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Large-Scale Model Swelling Potential of Expansive Soils in Comparison with Oedometer Swelling Methods

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Abstract

Samples of natural high, medium and low expansive soils (respectively, designated as Soil-A, Soil-B and Soil-C) were collected from different locations to obtain a wide range of swelling criteria. Soil-B was mixed with 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% bentonite mineral. The swell potentials of the expansive soil samples were measured using standard test methods for natural deposits and reconstituted samples. The non-homogeneous soil formation in the field and the existing micro- and macrocracks due to drying shrinkage hindered the accurate prediction of the swelling index of the small-scale samples under different stages of field conditions. A large-scale model was established to improve the accuracy and reliability of the test results. The proposed model was designed to estimate the swelling potential of the reconstituted samples under simulated field conditions. The empirical relationships of the multiple regression analysis models were determined on the basis of the best statistical information criteria using STATGRAPHICS Centurion XVII V.17.200. Results supported the prediction of the swelling potential on the basis of the physical properties of soils, thereby alleviating the need to conduct oedometer tests. The proposed relationships and the equations in the literature were compared with the test results of these samples. Overall, the oedometer technique overestimates ground heave by approximately 1.5%, and the proposed relationships are consistent with the measurement results of some researchers but inconsistent with those of others.

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Abbreviations

Soil-A :

High expansive soils

Soil-B :

Medium expansive soils

Soil-C :

Low expansive soils

FS:

Vertical free swell

LL:

Liquid limit

PL:

Plastic limit

PI:

Plasticity index

ID:

One-dimensional

CBR:

California bearing ratio

μ :

Micrometre

\(\gamma_{\text{t}}\) :

Total unit weight

\(\gamma_{\text{d}}\) :

Dry unit weight

e :

Void ratio

S i :

Initial degree of saturation

\(w_{i}\) :

Initial water content

C :

Percentage of clay finer than 5 μm

C A :

Percentage of clay finer than 2 μm

C C :

Percentage of clay finer than 1 μm

A :

Clay’s activity

CEC:

Cation exchange capacity

\(\rho_{\text{d}}\) :

The initial dry density of soil

\(\rho_{\text{w}}\) :

The density of water

MDD:

Maximum dry density

OMC:

Optimum moisture content

FS:

Measured oedometer free swelling

FSA(LS) :

Measured large-scale one-dimensional free swell

FSR :

Regression models of oedometer free swelling

\({\text{FS}}_{{{\text{R}}\left( {\text{LS}} \right)}}\) :

Regression models of oedometer free swelling from soil properties of large-scale models

MAE:

Mean absolute error

MSE:

Minimum mean squared error

h :

Height of oedometer cell

H :

Height of large-scale model

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Mr. Hawkar Hashim for his valuable help in the preparation and calibration of laboratory devices used in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Salahaddin University-Erbil, Erbil, Iraq

    Yousif Ismael Mawlood & Rizgar Ali Hummadi

Authors
  1. Yousif Ismael Mawlood
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  2. Rizgar Ali Hummadi
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Correspondence to Yousif Ismael Mawlood.

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Mawlood, Y.I., Hummadi, R.A. Large-Scale Model Swelling Potential of Expansive Soils in Comparison with Oedometer Swelling Methods. Iran J Sci Technol Trans Civ Eng 44, 1283–1293 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40996-019-00307-6

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