A MODEL OF UNSATURATED CLAY STRUCTURE AND ITS APPLICATION TO SWELL BEHAVIOUR

An unsaturated clay soil is considered to exist as A conglomerate of packets of soil particles, with the packets completely saturated, and inter-packet voids filled with air. This concept has allowed prediction of aspects of swell behaviour, and has indicated interrelationships between the variables moisture content, suction, external load and void ratio. The model is discussed, and the relative importance of physico-chemical and capillary tension forces examined. Results of tests on several soils show that the concept has general application. (a). For the covering abstract of the conference, see IRRD abstract no. 218081. /TRRL/