Review of the effect of sand on the behavior of expansive clayey soils

Abstract

Clayey soils often showed undesirable engineering behavior such as low bearing capacity, swelling and shrinkage characteristics. However, chemical improvement, thermal improvement and improvement by additives like lime, cement and sand offer an efficient technique to overcome the problems resulting from Expansive soils. This paper presents a review of the swelling behavior of sand-clay mixtures as well as the effect of sand on the physical and mechanical characteristics of expansive soils. Results highlight the importance of sand in improving the behavior of expansive soils. Finally, the most important general conclusions about the behavior of expansive soils and suggestions for future researches are highlighted.