A Study of Swelling Characteristics of Expansive Soils on High Speed Railway Project Area in India

Abstract

The expansive soils are high volume change soils in which montmorillonite is the principal clay. These soils are subject to swelling and shrinkage characteristics on account of seasonal variations in moisture content and often cause tremendous pieces of damages to structures. This study presents a summary of its physical and swelling characteristics based on the laboratory testing conducted along the alignment of the High-Speed-Railway project in India. The test results indicate that the degree of severity of BCS on this site is usually classified with Non-critical or Marginal. These results conclude that there is a less problem against design and construction work of the site. The study also discusses possible reasons of a difference for expansive characteristics at each location, from view point of other physical characteristics, terrain, geology and drainage conditions of the site.