Effects of volume change and boundary condition on desiccation crack network of initially slurried soils

• Main Author: Ng, San San.
• Other Authors: Harianto Rahardjo
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Civil engineering::Geotechnical
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/45037
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Desiccation cracking affects the overall strength and stability of soil. This is because the presence of cracks due to the desiccation process creates zones of weaknesses in the soil. As a result, this might lead to various problems such as slope stability and bearing capacity of foundations. In this project, factors affecting the desiccation crack network of initially slurried soils were studied, namely the effects of volume change and boundary condition. There were two types of soils used in the study, namely kaolin and kaolin-sand mix (60% kaolin + 40% sand). Basic soil index properties including Atterberg limits, specific gravity and grain size analyses were carried out. Soil-water characteristic curves (SWCC) of the two specimens were measured using Tempe cell and pressure plate and the experimental data were fitted using Fredlund and Xing (1994) equation. Desiccation tests of kaolin using different boundary conditions of steel base and oil base were conducted. In addition, desiccation tests of initially slurried soil condition with different initial thicknesses were also performed.