This course presents guidance and information for the geotechnical investigation necessary for the selection and design of foundations for heavy and light military-type buildings constructed in expansive clay soil areas. The information in this manual is generally applicable to many types of structures such as residences, warehouses, and multistory buildings. Emphasis is given to the maintenance of an environment that encourages constant moisture conditions in the foundation soils during and following construction. Special attention must always be given to specific requirements of the structure such as limitations on allowable differential movement.
a. The guidance and information provided in this manual can significantly reduce the risk of undesirable and severe damages to many structures for numerous expansive soil conditions. However, complete solutions for some expansive soil problems are not yet available; e.g., the depth and amount of future soil moisture
b. This manual presents guidance for selecting economical foundations on expansive soil to minimize structural distress to within tolerable levels and guidance for minimizing problems that may occur in structures on expansive soils.
We will be covering Army Corps of Engineers document "Foundations in Expansive Soils" chapters 1-4. In this chapter we will be discussing recognition of problem areas, field exploration, and laboratory investigations.
