Author : Aravind Pedarla
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (858 download)
Book Synopsis SWCC and Clay Mineralogy Based Models for Realistic Simulation of Swell Behavior of Expansive Soils by : Aravind Pedarla
Download or read book SWCC and Clay Mineralogy Based Models for Realistic Simulation of Swell Behavior of Expansive Soils written by Aravind Pedarla and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Predicting the volume change behavior of expansive soils has been a major challenge to the engineers in the past few years, due to the intricate coupling effects caused by different soil composition related mineralogy and pore void distribution to unsaturated soil property related parameters toward soil swelling. Hence, the main objective of this research is to develop models for realistic simulation of expansive soil behavior by accounting for inherent composition and unsaturated soil properties. In order to accomplish this research, eight natural expansive clays have been sampled from different active expansive soil regions across the United States. Basic soil classification and mineralogy studies were performed on these soils to identify the type of expansive clays and approximate mineralogy. The swell behavior of these clays is then studied by using different testing methods on soils compacted at different initial dry density conditions. A novel 3-D swell test apparatus was introduced to measure the volumetric strains of these soils under confining pressures. These test results are utilized for the development and validation of swell prediction models. Different soil composition parameters like clay mineralogy, soil-suction relationship and pore distribution are studied using advanced techniques. These techniques include the determination of clay mineralogy from chemical properties of soil, soil water relationship (i.e. soil water characteristic curve) from pressure plate and filter paper techniques and pore distribution studies from mercury intrusion porosimetry technique and X-ray computed tomography tests. Once the soil composition parameters are determined, analysis of test results was performed to identify the variation of composition parameters with soil type. Based on the soil composition test results three soil swell prediction models have been formulated in the current research. The first model was based on diffused double layer theory of clay minerals present in the soil. The second model termed as MHC model was based on two swell governing parameters which constitutes the effects of soil matric suction, void ratio change and clay mineralogy. The final model was based on the ratio of total surface area measured from clay mineralogy and mercury intrusion porosimetry. All the models showed reliable predictions of swell movements of soils that matched well with the measured test results.