RISING WATER LEVEL EFFECT ON THE GEOTECHNICAL BEHAVIOR OF ARID ZONES SOIL-NUMERICAL SIMULATION

The soil in the hot climate conditions can be considered special for its high desiccation, sensitivity to ingress water and complex heterogeneity. Addition of water to the arid sensitive soil reduces its strength and releases the confining stresses, thus the soil fails. The geotechnical investigation and the engineering sampling and testing procedures in the hot climate regions must be different to those normally employed in temperate areas. They should always include an appraisal of geology, ground chemistry and ground water movements. Soil water characteristics in hot climate regions are changing as salts are being dissolved, precipitated and chemically reacted with other materials. This may result in larger construction depths and sizes, but should not be overlooked to avoid potential unfavorable and future surprises.