Abstract
Abstract Recently developed gypsiferous soils areas have posed unprecedented Problems in construction. Structures, buildings, leaking canals, and pipe works have cracked, tilted, and collapsed due to drop of strength and settlement on soaking: and in cases of continuous water seepage to foundations the soils were washed away. Immediate and long term continuous settlements are characteristic of gypsiferous soils: more over, sites' heterogeneity makes the design of foundations all the more difficult. On the other hand, the apparent strength of these soils, when they are dry, has led to errors which have eventually led to cracks and failures of many structures. It is the aim of this paper to describe the basic engineering characteristics of these soils in terms of normal consolidation, as well as long term settlement behaviour under stress. It is recomnended that foundation pits should be kept dry during foundation construction: further, low hearing capacity values in design should be adopted to minimize settlement as well as creep of soils in both dry and wet situations.
Published Version
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