Swelling pressure of sodium montmorillonites

Abstract

Determination of the swelling pressure of montmorillonitic clays is required in many situations concerned with stability problems of foundations, retaining walls, slope stability of embankments and excavations in expansive soils. Recently expansive soils such as bentonite have been used as a mixture backfill material, for example as backfill material for nuclear waste disposal systems, for which a knowledge of the swelling pressure is desirable. This is the pressure required to keep the clay–water system at the required void ratio when it is allowed to absorb water or electrolyte. If the pressure is less than the swelling pressure, volume expansion occurs.