Challenges to modelling heave in expansive soils

There are challenges associated with the numerical modelling of unsaturated expansive soils. The challenges are primarily related to the quantification of the void ratio constitutive surface, the characterization of the void ratio constitutive surface at low stresses and (or) suction, and the solution of coupled equations with several nonlinear unsaturated soil property functions. This study suggests that the void ratio constitutive surface of an expansive soil subject to a monotonic wetting path can be estimated from volume change indices obtained from conventional laboratory tests. The constitutive surfaces for both the soil structure and the water phase can be described using mathematical equations that allow net normal stress and suction to be reduced to zero. The solutions for two typical volume change problems are presented using both a coupled approach and an uncoupled approach. The first example problem simulates water leakage from a pipe under a flexible cover. The second example problem simulates the infiltration of water at ground surface. The results of the analyses are in accordance with anticipated behaviour. The results also show that the answers from an uncoupled analysis compared well with those from a coupled analysis. It is suggested that an uncoupled analysis may be adequate for most prediction of heave problems involving unsaturated expansive soils.Key words: heave prediction, numerical modelling, expansive soil, constitutive surface, uncoupled analysis, matric suction.