Damage of Reinforced Concrete Structure due to Severe Soil Expansion

In Irbid City, Jordan, foundation designs made before 1983 were based on bearing capacity criteria with a limited knowledge of high shrink/swell soil problems. The use of wide and shallow foundation systems was generally the practice rather than the exception in this area. Lack of structural rigidit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of performance of constructed facilities 2002-02, Vol.16 (1), p.33-41
Main Authors: Nusier, Osama K, Alawneh, Ahmed Shlash
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Building failures (cracks, physical changes, etc.)
Building structure
Buildings. Public works
Construction (buildings and works)
Durability. Pathology. Repairing. Maintenance
Exact sciences and technology
Geotechnics
Jordan, Irbid City
Reinforced concrete structure
Structure-soil interaction
TECHNICAL PAPERS
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Summary:In Irbid City, Jordan, foundation designs made before 1983 were based on bearing capacity criteria with a limited knowledge of high shrink/swell soil problems. The use of wide and shallow foundation systems was generally the practice rather than the exception in this area. Lack of structural rigidity and insufficient dead load pressure of the foundation systems used in the Irbid area where soils of high shrink/swell are present often cause serious problems related to the performance of constructed facilities. This paper presents a case study typical of a severely cracked one-story reinforced concrete (RC) building constructed over the expansive clay of Irbid City. The building is founded on a mat foundation (solid RC structural slab) embedded at a shallow depth and bearing directly on expansive clay. It is unfortunate that the high shrink/swell potential of the foundation soil had not been recognized properly in the design stage. Based on field and laboratory investigations, remedial construction for the damaged building was proposed. The proposed remedial construction was performed, and more than 10 months have elapsed since the remedial work was completed, with the performance of the building in perfect condition.
ISSN:0887-3828
1943-5509
DOI:10.1061/(ASCE)0887-3828(2002)16:1(33)