Collapsible clayey soils in the north-eastern region of Venezuela

José I. Amundaray, Alvaro Boiero

In the proceedings of: GEO2011: 64th Canadian Geotechnical Conference, 14th Pan-American Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 5th Pan-American Conference on Teaching and Learning of Geotechnical Engineering

Session: Keynote/Theme Papers

ABSTRACT: In Venezuela, collapsible soils are encountered mainly in the West of the country, especially in the south plains of the states of Anzoátegui and Monagas, and in the south region of the Orinoco River, from the city of Ciudad Bolívar to city of Puerto Ordaz. These soils typically require special treatments to avoid the use of expensive foundation systems. Recently, extensive deposits of collapsible soils have been found in the industrial area called Jose, where even though intense industrial construction activity has been developed, the existence of collapsible soils was not known. In this work, the characteristics of collapsible soils from this region are described, as well as the methods recommended for field exploration, in situ, and laboratory testing. Useful correlations are proposed for the identification and treatment of these soils. The main objectives of this article are to make the geotechnical community aware of the presence and potential risks of collapsible soils in this region, as well as to provide tools for their recognition and treatment.

RESUMEN: En Venezuela, los suelos colapsables se encuentran principalmente en el oeste del país, especialmente en las llanuras del sur de los estados Anzoátegui y Monagas, y además en la región al sur del río Orinoco, desde Ciudad Bolívar hasta Puerto Ordaz. Estos suelos por lo general requieren tratamientos especiales para evitar el uso de sistemas de fundación costosos. Recientemente, extensos depósitos de suelos colapsables han sido encontrados en la zona industrial de José, donde a pesar de una intensa actividad de construcción industrial, la existencia de suelos colapsables no se conocía. Este trabajo describe las características de los suelos colapsables de esta región, así como los métodos recomendados para su exploración en campo, y los ensayos de campo y de laboratorio. Además, se proponen correlaciones útiles para la identificación y el tratamiento de estos suelos. Los principales objetivos de éste artículo son el hacer la comunidad geotécnica consciente de la presencia y riesgos potenciales de los suelos colapsables en esta región, y el proporcionar herramientas para su reconocimiento y su tratamiento.

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Cite this article:
José I. Amundaray; Alvaro Boiero (2011) Collapsible clayey soils in the north-eastern region of Venezuela in GEO2011. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Geotechnical Society.

@article{GEO11Paper1203,author = José I. Amundaray; Alvaro Boiero ,title = Collapsible clayey soils in the north-eastern region of Venezuela ,year = 2011}