normally MSM consists the distance is more there are less chances of
of graded aggregate, sand and fines with more cracks in building. Take effective measures to
plasticity, similar to that allowed in water bond maintain moisture equilibrium in foundation
macadam mix if possible better compaction soil. Add dune sand in the existing swelling soil.
may be adopted. 5.0 Conclusion
4.0 Suggested remedies for swelling soil Expansive soils are very problematic during the
1. Provide CNS layer construction of foundations. Foundation on
Some percentage of clay, sand and the existing expansive soils is affected by the behaviour of
swelling soil may be used as CNS material. Katti soil under different moisture content. The
(1978) has developed a technique where by swelling tendency of expansive soils on
removal of about 1.0m of expansive soil and foundation can be quantified by the swell
replacement by cohesive non-swelling soils potential and swelling pressure parameters. The
(CNS) layer beneath foundations has yielded major engineering problem of expansive soils
satisfactory results. Katti has successfully on foundation is shrink-swelling characteristics
adopted it for prevention of heave and of the soil. Engineering problems and solutions
resultant cracking of canal beds and linings and need to be defined to assess a type of
recommends it for use in foundations of foundation to be constructed. Foundation types
residential buildings also. Cohesive forces of that can be utilized on expansive soils are pile,
significant magnitude are developed with depth raft, shallow and caissons foundation.
in an expansive soil system during saturation
which is responsible for reducing heave and
counteracting swelling pressure. Moorum is a
typical example of CNS material. The cohesive
bonds develop around the particles at a faster

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NEUROQUANTOLOGY | OCTOBER 2022 | VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 12 | PAGE 2707-2712| DOI: 10.14704/NQ.2022.20.12.NQ77264
S. Siva Gowri Prasad/ PROBLEMS DUE TO EXPANSIVE SOILS AND THEIR REMEDIES

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