Modelling of Climate Induced Moisture Variations and Subsequent Ground Movements in Expansive Soils

Abstract

Expansive behaviour of soil in response to moisture changes is a significant issue for lightly loaded structures. Recent reports have shown more than 4000 houses in Victoria, Australia have been damaged due to abnormal moisture changes beneath footings. For design purposes, the moisture change due to climate is crucial. This paper provides details of modelling of climate induced soil moisture changes and subsequent ground movements. The soil moisture variation due to climate was modelled using Vadose/w for two sites in Melbourne, Australia. The model was validated against the regular measurements from the field. The predicted soil moistures from the Vadose/w model were used to predict the po..