Experimental studies on the measurement of all-round swell pressure in expansive soils

Expansive soils, when wetted, exert swell pressure on the structures built over them, often leading to damage. To quantify this additional pressure, researchers have often measured the vertical and lateral swell pressure. However, when expansive soils surround the structures in all directions, measuring the all-round swell pressure becomes more appropriate. In this context, an Isotropic - Pressure Monitoring Device (I-PMD) was employed in the present study for the measurement of all-round swell pressure for the soils C1, C2, C3, and C4 by wetting them from different initial states at constant volume conditions and was observed to be in the range of 20 kPa to 850 kPa. Also, comparative studies have been performed to comprehend the significance of all-round swell pressure measurement over conventional methods. Additionally, a relationship was proposed to predict the all-round swell pressure of the soil based on its vertical swell pressure measured by conventional methods.