1

SLOPE CREEP TREATMENT ON EXPANSIVE SOIL USING SLOPE

STABILIZED COLUMN AND FIBRE BLANKET, GUANGXI ZHUANG
AUTONOMOUS REGION, CHINA

Mohammad Ariff Bin Adnan

Nik Hani Nazihah Binti Nik Mohamad Azhar
Norsyalifa Binti Mohamad
Noor Syakira Binti Bachok
Nur Aqila Binti Suhaimi
Noradilah Binti Sayon
UNIVERSITI TUN HUSSEIN ONN MALAYSIA

1.0 Introduction
1.1 Initial Introduction
Soil is porous medium that has developed in the uppermost layer of the Earth’s crust. Soil is one of the principal
substrata of life on Earth, serving as a reservoir of water and nutrients, as a medium for the filtration and breakdown
of injurious wastes, and as a participant in the cycling of carbon and other elements through the global ecosystem. It
has evolved through weathering processes driven by biological, climatic, geologic, and topographic influences.
Each place has its own characteristics of soil which depends on the minerals’ content. In this study, we
carried out study to make ground improvement on problematic soil. There are many problematic soils such as
collapsible soil, liquefiable soil, soft soil, marshy soil and expansive soil.
In construction, it is compulsory that the soil has enough strength to bear the burden of load on it to avoid
any hazardous incidents on that soil. Soil failure may break construction of project from the ground only. During
construction, soil becomes loose and lost it stability. One of the common soil failures is slope creep. Slope creep is
slow downslope movement of particles that occurs on every slope covered with loose, weathered material. It means
that, the constructed slope start to fall from its location, it may be worse if there is high amount of soil move
downwards. Therefore, factor of safety of slope stability must be considered in any construction involves slope.
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1.2 Location of Study

Our location of study is Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. This is because there is a research article that
has been found entitled “Surficial Failure of Expansive Soil Cutting Slope and Its Flexible Support Treatment
Technology”. The journal said that the shear strength parameters at different water contents, dry densities, and dry-
wet cycles of expansive soil are obtained. The failure of expansive soil slopes, especially surficial failure, is one of
the most serious geological disasters that frequently occurs during the construction of highways, railways, and
hydraulic engineering projects in expansive soil areas in China

1.3 Problem Statement

Slope is one of the geological topography in the world either it is natural on mans’ made. Usually, slope was
constructed in order to connect land that is not in the same level such as housing land to roadway. In Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, a journal proved out that they have expansive soil on their region earth surface
and it has landslide incident occurred along roadways and railways. Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
received high amount of precipitation during April to October and also received snowfall on January. Precipitation
and snow are the elements that took effect on expansive soil to swell and shrink. But, for constructing slope,
presence of too much water (majority from precipitation) might cause the volume and burden increase in soil and
causes to slope creep.

Figure 1.1: Slope CreepGuangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China

1.4 Objective of Study

i. To apply slope stabilized column and fibre blanket in order to construct best slope in Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region, China/
ii. To expose the method of ground improvement towards students.
iii. To enhance student skill and knowledge in Geotechnical Engineering.
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1.5 Important of Study

The important of this study is to ensure that the slope that will be constructed is not hazardous to surrounding. Civil
engineers evaluate slope stability on the following premise and if a slope is stable enough to resist movement, then it
is considered stable; whereas if the movement is too strong for a slope, then it is considered unstable. There are a
number of elements that factor into determining slope stability and are analyzed through a series of tests by civil
engineers. Four of the most prominent factors include:
i. Relief – height differences amongst the slope’s terrain
ii. Material Strength – the strength of material used in creating the slope
iii. Soil Water Content – relative amount of water in the soil surrounding the slope
iv. Vegetation – plants and vegetation covering and/or surrounding the slope area
Another factor which civil engineers must keep in mind is whether they are interested in determining short-
term stability, long-term stability, or both. In either of these cases, civil engineers will need to evaluate the soil and
determine if there is potential for slippage or sliding. In analysing for long-term stability, engineers will also need to
consider a number of factors, such as evaluating the potential quality of the soil in five or ten years or potential
environmental events that could rupture or alter the soil
Therefore, our study is about having high height of slope’s terrain and presence of high amount water
content in expansive soil that might affecting the slope towards slope creep.

Figure 1.2: Expansive Soil Slope

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2.0 Methodology
2.1 Introduction
The methodology of this study is to describe the method, procedure, and analysis that will be used during this study.
It also shows us the rough step to undergo the studies smoothly. The Flow Chart of the research process is as shown
in Figure 2.1.

START

LITERATURE REVIEW

TOPIC SELECTION

“Slope creep treatment on expansive soil

using slope stabilized column and fibre
blanket, Guangxi Zhuang Region, China”

PROBLEM STATEMENT

OBJECTIVE

EXPANSIVE SOIL CHARACTERISTIC

SOLUTION

FINISH

Figure 2.1: Project Methodology Flow Chart

2.2 Summary of Methodology

Methodologies of this research are totally find case study, article and journal about expansive soil, fibre blanket and
slope stabilized column, after that the researcher doing analysis and comparing between the information given to
make it more easy understanding. The researcher started with literature review, which is more to read journal about
the expansive soil, fibre blanket and slope stabilized column. Next, the researcher selected the topic “slope creep
treatment on expansive soil using slope stabilized column and fibre blanket, at Guangxi Zhuang Region, China”. In
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, a journal proved out that they have expansive soil on their region
earth surface and it has landslide incident occurred along roadways and railways. That’s why the researcher come to
recommend to apply treatment on expansive soil using slope stabilized and fibre blanket, to overcome the problem
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expansive soil. In this research, the characteristics of expansive soil need to understand much to give a true solution
which is economic and suitable in ground improvement.

3.0 Expansive Soil Characteristic

3.1 General Characteristic of Expansive Soil
Expansive soil is a kind special cohesive soil the kind of the soil can significantly become to soften after it absorbs
water, and it also can become to contract after it losses water. It is a kind of strong hydrophilic mineral geological
body that was formed in the process of long-term natural geological historical role. Expansive soil contain mineral
that can absorb water, the more of this clay a soil contains the higher its swell potential and the more water it can
absorb. As a result, these materials swell, and thus increase in volume, when they get wet and shrink when they dry.
The more water they absorb the more their volume increases, for the most expansive clays expansions of 10% are
not uncommon Clay content of expansive soil is high the free expansion rate is commonly more than 40%.
Expansive soil has not only the commonness of clay, but also having its own particularity.
Expansive soil has a specialty that it can be repeated deformation of wet bilge and drying shrinkage. The
expansive soils also have multiple fractures, over consolidation, swelling, collapse, weathering properties, the
intensity attenuation. For example swell-shrink of expansive soil caused the destruction of buildings because of
having repeatability and long-term potential hazards for many times, often can cause disasters to human beings.
Potential expansive soils can typically be recognized in lab by their plastic properties. Inorganic clays of high
plasticity, generally those with liquid limits exceeding 50 percent and plasticity index over 30, usually have high
inherent swelling capacity. Expansion of soils can also be measured in the lab directly by immersing a remolded soil
sample and measuring its volume change.
In the field, expansive clay soils can be easily recognized in the dry season by the deep cracks in roughly
polygonal patterns in the ground surface. The zone of seasonal moisture content fluctuation can extend from three to
forty feet deep. This creates cyclic shrink or swell behavior in the upper portion of the soil column and crack can
extend to much greater depths than imagined by most engineers.

Figure 2.1: Polygonal pattern of surface cracks in the dry season

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3.2 Swell - Shrink Behavior

The swell - shrink potential of expansive soils is determined by its initial water content; void ratio; internal structure
and vertical stresses, as well as the type and amount of clay minerals in the soil. Swelling pressures can cause
heaving, or lifting, of structures whilst shrinkage can cause differential settlement. Failure results when the volume
changes are unevenly distributed beneath the foundation.
Generally, the larger the amount of these minerals presents in the soil, the greater the expansive potential.
However, these expansive effects may become ‘diluted’ by the presence of other non-swelling minerals such as
quartz and carbonate. Swelling and shrinkage are not fully reversible processes. The process of shrinkage causes
cracks, which on re-wetting, do not close-up perfectly and hence cause the soil to bulk-out slightly, and also allow
enhanced access to water for the swelling process.

3.2.1 Factors Influencing Swelling

The swell potential of expansive soil may be affected by either the soil properties influencing the nature of the
internal force field, the environmental factors those may change the internal force system or the state of stress
present on the soil. Some physical factors such as initial water content, initial density,amount and type of
compaction also influence the swell potential and swell parameters of soils.

3.2.2 Soil Properties Influencing Swell Potential

There is some potential that influencing swell potential in expansive soil;
i. Clay Mineralogy - Clay minerals which typically cause soil volume changes are montmorillonites,
vermiculates, and some mixed layer minerals. Illites and Kaolinites are frequently inexpansive, but can
cause volume changes.
ii. Soil Water Chemistry - Swelling is repressed by increased cation concentration and increased cation
valence.
iii. Soil Suction - Soil suction is an independent effective stress variable, represented by the negative pore
pressure in unsaturated soils. Soil suction is related to saturation, gravity, pore size and shape, surface
tension, and electrical and chemical characteristics of the soil particles and water.
iv. Plasticity - In general, soils that exhibit plastic behavior over wide ranges of moisture content and that
have high liquid limits have greater potential for swelling and shrinkage.
v. Dry Density - Higher densities usually indicate closer particle spacing, which may mean greater repulsive
forces between particles and larger swelling potential.

3.2.3 Environmental Factors Affecting Swell Potential

Environmental factor affecting swell potential in expansive soil;
i. Initial Moisture Content - A desiccated expansive soil will have high affinity for water, or higher suction
than the same soil at higher water content, lower suction. Conversely, a wet soil profile will looses water
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more readily on exposure to drying influences, and shrink more than a relatively dry initial profile. The
initial soil suction must be considered in conjunction with the expected range of final suction conditions.
ii. Moisture Variations
Changes in moisture in the active zone near the upper part of the profile primarily define heave, it is in
those layers that the widest variation in moisture and volume change will occur.
iii. Climate - Amount and variation of precipitation and evapotranspiration greatly influence the moisture
availability and depth of seasonal moisture fluctuation. Greatest seasonal heave occurs in semiarid climates
that have short wet periods.
iv. Groundwater - Shallow water tables provide source of moisture and fluctuating water tables contribute to
moisture.
v. Drainage - Surface drainage features, such as ponding around a poorly graded house foundation, provide
sources of water at the surface; leaky plumbing can give the soil access to water at greater depth.
vi. Vegetation - Trees, shrubs, and grasses deplete moisture from the soil through transpiration, and cause the
soil to be differentially wetted in areas of varying vegetation.
vii. Permeability - Soils with higher permeability, particularly due to fissures and cracks in the field soil mass,
allow faster migration of water and promote faster rates of swell.
viii. Temperature - Increasing temperatures cause moisture to diffuse to cooler areas beneath pavements and
building.

3.3 Mechanism of Failure of Slope in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China

The increase in water content and water film thickness of clay particles in soils will decrease the strength of soils.
Overburden pressures significantly influence the amount of water absorbed by the soils, and hence smaller
overburden pressures lead to higher soil water absorption capacities. Therefore, it is evident that the water film
between the clay particles subjected to lower overburden pressures will be thicker and the dry densities will be
lower. When the soil absorbs water in dry conditions, most of the gases in soils could be discharged in the form of
bubbles. This process may affect the action on the soil skeleton, resulting in microcracks in some weak bonding
positions of clay particles.
During the process of repeated wet and dry cycles, the occurrence of a large number of macro- and
microcracks, which gradually decreases from the surface of the slope to the interior of the active zone in-situ,
destroys the integrity, identity, and continuity of the soil mass. Alternatively, the continuous accumulation of the
plastic strain will cause losses in cohesion of shear strength resulting from the bonding of clay particles. The
cementation effect caused by the iron and manganese oxides existing in the natural samples may be destroyed,
resulting in a loose structure. In addition, the natural original structure or the bonding of the soil might be
irreversibly broken down by wet-dry cycles, especially for the soils in the surficial layer of the slope.
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4.0 Findings
4.1 Erosion Control Blankets
Land degradation causes high erosion rates as a consequence of agriculture, grazing, mining, forest fires or
deforestation and this causes economic, social and environmental damage. However, the largest erosion rates and
the most degraded soils are usually found in areas affected by development, infrastructure or urbanization. Civil
engineering projects often result in slopes with expansive soils, which is highly vulnerable to soil erosion, caused by
either impact energy from raindrops or by surface run-off. The necessity of protecting the soil is non-negligible.
Various methods of erosion control are accessible to geotechnical experts and civil engineers, according to
their economic and aesthetic implications. The main principle of any erosion control measure is to reduce the
impacts of raindrops and slow down soil particle movement. To accomplish this, the establishment of permanent
vegetative cover on bare soil is the most efficient, aesthetically pleasing and simplest method for long-term erosion
control. However, vegetation does not occur instantaneously; hence, in the short term, immediately after seeding and
until vegetation becomes established, soil remains vulnerable to erosion.
These practices involve the application of organic materials to form a temporary, protective soil cover.
They can be implemented as a pre- made blanket or applied loose as a mulch. When selected and applied correctly,
they are the most effective, practical means of controlling runoff and erosion on disturbed land prior to vegetation
establishment. Erosion control blankets are especially useful in critical areas, such as swales, long channels and
slopes steeper than 3:1. Various types of netting materials are also available to anchor organic mulches. Timely
establishment of a good stand of vegetation is critical for limiting soil erosion.
Erosion Control Blankets can be effective in minimizing the erosive effect of rainfall when used to cover
bare or newly planted soil. Their use stabilizes the soil to protect new plantings and reduces the potential for
introducing sediment into storm water run-off. Erosion Control Blankets can be specified by designers for
protection of newly graded slopes, open areas, or drainage swales to allow germination of seed mixes and plantings.
Erosion Control Blankets are biodegradable materials that can be used to protect disturbed slope and channel areas
from wind and water erosion. The blanket materials are natural materials such as straw, wood excelsior, coconut, or
are geotextile synthetic woven materials such as polypropylene.

4.1.1 Material Selection

There are many types of erosion control blankets and mats, and selection of the appropriate type shall be based on
the specific type of application and site conditions.
i. Geotextiles
Material shall be a woven polypropylene fabric with minimum thickness of 1.5 mm (0.06 inch), minimum
width of 3.7 m (12 ft) and shall have minimum tensile strength of 0.67 kN (warp) 0.36 kN (fill) in
conformance with the requirements in ASTM Designation: D 4632. Geotextile blankets shall be secured in
place with wire staples or sandbags and by keying into tops of slopes and edges to prevent infiltration of
surface waters under Geotextile. Geotextiles may be reused if they are suitable for the use intended.
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ii. Plastic Covers

Plastic sheeting shall have a minimum thickness of 6 mil and shall be keyed in at the top of slope and
firmly held in place with sandbags or other weights placed no more than 3 m (10 ft) apart. All sheeting
shall be inspected periodically after installation and after significant rainstorms to check for erosion,
undermining, and anchorage failure. Any failures shall be repaired immediately. If washout or breakages
occurs, the material shall be re-installed after repairing the damage to the slope.
iii. Erosion Control Blankets (Biodegradable rolled erosion control products)
Biodegradable rolled erosion control products are typically composed of jute fibres, curled wood fibres,
straw, coconut fibre, or a combination of these materials. For rolled erosion control products to be
considered 100% biodegradable, the netting, sewing or adhesive system that holds the biodegradable mulch
fibres together must also be biodegradable.

a) Jute is a natural fibre that is made into a yarn, which is loosely woven into a
biodegradable mesh. It is designed to be used in conjunction with vegetation and has
longevity of approximately one year. The material is supplied in rolled strips.
b) Excelsior (curled wood fibre) blanket material shall consist of machine produced mats
of curled wood excelsior with 80 percent of the fibre. The excelsior blanket shall be of
consistent thickness. The wood fibre shall be evenly distributed over the entire area of the
blanket. The top surface of the blanket shall be covered with a photodegradable extruded
plastic mesh. The blanket shall be smoulder resistant without the use of chemical
additives and shall be non-toxic and non-injurious to plant and animal life.
c) Straw blanket shall be machine-produced mats of straw with a lightweight
biodegradable netting top layer. The straw shall be attached to the netting with
biodegradable thread or glue strips. The straw blanket shall be of consistent thickness.
The straw shall be evenly distributed over the entire area of the blanket.
d) Wood fibre blanket is composed of biodegradable fibre mulch with extruded plastic
netting held together with adhesives. The material is designed to enhance revegetation.
e) Coconut fibre blanket shall be machine-produced mats of 100% coconut fibre with
biodegradable netting on the top and bottom. The coconut fibre shall be attached to the
netting with biodegradable thread or glue strips. The coconut fibre blanket shall be of
consistent thickness. The coconut fibre shall be evenly distributed over the entire area of
the blanket.
f) Coconut fibre mesh is a thin permeable membrane made from coconut or corn fibre that
is spun into a yarn and woven into a biodegradable mat. It is designed to be used in
conjunction with vegetation and typically has longevity of several years.
g) Straw coconut fibre blanket shall be machine-produced mats of 70% straw and 30%
coconut fibre with a biodegradable netting top layer and a biodegradable bottom net. The
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straw and coconut fibre shall be attached to the netting with biodegradable thread or glue
strips. The straw coconut fibre blanket shall be of consistent thickness. The straw and
coconut fibre shall be evenly distributed over the entire area of the blanket.

iv. Erosion Control Blankets (Non-Biodegradable rolled erosion control products)

Non-Biodegradable rolled erosion control products are typically composed of polypropylene, polyethylene,
nylon or other synthetic fibres. In some cases, a combination of biodegradable and synthetic fibres is used
to construct the Non-Biodegradable rolled erosion control products. Netting used to hold these fibres
together is typically non-biodegradable as well.

a. Plastic netting is a lightweight biaxially-oriented netting designed for securing loose

mulches like straw to soil surfaces to establish vegetation. The netting is
photodegradable. The netting is supplied in rolled strips, which shall be secured with
U-shaped staples or stakes in accordance with manufacturers’ recommendations.
b. Plastic mesh is an open-weave geotextile that is composed of an extruded synthetic
fibre woven into a mesh with an opening size of less than 0.5 cm (0.2 inch). It is used
with revegetation or may be used to secure loose fibre such as straw to the ground.
The material is supplied in rolled strips, which shall be secured to the soil with U-
shaped staples or stakes in accordance with manufacturers’ recommendations.
c. Synthetic fibre with netting is a mat that is composed of durable synthetic fibres
treated to resist chemicals and ultraviolet light. The mat is a dense, three-dimensional
mesh of synthetic (typically polyolefin) fibres stitched between two polypropylene
nets. The mats are designed to be revegetated and provide a permanent composite
system of soil, roots, and geometric. The material is furnished in rolled strips, which
shall be secured with U-shaped staples or stakes in accordance with manufacturers’
recommendations.
d. Bonded synthetic fibres consist of a three-dimensional geometric nylon (or other
synthetic) matting. Typically, it has more than 90% open area, which facilitates root
growth. Its tough root-reinforcing system anchors vegetation and protects against
hydraulic lift and shear forces created by high volume discharges. It can be installed
over prepared soil, followed by seeding into the mat. Once vegetated, it becomes an
invisible composite system of soil, roots, and geometric. The material is furnished in
rolled strips that shall be secured with U-shaped staples or stakes in accordance with
manufacturers’ recommendations.
e. Combination synthetic and biodegradable rolled erosion control products
consist of biodegradable fibres, such as wood fibre or coconut fibre, with a heavy
polypropylene net stitched to the top and a high-strength continuous filament
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geometric or net stitched to the bottom. The material is designed to enhance

revegetation. The material is furnished in rolled strips, which shall be secured with
U-shaped staples or stakes in accordance with manufacturers’ recommendations.

4.1.2 Advantages of fibres blanket

i. Effective for controlling erosion and stabilizing soil during and after land alteration activities.
ii. Foster the growth of vegetation, reduce evaporation, insulate the soil, and suppress weed growth.
iii. Protect the soil surface from the forces of raindrop impact and overland flow.
iv. Reduce flow velocities.
v. Reduce soil moisture loss.
vi. Prevent crusting and sealing of the soil surfaces.

4.1.3 Erosion Control Blankets / Fabrics

Erosion control blankets used for establishing and reinforcing vegetation on slopes, ditch bottoms and shorelines.
Several categories are provided with different service application and specific uses as shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Fabric Categories

i. Category 1 is a temporary fabric used on flat areas, and around drain outlets and consists of
straw and/or wood fibre with rapidly degradable netting on one side.
ii. Category 2 is suitable for one season use on slopes of 1:3 and steeper that are less than 50 feet
long and consists of straw and/or wood fibre with netting on one side.
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iii. Category 3 is suitable for one season use on slopes of 1:3 and steeper and more than 50 feet
and consists of straw and/or wood fibre with netting on two sides.
iv. Category 4 is used for semi-permanent applications on ditches with gradients 4% or less and
flow velocities less than 15 fps and consists of straw/coconut and wood fibre with netting on
two sides.
v. Category 5 is used for semi-permanent applications on ditches with gradients 8% or less and
flow velocities less than 15 fps and consists of coconut fibre with netting on two sides.

Fibre Material: Erosion-control blankets should consist of a uniform web of interlocking fibres with net backing.
The blanket should be of uniform thickness, with the material fibres being evenly distributed over the area of the
blanket. The blankets should be porous enough to promote plant growth yet shield the underlying soil surface from
erosion. All material should have been properly cured to achievecurled and barbed fibres. All blankets should be
smoulder resistant.

4.1.4 Jute Mat as Erosion Control Blankets

Jute mat is a natural fibrous yarn product, in which the jute fibres are needle punched into a biodegradable mat
Available in various sizes, thicknesses and material densities. Jute Mat was designed to stabilise the soil while
vegetation establishes and suppress weeds while allowing water and some light (depending on the thickness of the
mat) to penetrate It can be cut easily to provide holes to planting of tube stock. The product lifespan varies from 6 to
36 months depending on thickness and density of material. It is not suitable for moderate to high traffic areas or
intertidal areas.
Constant inundation, physical abrasion, microbial activity and UV exposure increase the decay of the
matting.Jute matting is suitable for both residential and commercial uses, environmentally friendly and easy to
install.Jute works best on small, steep hillsides, but jute can also be used without mulch on flat areas to reduce dust
and enhance germination.
Apply jute matting in overlapping vertical rows up and down the slope, never horizontally along the
contour.Jute is an organic material that will slowly degrade, fertilizing the new seedlings while improving soil
quality.
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Figure 1: Jute Mat

4.2 Soil Stabilized Column
Soil stabilization aims at improving soil strength and increasing resistance to softening by water through bonding the
soil particles together, water proofing the particles or combination of the two. Usually, the technology provides an
alternative provision structural solution to a practical problem. The simplest stabilization processes are compaction
and drainage. The other process is by improving gradation of particle size and further improvements can be achieved
by adding binders to the weak soils. Soil stabilization can be accomplished by several methods. All these methods
fall into two broad categories.

i. Mechanical Stabilization
Soil stabilization can be achieved through physical process by altering the physical nature of native soil
particles by either induced vibration or compaction or by incorporating other physical properties such as
barriers and nailing. Mechanical stabilization is not the main subject of this review and will not be further
discussed.

ii. Chemical stabilization

Soil stabilization depends mainly on chemical reactions between stabilizer (cementitious material) and soil
minerals (pozzolanic materials) to achieve the desired effect.

Through soil stabilization, unbound materials can be stabilized with cementitious materials (cement, lime, fly ash,
bitumen or combination of these). The stabilized soil materials have a higher strength, lower permeability and lower
compressibility than the native soil.
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4.2.1 Components of Stabilization

Soil stabilization involves the use of stabilizing agents (binder materials) in weak soils to improve its geotechnical
properties such as compressibility, strength, permeability and durability. The components of stabilization technology
include soils and or soil minerals and stabilizing agent or binders (cementitious materials).
i. Soils
Most of stabilization has to be undertaken in soils in order to achieve desirable engineering properties.
ii. Stabilizing Agents
These are hydraulic (primary binders) or non-hydraulic (secondary binders) materials that when in contact
with water or in the presence of pozzolanic minerals reacts with water to form cementitious composite
materials. The commonly used binders are:
a) Cement
b) Lime
c) Fly ash
d) Blast furnace slag

4.2.2 Factors Affecting the Strength of Stabilized Soil

Presence of organic matters, sulphates, sulphides and carbon dioxide in the stabilized soils may contribute to
undesirable strength of stabilized materials.
i. Organic Matter
Top layers of most soil constitute large amount of organic matters.Soil organic matters react with hydration
product e.g. calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) resulting into low pH value. The resulting low pH value may
retard the hydration process and affect the hardening of stabilized soils making it difficult or impossible to
compact.
ii. Sulphates
The use of calcium-based stabilizer in sulphate-rich soils causes the stabilized sulphate rich soil in the
presence of excess moisture to react and form calcium sulphoaluminate (ettringite) and or thamausite, the
product which occupy a greater volume than the combined volume of reactants.
iii. Compaction
In practice, the effect of addition of binder to the density of soil is of significant importance. Stabilized
mixture has lower maximum dry density than that of unstabilized soil for a given degree of
compaction.Any delay in compaction may result in hardening of stabilized soil mass and therefore extra
compaction effort may be required to bring the same effect. That may lead to serious bond breakage and
hence loss of strength.
iv. Moisture Content
In stabilized soils, enough moisture content is essential not only for hydration process to proceed but also
for efficient compaction. Insufficient moisture content will cause binders to 12 compete with soils in order
to gain these amounts of moisture.
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4.2.3 Slope Stabilized with Deep Cement Mixed Column (DCM)

One effective ground improvement technique that is widely used for embankments on expansive soil is the use of
deep cement mixing (DCM) columns.DCM technique involves injecting cement and/or lime additives in either
slurry or powdered form into the ground and mixing the additive or additives with native soil with mixing blades to
form hard treated soil columns.
DCM columns can also be used for purposes other than embankment stabilization; permanent slope stabilization is
an example of another use.DCM columns were effectively used to improve the stability of road embankments along
canals.Deep mixed cement columns have also been increasingly combined with other technologies such as
geosynthetic reinforcement, PVDs and rigid piles.
DCM column are used to increase bearing capacity, reduce settlement, enhance slope stability, provide lateral
support, contain water and pollutant movement, mitigate liquefaction, and reduce vibration. For slope stabilization
with piles/columns (also referred to herein as column) the depth of column tip, measured from the natural ground
level, influences the amount of lateral movement that occurs in slope. In general, the depth of the column tip is
required to be greater than the critical failure surface depth to obtain sufficient passive resistances.
To determine the minimum DCM columns row depth to use in first analysis, the potential failure surface depth of an
unstabilized slope was first investigated. DCM columns are typically arranged in four different patterns as shown in
figure 2.

Figure 2: Patterns of columns

a) Individual column
Individual columns are used when area replacement ratio is relatively low. Individual columns have been
used to increase bearing capacity and reduce settlement.
b) Block
Block pattern is used to carry significant vertical and/or horizontal loads when a high area replacement
ratio is needed. Block pattern has been used to improve the stability of large marine structures.
c) Wall
Commonly used as a retaining wall for lateral support, a seepage wall to cut off seepage, a curtain wall to
contain waste materials, or wall perpendicular to the centreline of the embankment to increase the stability.
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d) Grid
Grid pattern is between the wall pattern and the block patter. It can be used for the application suitable for
wall and block patterns. A unique application of the grid pattern is to mitigate liquefaction of sandy soils.

5.0 Conclusion and Recommendation

5.1 CONCLUSION
Based on the study on Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, expansive soil, the stability of expansive soil
cutting slope was analyzed and the application of flexible support treatment measure was described, and the
following conclusions can be drawn:
1) The shear strength envelope of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, expansive soil subjected to
repeated wet-dry cycles with loading is nonlinear and can be well fitted by a generalized power function.
The occurrence of the surficial failure of expansive soil cutting slopes is very different from general clays.
This is because the shear strength of the expansive soil decreases significantly due to the effect of wet-dry
cycles. This decrease in the effective cohesion especially is considerable, and it can even be close to or
equals zero.
2) When analyzing the stability of expansive soil cutting slopes, the selection of shear strength parameters
must consider the combined effects of wet-dry cycles and low stress. The results of slope stability, achieved
using nonlinear shear strength parameters are basically consistent with the actual conditions, indicating that
the method is reasonable and reliable. The application of practical engineering methods for treatment
expansive soil cutting slopes proves that the slope stabilized column and fibre blanket is effective and
environment friendly.

People study the expansive soil cracking mechanizations using mechanics principle and derivate and establish the
calculation model of crack depth, but all of the models are directed against the crack initial depth. Actually, the
expansive soil crack increases and deepens under drying and wetting circle, the crack tends to be stable finally.
Stability analysis of expansive soil slope involved in crack depth should be based on the crack depth, but no one
shows any interest in the crack depth theoretical prediction model under changing environment.
Expansive soil deposits occur in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world and are problematic to
engineering structures because of their tendency to swell during wet season and shrink during dry season. Expansive
soils are soils that experience significant volume change associated with changes in water contents. The Swelling
potential of the expansive soil mainly depends upon the properties of soil and environmental factors. Expansive soils
present significant geotechnical and structural engineering challenges the world over, with costs associated with
expansive behavior estimated to run into several billion annually. Expansive soils are a worldwide problem that
poses several challenges for civil engineers. They are considered a potential natural hazard, which can cause
extensive damage to structures if not adequately treated. Expansive soils cause more damage to structures,
particularly light buildings and pavements, than any other natural hazard, including earthquakes and floods.
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Control and Mitigation of the swell-shrink behavior of expansive soil have been investigated in this article.
Control of the swell-shrink behavior can be accomplished in several ways, for example by Replace existing
expansive soil with non-expansive soil, Maintain constant moisture content and improve the expansive soils by
stabilization.

5.2 Recommendation
The description of the components of a national slope creep hazards mitigation strategy in the USGS proposal is
brief. The committee concludes that a more complete discussion of the comparative importance of each element of
the proposed national strategy is required and a sense of priorities must be presented. The recommendations
presented in the following:
1. The committee recommends that a national for slope creep loss reduction promote the use of risk
analysis techniques to guide loss reduction efforts at the state and local levels.
Because the state of the art of national slope creep risk analysis is evolving, further development of risk
analysis methods, and documentation and dissemination of their use, are important components of the
research and application program for a national slope creep strategy. Use of risk analysis for guiding
appropriate choice of lope creep loss reduction tools should be an important element of the technical
assistance and outreach programs provided state, local, and nongovernmental entities. Development of
guidelines and standards concerning best practices and promotion of those practices at state and local levels
of government are important aspects of the proposed federal strategy.
2. The national slope creep hazards mitigation program must play a vital role in evaluating methods,
setting standards, and advancing procedures and guidelines for landslide of slope hazard maps and
assessments.
National slope creep information gathering and mapping should be undertaken within the proposed
partnerships. The program must establish appropriate standards and procedures for the collection, long-term
management, and maintenance of this information. Metadata must be associated with all data collected
under the auspices of the program, in accordance with national spatial data infrastructure protocols. Hazard
zonation mapping must be developed for multiple mapping scales by utilizing best available technologies.
Accurate terrain information is essential, and the slope creep hazard mapping program must be based on the
highest-resolution topographic data.
3. In order to provide tools for slope creep hazard mitigation, it will be necessary to conduct basic
research on monitoring techniques and on aspects of slope creep process mechanics.
An integrated research program is recommended in which intensive field studies are used to
i.Improve site and laboratory characterization techniques;
ii.Develop new field monitoring methods;
iii.Obtain greater understanding of failure of slope and movement mechanisms; and
iv.Develop and test models to predict failure timing, location, and ultimate mass displacement.
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Studies of debris flows, bedrock slides, and submarine slope creep deserve greatest attention. Innovative
remote-sensing technologies are now offering researchers the possibility of rapid and detailed detection and
monitoring of slope creep. Additional support to exploit these new technologies and develop practical tools
for a broad user community is needed.

Improved education and awareness of slope creep hazards and mitigation options, for decision makers,
professionals, and the general public, must be primary components of national slope creep hazard mitigation
program.
Collecting and disseminating information about slope creep hazards to federal, state, and local government
agencies and nongovernmental organizations, planners, policy makers, and private citizens in a form useful for
planning and decision making is critically important to an effective mitigation program. Such education and
awareness efforts will be most effective if implemented at the outset of the program. If the national slope creep
hazard mitigation program is to materialize, broad-based acceptance, participation, and support are essential to its
success.