Study of desiccation crack initiation and development at ground surface

Cracks are common in clayey or expansive soils and provide preferential pathways for water infiltration into soils. A field study was conducted to investigate the mechanisms of initiation and development of desiccation cracks on two soils. Based on results of the field study and measurements of soil-water retention curves and soil shrinkage properties in the laboratory, the conditions of crack initiation and the development of crack geometric parameters (i.e., crack porosity, crack aperture, and crack density) with water content or drying time were quantified. The results show that desiccation cracks developed in three stages: initial stage, primary stage, and steady state stage. In the initial stage, few cracks developed with gradually decreasing water content. When the water content reached a critical value for crack initiation, cracks developed quickly and this was the start of the primary stage. The critical suction at crack initiation was calculated using a stress criterion, which is in the range of 5.3–21.3 times the preconsolidation pressure of the soil. As the water content approached the shrinkage limit of the soil, cracks developed slowly and approached a steady state. The cracks were found to be repeatable during three drying–wetting cycles.

► Desiccation cracks developed in three stages: initial stage, primary stage, and steady state stage.
► In primary stage, cracks developed quickly as water content reached a critical value for crack initiation.
► The critical water content at crack initiation was predicted using a stress criterion.
► When the water content approached the shrinkage limit, cracks approached a steady state.
► The cracks that developed at the end of three drying processes were found to be repeatable.