NUMERICAL MODELING OF MASSE SHRINKING CLAYEY SOILS IN THE DEPRESSION OF LAMA IN THE SOUTH OF BENIN

Abstract

This article presents the results of an experimental study about four soil samples coming from Masse, a region crossed by the East depression of LAMA in the south of Benin, where impor- tant damages have been recorded (rising of thefoundations, deformation and cracking of the infrastructures, tearing of the surface coat of pavements...). In the first stage, a physico- mechanical characterization of the soil samples is achieved bylaboratory tests. The second stage of this study was reserved to the numericalmodeling of the shrinkingby basing on the analysis of the behaviour of the curves obtained at the end of the laboratory odometer tests. This approach allowed us to describe the variation of the indication of the voids ratio accord- ing to the loading pressure, to elaborate a mathematical model permitting to simulate the odometer curve of a loading-discharge cycle and to determine the parameters of compressibil- ity. The results show a good quality of the adjustment. A negligible mistake of the order of 0,3% has been recorded