Expansive Soil Foundation Practice in a Semiarid Region
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Volume 31, Issue 5
Abstract
Expansive soils are known to be a serious hazard to buildings and the infrastructure industry. Saudi Arabia is located in a semiarid region where extremely dry expansive formations are frequently inundated by either household drainage or rainfall and storms. This review is aimed at investigating the procedures and methods used in variable parts of a semiarid region (Saudi Arabia) as applied by the municipalities or project owners to prevent or at least reduce the potential hazards of expansive soils. The work covers an extensive review of the published literature on the subject related to Saudi Arabia. Tabuk and Northwestern areas are among the most affected parts. The city has grown and expanded in recent decades as many major projects were constructed. The economic loss due to expansive soils in Saudi Arabia is estimated in hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars. Various solutions practiced in this area are presented. Discussion of alternative approaches can serve as a useful guide for the engineering communities and contractors. Highlights of the successful approaches in the region are shown.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge Engineer Abdullah Bugshan Research Chair in Expansive Soils, King Saud University, for funding this study and survey. The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for funding this work through the Research Chair Program of King Saud University.
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Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 31 • Issue 5 • October 2017
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©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 29, 2016
Accepted: Mar 29, 2017
Published online: Jun 20, 2017
Published in print: Oct 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Nov 20, 2017
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