Engineering geology for society and territory. Volume 6. Applied geology for major engineering projects / Инженерная геология для общества и территории. Том 6. Прикладная геология для крупных инженерных проектов.

It is customary to analyze the behavior of foundations under the implicit assumption that the ground will suffer deformations and settle as a result of the increasing load transmitted by a construction in progress. Usually an estimation has to be made of the final movements to be expected in the construction (whether a building or a public work) in the short or in the long term.

Unfortunately, certain soils may exhibit large volume changes upon variations in moisture content, even while under constant external load. Since this affects completed structures under service (closed structures) and the resulting foundation movements progress rapidly, noticeable cracking occurs. If no remedial action is adopted, the pathology is prone to increase because the changes in moisture content occur seasonally. <...>