Study of the mechanical behavior of swelling and highly compacted clays in road construction

Abstract

Clays considered “problematic” swelling clay soils in the construction of road infrastructures. They generally associated with high compression, high plasticity, and evolutionary behavior. The objective of this article is to study the mechanical behavior of swelling clays and particularly a clay from the Kenitra region. To do this, samples taken from the main clay sites in the region. They then subjected to several series of tests in the laboratory, namely identification tests and mechanical tests (shear test and odometer compressibility test). The results obtained show that the clays studied exhibit very different behaviors. Indeed, the clays of Sidi Slimane, Sidi Kacem and Ouazzane have very interesting mechanical characteristics and can offered in their natural state as road materials, at least for pavements. Ouazzane clay, on the other hand, has very swelling mechanical characteristics (Cg = 0.06), and clay from Sidi Slimane (Cg = 0.04) and Sidi Kacem (Cg = 0.05) and cannot be used in its raw state. Natural without any treatment.