Evaluation of damage to a road and sports complex on expansive clays

Abstract

The paper discusses a road rehabilitation project and a sports complex, where the underlying in situ materials were typical African black cotton soils known for their expansive characteristics. Field investigations were undertaken to discern the main causes of the pavement distress and the serious damage to roads and structures encountered at a large complex with the support of quantitative data from test pits and with laboratory test results. In addition, available design documents and construction records were reviewed to identify key aspects that may have contributed to the observed excessive cracking of the road pavement and damage to both roads and structures at the sports complex. The results of the investigations indicated that the in situ materials were both potentially highly active. It was concluded that either inadequate precautionary measures were taken against heave during the design phase, an indication of the lack of appreciation of the behavior of expansive clay, or that poor supervision and control during construction and commissioning negated many of the design innovations