A study on collapse potential of a soil

This monograph presents is a parametric study on the collapse behaviour of a lateritic silt. Collapsible soils are problematic by nature. They undergo collapse or a sudden settlement or subsidence under a given stress when their water content is increased. Collapse can also occur at a constant water content when the applied stress is increased. Collapse takes place in these soils mainly because their structure becomes unstable and collapses. Collapsible soils are basically silty soils and obtain their name as ¿collapsible soils¿ because they undergo collapse or sudden settlement or subsidence under a constant stress when water content is increased, or at a constant water content when the applied stress is increased. Collapse compression is highly detrimental to civil engineering structures as they can be subjected to huge amounts of unexpected and sudden settlement.