From Collapse to Cutting-Edge

In areas across the U.S., particularly those that are arid or semiarid, expansive clayey soils pose many infrastructure challenges. These soils present in highway embankments such as cut sections, which undergo volume changes with the seasons. During wet periods, they swell significantly due to moisture absorption, while in dry seasons, they shrink and experience cracks that can extend to depths of 10 ft or more. The persistent cycle of swelling and shrinking, driven by weather conditions, affects not only the soil's physical properties, but also its mechanical strength properties. The development of surficial soil cracks can exacerbate the potential for slope failure when the cracks become filled with water during rainfall events. Failure of embankment slopes can cause distress to infrastructure — for example, to the roads built over them — that leads to increased maintenance costs and expensive repairs. Studies have shown that the embankment soil's permeability can increase drastically after just a few cycles of wetting and drying, leading to more rapid water infiltration. This process significantly weakens the soil's shear strength, which is crucial for maintaining the stability of highway embankments and cut slopes.