EXPANSIVE SOILS- THE HIDDEN DISASTER

Each year, shrinking or swelling soils inflict at least $2.3 billion in damages to houses, buildings, roads, and pipelines-- more than twice the damage from floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes. Yet Washington continues to spend billions of dollars for flood control, but almost nothing to lessen damages from swelling soils. When they are dry, expansive soils are hard and strong, often badly cracking structures built on them. While expansion is more of a problem in arid and semi-arid areas, shrinkage caused by dessication can affect structures in areas with sizeable precipitation. Over 250,000 new homes are built on expansive soils each year; 10% of these will experience severe damage during their lifetime. Expansive soils also damage multi-story buildings. Walls may not be heavy enough to resist soil swelling (uplifting). The same walls are most vulnerable if supporting soil dries out and shrinks, removing wall support.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/10480594
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Civil Engineers

  345 East 47th Street
  New York, NY  United States  10017-2398
• Authors:
  • Jones Jr, D E
  • Holtz, W G
• Publication Date: 1973-8

Media Info

• Features: Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 49-51
• Serial:
  • Civil Engineering
  • Volume: 43
  • Issue Number: 8
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
  • ISSN: 0885-7024
  • Serial URL: http://www.pubs.asce.org/ceonline/newce/html

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Arid land; Cracking; Loss and damage; Shrinkage; Swelling soils
• Old TRIS Terms: Shrinkage cracks
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00260433
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 11 1974 12:00AM