{"id":16587,"date":"2018-05-30T15:32:37","date_gmt":"2018-05-30T15:32:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy?page_id=16587"},"modified":"2025-11-28T14:17:05","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T20:17:05","slug":"expansive-soils","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/expansive-soils\/","title":{"rendered":"Expansive Soils"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>What are Expansive Soils?<\/h1>\n<div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" title=\"Expansive Soils\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px auto;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_Trdnpn7IywQ\"><div id=\"lyte_Trdnpn7IywQ\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FTrdnpn7IywQ%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\">Expansive Soils<\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Trdnpn7IywQ\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FTrdnpn7IywQ%2F0.jpg\" alt=\"Expansive Soils\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px auto;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"accordion\"><input id=\"transcript\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"transcript\">Transcript<\/label>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"transcript-spoiler\">\n<p>Expansive soils, which are also known as <strong>swelling soils<\/strong>, are soils that assume a general volume increase when subjected to moisture. Basically, when water reaches these soils the soil soaks it up and expands.<\/p>\n<p>Now the reason for this is that these swelling soils always contain clay minerals that attract and absorb water, so it&#8217;s these clay minerals that cause these soils to be expansive. Now, in many cases these expansive soils are buried under a layer of <strong>topsoil<\/strong> or dense vegetation.<\/p>\n<p>Many times, geotechnical engineering firms, civil engineering firms, or sometimes construction companies will drill holes to collect samples. Then, these samples can be taken or sent to a lab where swelling potential is determined.<\/p>\n<p>Now some places have a really high concentration of swelling soils, and there there&#8217;s a possibility that it could be required by law to have this laboratory analysis go on, it may be required by law for swelling potential to be determined.<\/p>\n<p>A way to deal with the problems that expansive soils can bring about is by <strong>dewatering foundations of structures<\/strong>. Now another type of swelling material is known as swelling bedrock, so it&#8217;s similar to expansive soils, and swelling bedrock contains a rock called claystone.<\/p>\n<p>When water is absorbed these clays or bedrock experience a large increase in internal pressure or an expansion of volume. That&#8217;s a look at expansive soils.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What are Expansive Soils?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-16587","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"page_category-geology-videos","6":"page_type-video","7":"page_domain-science"},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.8 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Expansive soils are highly absorbent soils, often with clay content, that swell up and absorb lots of water. 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