Investigation on Cracking Characteristics of Fine-Grained Soils Under Varied Environmental Conditions

Abstract

Several theories and models that define cracking characteristics of fine-grained soils have been proposed by earlier researchers. However, it has been realized that cracking characteristics of these soils are mainly influenced by the environmental conditions to which they are exposed and on their mineralogical composition. To demonstrate this, investigations were conducted on soils of entirely different characteristics and their cracking characteristics, under varied environmental conditions, resorting to “image analysis.” Based on the study, it has been observed that the cracking characteristics of fine-grained soils, defined as a function of evaporation rate, depend on the soil type (i.e., its mineralogy), environmental conditions, and the thickness of the specimen.