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.