Non-linear Settlements in Unsaturated Soils in Cuba

Abstract

Unsaturated soils are currently experiencing a boom in their study, which is due to the development of laboratory techniques, whether direct or indirect; that allow measuring suction as a parameter that modifies the tense-deformational state of the soil. In Cuban conditions, the indirect filter paper technique provides satisfactory results, since among the methods used to measure suction, it is the only one that measures the total and matrix suction of the soil, and it is also a key aspect to study the deformational stress behavior. of unsaturated soils. In the present investigation, the physical-mechanical properties of unsaturated soil are used in the geotechnical design of an isolated foundation with vertical load centered by the limit state method; with the purpose of achieving a decrease in the area of ​​the foundation base, with respect to the saturated soil. On the other hand, by making an adjustment to the analytical method of Malishev and Nikitina for the characteristics of unsaturated soils, non-linear settlements will be determined.