Abstract
It is nowadays well reported that collapsible soils spread in many countries, including United States, Russia, China, South America (e.g. Brazil), South and North Africa (e.g. Egypt, Algeria), Middle East (e.g. Saudi Arabia) and many countries in Eastern Europe. In general, collapsible soils are located in arid and semi-arid regions around the world. This special type of soil is characterized by abrupt reduction in strength, excessive and sudden settlement when it becomes wet leading to failure of the structure. Construction on such a kind of soil is one of the prominent problems in geotechnical engineering. The main objectives of this study are reporting geological and geotechnical zonation maps for potentially collapsible soils in inhabited areas in Egypt. Furthermore, a design technique for foundations built on a shallow depth of Egyptian macro-porous collapsible soils (less than 4 m) is developed. The design method includes a design chart for soil collapse field classification in terms of the most governing parameters, a method for foundation settlement estimation based on a correlation between the wetting-induced collapse strain and the applied pressure, and a design practice to guide practicing engineers to select the appropriate foundation system to construct on such soil with a great degree of confidence and safety.
Highlights
Soil collapse forms a major hazard in many parts of the world
Collapsible soils are located in arid and semi-arid regions around the world. This special type of soil is characterized by abrupt reduction in strength, excessive and sudden settlement when it becomes wet leading to failure of the structure
A design technique for foundations built on a shallow depth of Egyptian macro-porous collapsible soils is developed
Summary
Soil collapse forms a major hazard in many parts of the world. Human activities continue to increase in regions underlain by collapsible soils, so that the hazards posed, and the economic impacts are increasing in both relative and absolute terms. In Egypt, recent extensions of urban communities towards the desert have exposed the Egyptian engineer to relatively new geotechnical challenges, among which is the collapsible soils. Construction of foundations on collapsible soil is considered one of the outstanding problems in geotechnical engineering. It could be difficult, costly or sometimes even impossible to modify the design of railway tracks, highways or power supply lines in order to avoid the area where such a soil is found. Construction on collapsible soil in its natural state without special precautions may cause dramatic and undesired results
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