Experimental Research on Lateral Restricted Swelling Strain of Expansive Soil

Mechanical and deformation characters of expansive soil specimens subjected to lateral restricted loaded experiment were analyzed by related theory of elastic mechanics. A formula for calculating swelling coefficient of expansive soils was conducted under condition of non-loaded experiment. In succession, a formula for calculating lateral loaded swelling ratio of expansive soils varying with moisture content and upper load was established by adopting lateral restricted loaded swelling experiment. It shows that, upper loads can restrict swelling deformation, while the other conditions unchanged, the greater the upper loads, the smaller the swelling ratio; expansive soil is sensitive to change of water content which is direct cause of soil swelling strain generation; loaded swelling ratio is closely related to absorption moisture content, and they are in direct proportion to (w−w0). At last, a measuring method of coefficient of moisture swelling was established by adopting lateral restricted non-loaded swelling experiment in the light of expansive soils in a selected road section, and an advice was put forward for embankment construction of the road.