Correlation Between Linear Shrinkage Value, Soil Parameters, and Soil Desiccation Cracking Pattern

Abstrak

Soil is one of the commonly used materials in construction. However, saturated clayey soil tends to shrink and crack when it experiences a drying process. Desiccation crack on the soil surfaces could reduce soil stability and strength, and at the same time, increases the compressibility and hydraulic conductivity of the soil. Therefore, understanding the nature of desiccation crack formation and shrinkage in the soil is essential. So that soil improvements can be made on soils that have a significant shrinkage potential and are prone to forming desiccation crack. This research was conducted to determine the relationship between the value of linear shrinkage of soil, soil physical parameters, and desiccation crack patterns in Bandung Raya. Desiccation cracking image will be processed using the Crack Image Analysis System  (CIAS)  program. The desiccation cracking test is conducted using an acrylic mold ±16 cm x ±16 cm x ±1 cm at the temperature of 40 °C. This research shows that the soil with the most significant potential for shrinkage and desiccation cracking is the soil with a high plasticity index value and a high percentage of fine grains. The greater the value of linear shrinkage, the soil tends to have a larger surface crack area, plasticity index value, and a more significant percentage of fine grains. In addition, although the desiccation cracking pattern that appeared on the surface looked diverse and distinct, the value of the surface crack ratio is similar due to the same soil materials and drying conditions.