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Correlations for Quick Prediction of Swell Pressures

Yusuf Erzin
Cumhuriyet University, Faculty of Engineering,
Department of Civil Engineering, Sivas, Turkey
e-mail: erzin@cumhuriyet.edu.tr

and

Orhan Erol
Professor of Civil Engineering, Middle East Technical University, 06531 Ankara, Turkey
e-mail: orer@metu.edu.tr

ABSTRACT
Investigations are reported which aimed at developing an equation for quick prediction of
swell pressures from easily determined soil properties. Bentonite-Kaolinite clay mixtures
were prepared to obtain soils in a wide range of plasticity indices. A total of 80 constant
volume swell tests in oedometers were performed on statically compacted specimens with
varying properties. Swell pressure--plasticity index--water content--dry density
interrelationships were evaluated. Swell pressure is correlated to the soil properties, namely,
plasticity index, water content, liquidity index and dry density, using multiple regression
analyses. The analyses have confirmed the existence of strong correlations between the
swell pressure and the soil properties. The correlations revealed a simple regression equation
for a quick prediction of swell pressures from easily determined soil properties.

KEYWORDS: Swell pressure, soil properties, plasticity index, expansive soil.

INTRODUCTION
Expansive soils are that clay soils which exhibit significant volume changes because of soil moisture
variation. Expansive soils are a worldwide problem that poses several challenges for civil engineers.
Foundations constructed on these clays are subjected to large uplift forces caused by swelling, and inducing
heaving, cracking, and break up of both building foundations and slabs on grade members. Heave problems
account for more economic loss than all other soil problems. The cost of damages arising from expansive
soil problems in the United States alone amounts to $2.3 billion annualy (Dhowian et al., 1988).
The swelling of soils, in general, is due to the presence of expanding clay minerals, hydration of cations on
clay surfaces, and release of intrinsic stresses caused by overconsolidation or dessication of soils (Dhowian
et al., 1988).
Many investigations were carried out to analyse the factors affecting the swelling of clayey soils (Komornik
and David, 1969; El-Sohby and El-Sayed, 1981, 1983; Al-Mhaidib, 1999; Azam and Abduljauwad, 2000).

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The major factors affecting the swelling of such soils are mainly concerned with the physical properties of
the particles and the mass of soil, such as initial water content, type of clay mineral, initial dry density, clay
content, type of coarse grained fraction (El-Sohby and El- Sayed, 1981).
It is of the purpose of this paper to investigate an equation for a quick prediction of swell pressures of clayey
soils from easily determined some soil properties. For this reason, Bentonite-Kaolinite clay mixtures were
prepared to obtain soils in a wide range of plasticity indices. Swell pressures were directly measured from
the constant volume swell tests performed on statically compacted specimens with varying properties. The
dependence of the swell pressure on the soil properties, namely, initial water content, initial dry density and
plasticity index was examined. Swell pressure was correlated to the soil properties, using multiple regression
analyses. The analyses have confirmed the existence of strong correlations between the swell pressure and
the soil properties. The correlations revealed a simple regression equation for a quick prediction of swell
pressures from easily determined soil properties.

EXPERIMENTAL WORK
In order to obtain clays possessing a wide range of plasticity index commercially processed kaolinite and
bentonite mineral clays were mixed in preselected proportions. The composition and the consistency limits
of the five clay mixtures are shown in Table 1.
Table 1. The composition and the consistency limits of the five clay mixtures used

Clay mixture
type

Kaolinite
% by weight

Bentonite
% by weight

LL (wL) PL (wP) PI (Ip)

(%)
(%)
(%)

1
2
3
4
5

95.24
90.91
86.96
83.33
80.00

4.76
9.09
13.04
16.67
20.00

50
70
88
105
118

20
20
20
21
21

30
50
68
84
87

LL or wL: liquid limit, PL or wP: plastic limit, PI or Ip: plasticity index

Editor's note: This paper uses the old metric system unit of kg/cm2 which is equal to approximately 100 kPa
in SI (the use of kg, the mass unit, as if it were a force, is unacceptable in SI).
Standard constant volume swell tests (ASTM D-4546) were performed on statically compacted samples of
the clay mixtures with intial water contents of 10, 15, 20, and 25% and having initial dry densities of 1.5,
1.6, 1.7, and 1.8 g/cm3 in conventional oedometer cells; and the swell pressures of each specimen,
possessing plasticity indices, initial water contents and initial dry densities, were directly measured.
The dependence of the swell pressure on both the initial dry density and the plasticity index is shown in Fig.
1 for samples at an intial water content of 15%. The data trends were similar for the entire range of initial
water contents covered, indicating that an increase in the plasticity index or an increase in the initial dry
density results in a higher swell pressure value for samples having the same initial water content. Similar
results were observed by El-Sohby and El-Sayed (1981) and Erol and Dhowian (1990).

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Figure 1. The dependence of the swell pressure on the initial dry density
and the plasticity index for samples at an intial water content of 15%.
The relationship between initial water content and swell pressure is shown in Fig. 2 for the clay mixture with
plasticity index of 84. The figure shows that the initial water content has a small or no effect on the swell
pressure for samples at an initial water content less than the plastic limit, which is 20 for the clay mixture in
the figure. The figure also shows that for samples at an initial water content at or above the plastic limit the
swell pressure decreased with an increase in the water content. The data trends were similar for the entire
range of plasticity indices covered.

Figure 2. The relationship between initial water content and

swell pressure for the clay mixture with plasticity index of 84.

ANALYSIS OF TEST RESULTS

The multiple regression analyses were carried out to correlate the logarithm of the measured swell pressures
to the soil properties, namely, initial water content and initial dry density, and revealed the results as shown
in Table 2. In equations 1 to 5 in Table 2, PS is the swell pressure in kg/cm2; dry is the initial dry density in
g/cm3; w is the initial water content in %; R is the coefficient of multiple determination; and Std. Dev. is the
standard deviation. The same units and symbols will be used in subsequent analysis.These analyses with
high coefficients of multiple determination confirm the existence of strong correlations between the
logarithm swell pressure and the soil properties IP, w and dry.

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Table 2. Equations obtained from the correlation of swell pressures

to the initial dry density and the initial water content.

PI or Ip (%) Equation

R (%) Std. Dev. (%) Equation no.

30

log Ps = 5.424 + 3.084 dry 0.0247 w 85.3 15.6

50

log Ps = 4.785 + 2.862 dry 0.0215 w 91.6 11.4

68

log Ps = 3.689 + 2.310 dry 0.0150 w 96.0 6.1

84

log Ps = 3.083 + 2.033 dry 0.0128 w 98.1 3.7

97

log Ps = 2.681 + 1.853 dry 0.0117 w 98.8 2.7

As the values of the initial water content exceed the plastic limit its influence on the swell pressure is
significant, as mentioned before. The liquidity index (IL) combines consistency limits and the in-situ
moisture content of the soil (Lambe and Whitman, 1969). So, the liquidity index value of each specimen was
calculated. Then, the dependence of the swell pressure on the soil properties IL and dry was investigated.
The multiple regression analyses carried out to correlate the logarithm of the swell pressures to the two soil
properties IL and dry revealed the results as shown in Table 3. These analyses with high coefficients of
multiple determination confirm the existence of strong correlations between the logarithm swell pressure and
the soil properties IP, IL and dry.
Table 3. Equations obtained from the correlation of swell pressures
to the initial dry density and the liquidity index.

PI or IP (%) Equation

R (%) Std. Dev. (%) Equation no.

30

log Ps = 5.914 + 3.082 dry 0.736 IL 85.2 15.7

50

log Ps = 5.210 + 2.859 dry 1.077 IL 91.4 11.5

68

log Ps = 3.995 + 2.315 dry 0.989 IL 95.7 6.3

84

log Ps = 3.357 + 2.037 dry 1.072 IL 98.0 3.8

97

log Ps = 2.929 + 1.854 dry 1.116 IL 98.6 2.8

10

Combined analyses including the entire range of the plasticity indices revealed the following correlations:

log Ps = 4.812 + 0.01405 PI + 2.394 dry 0.0163 wi

10.9%

R2 = 94.1%

log Ps = 5.197 + 0.01457 PI + 2.408 dry 0.819 IL R2 = 93.8%

11.2%

Std.Dev. =

Std. Dev. =

(11)

(12)

These results with high coefficients of multiple determination confirm the existence of strong correlations
between the logarithm swell pressure and the soil properties. The swell pressures obtained from Equation 11
are compared with the measured swell pressures in Fig. 3. The data trends in the figure indicates that there is
a good agreement between the measured and predicted swell pressures.
In addition, the dependence of the swell pressure on two soil properties, namely, plasticity index and initial
dry density, was investigated. The multiple regression analyses carried out to correlate the logarith of the
swell pressures to the two soil properties IP and dry revealed the following equation:

log Ps = 5.020 + 0.01383 PI + 2.356 dry

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R2 = 89.6% Std. Dev. = 14.4%

(13)

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Equations 11, 12 and 13 reveal high coefficients of multiple correlation of R2 = 94.1%, R2 = 93.8% and R2 =
89.6%, respectively, indicating strong correlations between the swell pressure and soil properties. However,
Equations 11 and 12 has three soil properties while Equation 13 has two soil properties. So, it is expected
that the swell pressure of a clayey soil could be predicted using Equation 13 from easily determined soil
properties, namely, plasticity index and initial dry density.

Figure 3. Comparison of measured/predicted swell pressures.

CONCLUSIONS
The data trends and the statistical analysis presented throught the study reveals the following:
1. The swell pressure is strongly dependent on initial dry density and plasticity index, but less affected by
initial water content.
2. Significant correlations exist between the swell pressure and the soil properties, and revealed a simple
regression equation for a quick prediction of swell pressures from easily determined soil properties.

REFERENCES
1. Al-Mhaidip, A., 1999. Swelling behavior of expansive shales from the middle region of Saudi Arabia.
Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, Vol. 16, pp. 291-307.
2. ASTM, 1990. Test methods for one-dimensional swell or settlement potential of cohesive soils.
ASTM Method D.
3. Azam, S. and S.N. Abduljauwad, 2000. Influence of gypsification on engineering behavior of
expansive clay. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Vol.126, No. 6, pp. 538542.
4. Dhowian A., Orhan Erol, and Abdulfattah, Y., 1988. Evaluation of expansive soils and foundation
methodology in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology,
Riyad.
5. El- Sohby, M.A. and A. R. El-Sayed, 1981. Some factors affecting swelling of clayey soils.
Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 12, pp. 19-39.
6. El- Sohby, M.A. and A. R. El-Sayed, 1983. Mineralogy and swelling of expansive clayey soils.
Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 14, pp. 79-87.
7. Erol, O. and A. Dhowian, 1990. Swell behavior of arid climate shales from Saudi Arabia, QJEG,
Vol.23, pp. 243-254.

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8. Komornik, A. and D. David, 1969. Prediction of swelling pressure of clays. Journal of SMFE Div.,
ASCE, Vol. 95, No. SM1, pp. 209-225.
9. Lambe, T.W. and R.W. Whitman, 1969. Soil Mechanics.John Wiley and Sons, Inc., N.Y.

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