Engineering Characteristics of Arid Soils

Soils formed or now existing under arid climatic conditions cover more than one-third of the world's land surface. Many have unique characteristics which can pose difficult geotechnical problems. This text considers these problems and suggests ways of overcoming them.

Table of Contents:
Preface -- 1 Arid environments and descriptions of arid soils -- General report: Arid environments and description of arid soils /A.Warren -- Overview of geotechnical problems in Basilicata, Italy, resulting from extensive desiccation of clay strata /E.N.Bromhead, M.Del Prete, H.M.Rendell & L.Coppola -- Keynote lecture: Salt attack on buildings and other structures in arid lands /A.S.Goudie -- Corrosiveness of the arid saline soil in China /Hong Naifeng -- Playas: New ideas on hostile environments /A.Millington -- Rivers and their deposits-Cinderella's of the arid realm /I.Reid -- Sand dunes: Highly mobile and unstable surfaces /A.Warren -- 2 Classification of arid soils -- General report: Classification of arid soils for engineering purposes /J H.Atkinson -- The FAQ /UNESCO outline soil map for Africa -A possible basis for geotechnical classification /Al Bashir Assallay & l.J.Smalley -- Geotechnical soils mapping for construction purposes in Central Saudi Arabia /J.S.Griffiths, P.G.Fookes, A.D.Hardingham & R.D.Barsby -- Technical note: Development of an engineering description of cemented arid soils and calcrete duricrusts /A.D.Hardingham -- Engineering characteristics of arid soils /Izhar-ul-Haq & Sohail Kibria -- Classification of expansive soils in arid regions: Thermogravimetric investigation of smectite content /I.Jefferson & l.J.Smalley -- Keynote lecture: Classification of arid soils for engineering purposes An engineering approach /C.D.F.Rogers, T.A.Dijkstra & l.J.Smalley -- Classification of arid soils for engineering purposes: A pedological approach /I.J.Smalley, T.A.Dijkstra & C.D.F.Rogers -- Classification of arid soils for specific purposes /I.J.Smalley, T.A.Dijkstra & C.D.F.Rogers -- Engineering soil classification of the loess of Gansu, China- Based on sedimentary properties: Relationships to geotechnical behaviour /Wang Jingtai & E.Derbyshire -- 3 Engineering behaviour and properties of arid soils General report: Engineering behaviour and properties of arid soils /S.J.Wheeler -- Keynote lecture: On the mechanical behaviour of arid soils /E.E.Alonso & A.Gens -- Deposition and the behaviour of partially saturated silt /T.Amirsoleymani -- An alternative approach to the understanding of the collapse mechanism in desert sands, loess and other collapsing soils /M.E.Barton -- Keynote lecture: The geotechnical behaviour of arid and semi-arid zone soils Southern African experience /G.E.Blight -- Collapse of soil structure /J.Feda -- Mechanical behaviour of an unsaturated loam on the oedometric path /J.M.Fleureau & S.Taibi -- Expansive soils: TRL's research strategy /C.S.Gourley, D.Newill & H.D.Schreiner -- An investigation into the use of dune sand in concrete /E.A. Kay & J.P.H.Frearson -- Keynote lecture: Some engineering behaviour and properties of arid soils /A.Komornik -- Mechanical properties of gypsum soils /V.P.Petrukhin -- A new device for the direct measurement of soil suction over a wide range /A.M.Ridley & J.R.Burland -- Soil suction measurement with the transistor psychrometer /I.A.Woodburn -- 4 Case histories of construction and.field investigation in arid soils -- General report /S.L.Houston -- Drilling expansive mudstone in an undeveloped arid area /A.W.Cook -- A foundation code for problematic arid soils /A.M.Elleboudy -- Geotechnical characteristics of some carbonate sands in the Fezzan Sahara /P.G.Fookes & J.S.Gahir -- The unique Lisan soils as engineering materials /D.J.Knight -- Field wetting tests on a collapsible soil fill /A.Kropp, S.Houston & D.McMahon -- TRL research on road construction in arid areas /D.Newill & M.J.O'Connell -- Experience of arid soils on the Great Man-made River Project in Libya /Z.M.Nyirenda & H.R.Samuel -- Expansive clay road embankments in arid areas: Moisture-suction conditions /M.J.O'Connell & C.S.Gourley -- Collapse of an aeolian sandy clay caused by seepage /R.H.G.Parry -- Technical note on the investigation of a building failure on swelling soils /A.D.Robinshaw -- The Teton Dam failure (Idaho, USA, 1970) /C.D.F.Rogers, T.A.Dijkstra & l.l.Smalley -- Wind-blown fine sand in sub-Saharan Northern Nigeria and its influence on dam design and performance /C.J.Sammons -- In-situ investigations of horizontal subsidence deformations /A.Y. Shmuelyan -- Expansive clay soils and their effects on a factory building in the Sudan /N.A.Trenter -- Problems on saline soil foundations in arid zone of China /Xu Youzai -- Author index.

About the Author :
Winchester, Hampshire, UK. ISSMFE, Cambridge, UK.