Master's thesis of Engineering: Swelling pressure and retaining wall design in expansive soils

A retaining wall constructed on expansive soil can be subjected to lateral swelling pressures due to soil swelling, which may cause a significant horizontal deformation and bending of the retaining wall. In Australia, it is generally assumed that the backfill behind a retaining wall is non-expansive material. Therefore lateral swelling pressures induced by expansive soils are ignored in routine design. However in cases where expansive soils are present behind a retaining wall, swelling pressure should be evaluated based on soil properties and/or laboratory tests so that the wall can be designed properly to withstand these swelling pressures, which can be significant.