Influence of cyclic wetting and drying on swelling behavior of mudstone in south west of Iran

Mudstone experience periodic swell and shrink behavior due to alternate wetting and drying cycles at arid and semi-arid regions with distinctive seasonal changes. This paper examines the influence of cyclic wetting and drying on swelling strain and swelling pressure to simulate the behavior of such rocks under heavy structures (such as building foundations) and behind the stiff support systems (such as concrete linings). Mudstone samples from Bakhtiari formation of Masjed-Soleiman region in south west of Iran were chosen to perform the laboratory tests. The swelling strain under different dead pressures and also swelling pressure under oedometeric condition were measured over time. The maximum swelling strain and pressure increased with each cycle but it had a bound. Increasing the number of wetting and drying cycles reduces the time required to reach ultimate swelling of mudstone. This is a very important conclusion which helps to determine ultimate swelling behavior in a faster way as opposed to performing standard swelling tests for very long periods. The laboratory’s results are also in good correspondence with field measurements.