Accounting for Expansive Soil Movement in Geotechnical Design—A State-of-the-Art Review

Bikash Devkota, Md Rajibul Karim (), Md Mizanur Rahman and Hoang Bao Khoi Nguyen
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Bikash Devkota: UniSA STEM, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, Adelaide, SA 5095, Australia
Md Rajibul Karim: UniSA STEM, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, Adelaide, SA 5095, Australia
Md Mizanur Rahman: UniSA STEM, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, Adelaide, SA 5095, Australia
Hoang Bao Khoi Nguyen: UniSA STEM, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, Adelaide, SA 5095, Australia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 23, 1-27

Abstract: Lightweight structures built on expansive soils are susceptible to damage caused by soil movement. Financial losses resulting from the improper design of structures on expansive soils can be significant. The interactions and failure mechanisms of different geotechnical structures constructed on such soils differ depending on the structure type, site characteristics, and climatic conditions, as the behaviour of expansive soils is influenced by moisture variations. Therefore, the performance of different geotechnical structures (e.g., lightweight footings for residential buildings) is expected to be adversely affected by climate change (especially rainfall and temperature change), as geotechnical structures are often designed to have a service life of 50–100 years. Some structures may even fail if the effect of climate change is not considered in the present design. This review aims to provide insights into problems associated with expansive soils that trigger the failure of lightweight structures, including current investigations and industry practices. This review recognises that although the soil moisture conditions govern expansive soil behaviour, limited studies have incorporated the effect of future climate changes. In addition, this review identifies the need to improve the current Australian design practice for residential footings through the inclusion of more site-specific investigations and expected climate changes.

Keywords: expansive soil; shrink; swell; lightweight structures; characteristic surface movement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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