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Shallow foundations on expansive soils: a case study of the El Viso Geotechnical Unit, Salamanca, Spain

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Abstract

Construction on expansive soils can generally be resolved using piles. Where shallow foundations are used in these materials, the swelling pressure should be determined and the foundations designed to provide a greater pressure to counteract this. Clearly, it will also be necessary to determine the capacity of the ground to take this load. The paper discusses the bearing capacity of unsaturated expansive soils for a given suction value and notes the bearing capacity was increased by 26% when the effect of suction was taken into account. However, an increase in the water content would cause a decrease in suction and hence a decrease in the bearing capacity.

Résumé

La construction sur sols gonflants peut généralement être réalisée à l’aide de pieux. Là où des fondations peu profondes sont mises en œuvre dans ces matériaux, la pression de gonflement devrait être déterminée et les fondations dimensionnées pour apporter une pression supérieure permettant de contrebalancer celle-là. Clairement, il est aussi nécessaire de déterminer la capacité du terrain à supporter ce chargement. L’article discute de la capacité portante de sols gonflants non saturés présentant une valeur de succion donnée et note que la capacité portante est augmentée de 26% quand les effets de la succion sont pris en compte. Cependant, une augmentation de teneur en eau entraînerait une diminution de la succion et de ce fait de la capacité portante.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been funded by the Regional Government of Castile & Leon through Research Project SA093A07.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Geología, EPS Zamora, Universidad de Salamanca, Avd. Requejo 33, 49022, Zamora, Spain

    Mariano Yenes & Serafín Monterrubio

  2. Investigación y Control de Calidad, S.A. Parque Tecnológico de Boecillo R-2, 47151, Valladolid, Boecillo, Spain

    José Nespereira

  3. Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Salamanca, Plaza de la Merced s/n, 37008, Salamanca, Spain

    José A. Blanco & Mercedes Suárez

  4. Grupo ComsaEmte, Edificio Numancia 1, Viriato, 47, 08014, Barcelona, Spain

    Carlos Iglesias

Authors
  1. Mariano Yenes
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  2. José Nespereira
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  3. José A. Blanco
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  4. Mercedes Suárez
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  5. Serafín Monterrubio
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  6. Carlos Iglesias
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Correspondence to Mariano Yenes.

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Yenes, M., Nespereira, J., Blanco, J.A. et al. Shallow foundations on expansive soils: a case study of the El Viso Geotechnical Unit, Salamanca, Spain. Bull Eng Geol Environ 71, 51–59 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-010-0337-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-010-0337-4

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