Swell Characteristics of Natural and Treated Compacted Clays
Mohammed Shukri Al-Zoubi
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the swell characteristics of a highly plastic clay in its natural state
and after this clay was separately treated with potassium and calcium chlorides. Free
swell tests were conducted on these three (natural and treated) soils at two different
temperatures (26°C and 40°C) This study shows that a linear relationship exists between
the percent free swell and the liquid limit for the tested soils at given water content, dry
density, and temperature and also shows that these soils are not susceptible to expansion
when the liquid limit drops below about 40 % regardless of the initial states of water
content and dry density as well as test temperature. This study confirms that the percent
free swell may reliably be modelled by a rectangular hyperbolic equation as a function of
time and liquid limit. The influence of temperature on the swell potential are observed to
be dependent on initial compaction states.