Numerical modeling, characterization and monitoring of the seasonal behavior of expansive clays

Seasonal ground movements associated with the swelling and shrinking of expansive clays represent a major cause of damage to buildings, roads, and pipelines. The processes that give rise to these movements involve complex ground-atmosphere interactions (due to combined effects of infiltration and evaporation), combined with highly non-linear hydraulic and mechanical properties of partially saturated clay. This thesis presents an integrated study to measure and interpret long-term ground movements at a greenfield test site in Mustang Ridge (MR), Texas, adjacent to toll road SH130. The site is underlain by almost 12 m of high plasticity (montmorillonite-rich) clay. We designed and installed an autonomous field station that measures local weather conditions together with sub-surface water contents, using WCR reflectometers, and deformations, through a novel system of string-pot potentiometers.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctoral

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2020

Author dc:creator

• Rosa Montenegro, Ivo.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Andrew J. Whittle.

• Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• MIT theses may be protected by copyright. Please reuse MIT thesis content according to the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy, which is available through the URL provided.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/129904

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/129904