ABSTRACT
In arid zones problems arise whenever changes in the loading and moisture content occur in the alluvium soil strata. These changes occur due to urban developments, causing changes in the water regime and the loadings. Depending on applied loads and environmental conditions, natural or man made, soils classified as swelling and/or collapsible may cause heavy damages to structures and roads built in these areas. The same soil will swell under one stress and collapse under a higher stress. Also, the amount of swell or collapse will depend on the pressures applied. The other two parameters which will influence the behaviour of these soils are the initial moisture content and the dry density, in addition to the influence of the type and amount of various minerals which compose the unsaturated soil profile. The paper deals with some of the problems encountered in the behaviour of typical problem soils in strata found in arid zones.
