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Annually, there is an estimated $7 billion in damage caused by clay shrink-swell soils. [11] All this damage is caused by the force exerted by expanding soil, or ground heave. Expansive soils are the most problematic in regions with very defined wet and dry periods, as opposed to areas that maintain a certain level of moisture throughout the ...
Expansive clays have an expanding crystal lattice in a 2:1 ratio; however, there are 2:1 non-expansive clays. [2] Mitigation of the effects of expansive clay on structures built in areas with expansive clays is a major challenge in geotechnical engineering. Some areas mitigate foundation cracking by watering around the foundation with a soaker ...
Vertisols have a high content of expansive clay minerals, many of them belonging to the montmorillonites that form deep cracks in drier seasons or years. In a phenomenon known as argillipedoturbation, alternate shrinking and swelling causes self-ploughing, where the soil material consistently mixes itself, causing some vertisols to have an extremely deep A horizon and no B horizon.
A common method to reduce future swelling in expansive soils is to subject the soil to wetting and drying cycles prior to construction of the lining. [6] Lab testing has shown that subjecting a clayey soil to wetting and drying cycles leads to a hysteresis of shrinkage in the soil, significantly reducing its free swelling potential. [7]
The expansive wetlands in South Florida have long had a reputation for being rich in biodiversity and brimming with wildlife. ... or soil samples to detect the presence and abundance of a species ...
Photograph taken 21 March 2010 in Norwich, Vermont. Frost heaving (or a frost heave) is an upwards swelling of soil during freezing conditions caused by an increasing presence of ice as it grows towards the surface, upwards from the depth in the soil where freezing temperatures have penetrated into the soil (the freezing front or freezing boundary).
Widespread destruction from the L.A. fires was inevitable, given the drought and winds. Still, the region could have been better prepared.
In the past 15 years, sinkhole damage has cost an average of $300 million a year in the United States. A sinkhole that formed on the eastbound side of I-80 near Wharton, New Jersey caused traffic ...