A double structure model for hydro-mechano-chemical behavior of expansive soils based on the surface phenomena of mineral crystals

Abstract

It is well known that the typical swelling behavior of expansive soils is mainly caused by the nanoscale electrochemical phenomena on the surface of their main constituent mineral (i.e., smectite). In this study, the hydro-mechano-chemical (HMC) model for unsaturated expansive soils, which combines the macroscale soil skeleton behavior and the nanoscale interlaminar behavior of mineral crystals based on the surface phenomena is proposed within a double structure framework. The soil skeleton behavior is modeled using the Cam clay type model based on Bishop's effective stress, which considers the degree of saturation-induced hardening. Thus, it is capable of describing hydraulic collapse. Furthermore, the interlaminar behavior is demonstrated through the interlaminar force equilibrium of clay mineral crystals. To describe the swelling process during wetting, namely the crystalline and osmotic swellings, the hydration and osmotic forces acting on the mineral crystals are related to the degree of saturation. Through simulations of a series of the suction-controlled oedometer tests and the swelling pressure tests with various solutions for FEBEX bentonite, it is indicated that the proposed model demonstrates that it can comprehensively describe the typical HMC behavior of expansive soils.