An alternative approach to the understanding of the collapse mechanism in desert sands, loess and other collapsing soils

Natural collapsing soils show the phenomenon of hydrocompaction or hydroconsolidation, and are often thought of as a special class of soil. However, their behaviour is analogous to the characteristics shown firstly by compacted soils placed dry of optimum and, secondly, by soils undergoing aging, or mild diagenesis. An alternative approach is thus to place collapsing soils into the context of engineering soils in general.