Laboratory Test and Constitutive Model for Quantifying the Anisotropic Swelling Behavior of Expansive Soils

Abstract

Expansive soils exhibit directionally dependent swelling that traditional isotropic models fail to capture. This study investigates the anisotropic swelling characteristics of expansive soil with a medium swelling potential through the use of modified oedometric testing. Vertical swelling strains can reach up to 1.71 times that of the horizontal movements, confirming intrinsic anisotropy. A nonlinear elastic constitutive model incorporates vertical and horizontal elastic moduli with respect to matric suction to characterize anisotropy. Three elastic parameters were determined through the experiments, and predictive equations were developed to estimate the unsaturated moduli. The constitutive model and predictive techniques provide practical tools to better assess expansive soil pressures considering anisotropy, offering guidelines for utilization and design. The outcomes advance understanding of these soils’ directionally dependent behavior and stress–strain–suction response.