Analysis of Desiccation Crack Patterns of Expansive Soil Treated with Lignosulphonate and Lime: Fid-Bau Portal

Analysis of Desiccation Crack Patterns of Expansive Soil Treated with Lignosulphonate and Lime

Landlin, G. / Bhuvaneshwari, S.

Expansive soils could be a problematic soil in construction industry as it exhibits volume change behaviour due to seasonal moisture changes. Chemical stabilization techniques are usually the most sought-after techniques to curtail the swell-shrink behaviour. The shrinkage behaviour of the expansive soil leads to a network of surface crack development which could progress into deeper depths. Moreover, the development of cracks could be an important indicator of various physical phenomena of geotechnical importance. The propagation of cracks induces loss of bearing capacity and slope instability and interferes with the functionality of the buried utility systems. In this study, an attempt is made to study the crack patterns of the virgin and the treated expansive soil; to understand the difference in the development patterns and their relation to macroscale properties. In this study, 0.5, 1.5, 3% Lignosulphonate and 2, 4% Lime were used as the chemical stabilizers. The additives amended soil samples for crack tests were laid on frictionless plates in circular shapes with the soil thickness of 3 mm and left to air dry at a constant temperature of 28 °C. The crack patterns were analyzed through digital image analysis techniques and the crack parameters such as the crack length, crack width, crack intersections, crack segments and crack intensity factor were analyzed. The treated soil depicts a variation in the propagation and direction of intersection of cracks. These analyses were interpreted with the fabric orientation and arrangement of the soil samples. The analyses of the crack pattern could help in understanding the macroscale behaviour of treated and untreated soil and many other related geotechnical phenomena.