Review of methods for predicting in situ volume change movement of expansive soil over time

The soil movement information over time is required for the design of foundations placed in expansive soils. This information is also helpful for the assessment of pre-wetting and controlled wetting mitigation alternatives for expansive soils. Several researchers during the past fifteen years have proposed different methods for the prediction of the soil movements over time. The available methods can be categorized into (i) consolidation theory-based methods, (ii) water content-based methods, and (iii) suction-based methods. In this paper, a state-of-the-art of the prediction methods is succinctly summarized. The methods are critically reviewed in terms of their predictive capacity along with their strengths and limitations. The review highlights the need for prediction methods that are conceptually simple yet efficient for use in conventional engineering practice for different types of expansive soils.