Events & Courses

Course overview

Problematic Soils – Swell/Shrink Soils

Shrink/swell soils and rocks constitute some of the most costly and widespread geological hazards globally, with costs estimated to run into several billion pounds annually. These engineering materials present significant geotechnical and structural challenges to anyone wishing to build on, or within, them. Shrink-swell occurs as a result of changes in the water content of soils (and rocks) containing clay minerals. This is reflected in a change in volume of the ground through shrinking or swelling. Swelling pressures can cause heave, or lifting, of structures on the surface and excavations below ground, whilst volume changes due to shrinkage can cause differential settlement at or near the surface.

Many major towns and cities worldwide are founded on clay-rich soils and rocks, upon and within which their infrastructure, buildings and underground services are constructed. In the UK, the effects of shrinkage and swelling of clay soils and rocks, with respect to foundation and building damage, were first recognised by geotechnical specialists following the dry summer of 1947. After the drought of 1975–76, insurance claims in the UK came to over £50 million, and since then the cost of this has risen dramatically. In 1991, after a preceding drought, claims peaked at over £500 million. Over the past 10 years, the adverse effects of shrink-swell behaviour has cost the economy an estimated £3 billion, making it the most damaging geohazard in Britain today, with as many as one in five homes in England and Wales at risk from ground that swells when it gets wet and shrinks as it dries out, despite the UK's temperate climate resulting in reduced risk compared with many other countries.

This lecture aims to present the viewer with a basic understanding of shrink-swell soils. To do this, we will review their nature and distribution and describe the basic processes of swelling and shrinkage. Finally, we will discuss how these soils are sampled and tested in the laboratory, relationships with Atterberg Limits and what strategies are available for their management in an engineering environment.

Programme

This course will be taking place on 12 June 2025 at 16:00 BST, and will last for approximately 1.5 hours, depending on audience participation.

Speaker Bio

Dr Colin Serridge, CGeol/EurGeol

Dr Colin Serridge is a Ground Improvement Practitioner with over 30 years' industrial experience in the design and project management of Ground Improvement projects both in the UK and overseas. Colin also currently works in academia.

Location

This course will be delivered virtually via Zoom. Joining details will be sent out the day prior, alongside any course materials that may be needed.

Fees (including early-bird rate)

* Early-bird discount applicable for all registrations until 12 April 2025. Simply select your delegate type on the registration form and the discount will be applied and reflected in the payment section at the bottom of the registration form.*

Group Discounts

We offer competitive group discounts on all Training Courses:
5 – 9 delegates: 20% off
10 – 14 delegates: 25% off
15 delegates or more: 30% off

For more information on how to access the Group Discount, please email [email protected]

Concessions

We offer students a generous discount. Please verify your student status by either registering with your student email address, or uploading a photograph of your student identification/acceptance letter.

The Society offers a limited number of concessionary rates for those in financial hardship. Contact [email protected] (Please note you may be required to provide details/evidence to support your application for this.)

If you require an invoice to register for this course, please email [email protected]

Registration will close 24 hours before the event takes place.

GSL reserves the right to postpone or cancel a Training Course in the event of low interest. In this instance, a full refund will be offered for registration fees.