Water retention curves and tensile strength for studying desiccation cracking of compacted clay soils

Desiccation cracking is a natural phenomenon caused by drying in near-surface earth soils subjected to constrained shrinkage. In this research, the water retention curve of two clayey soils, prepared compaction under standard proctor conditions, are determined study desiccation cracking. Two techniques suction control applied process and reach soils. For values higher than 4 MPa, saline-solution method was used impose variousrelative humidity so, various suctions. addition, osmotic for between 0.5 MPa 2 MPa. Additionally, dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) technique corroborate curves obtained with other techniques. The volume changes also tracked showing significant shrinkage upon drying. To tensile strength soil, Braziliantest performed on samples submitted According results, tested soil plasticity index shows consistently capacity larger Also, exhibit smooth transition when change (at suctions MPa).