Soil shrinkage characterization of low plasticty soil using digital image analysis process

The purpose of this paper is to understand the shrinkage behaviour of low plasticity soil, which is prevalent in Warangal, India. In this study, the shrinkage mechanism and behaviour with suction variation are characterised and described using simple and reliable experimental approaches. The findings concern the changes in suction, water content, and void ratio of soil that has been air-dried from full saturation to dryness. The proposed framework employs two simple processes: one to calculate the suction potential and the other to characterise the shrinkage mechanism. The study also highlights the use of ImageJ software to capture sample shrinkage using digital image processing (DIP). The findings confirm the absence of macro pores, and the effects of capillary suction on the shrinkage response are reiterated in volume change studies using suction as a stress-state variable.