Can you build on shrink swell soil?

Can you build on shrink swell soil?

Soils with the potential to shrink or swell are found throughout the United States. Soils with this shrink/swell potential create difficult performance problems for buildings constructed on these soils. As the soil water content increases, the soil swells and heaves upward.

What are shrink swell soils?

Shrink swell soil is the movement caused by the amount of water in the soil. A lot of rain or a very dry season can change how your soil acts around your foundation. Soil shrinkage occurs when the water is removed from the ground. This can be caused by a drought, heatwave, or just an extended dry period.

Which type of soil has high swelling and shrinkage property?

Shrinking and swelling are generally associated with fine-grained clay soils.

Where do you find expansive soils?

Although expansive soils can be found in almost every state and in Canada, the problems related to expansive soils are the most severe and widespread in California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, and other western and southern states.

How can we prevent soil shrinkage?

These movements are caused by changes in soil moisture. Providing uniform soil moisture next to and under your foundation is the single best thing you can do to reduce the effect that shrink/swell soil movements have on your structure.

Does sand swell when wet?

Sand. Sand-based soils will not expand or contract when faced with wet or dry conditions.

What is the difference between swell and shrinkage?

Shrinking and swelling soils Shrink–swell is the volume change that occurs as a result of changes in the moisture content of clay-rich soils. Swelling pressures can cause heave, or lifting of structures, whilst shrinkage can cause settlement or subsidence, which may be differential.

Why is shrink swell important?

Shrink/swell potential is the relative change in volume to be expected with changes in moisture content, that is, the extent to which the soil shrinks as it dries out or swells when it gets wet. Shrinking and swelling of soils causes much damage to building foundations, roads and other structures.

What is swelling soil?

Swelling soil is soil containing montmorillonite clay minerals. Swelling soil can cause damage when the soil changes volume, due to the soil either expanding when moisture is added, or shrinking when the soil dries out.

Which clay mineral has swelling and shrinking property?

Soils with smectite clay minerals, including montmorillonite and bentonite, have the most dramatic shrink-swell capacity. The mineral make-up of this type of soil is responsible for the moisture retaining capabilities.

How do you improve expansive soil?

Soil treatment alternatives such as chemical additive-based stabilization, pre-wetting, soil replacement and compaction control, moisture control, surcharge loading and thermal methods are often used to stabilize expansive soils [22].