Why is Expansive Soil Used If It Causes Poor Foundation Drainage?

One of the biggest threats to your home’s foundation drainage is expansive soil. As a matter of fact, it’s a threat to the entire structure of your house if you don’t take the necessary measures to prevent the damage. So, if expansive soil is that bad, why is it still used in construction, especially in a state like North Carolina, where the soil gets wet often? Turns out, expansive soils such as Cecil soil have their uses and are preferred by some site masters because of their properties. On some occasions, they might even make for a better foundation than other types of soils. 

• Expansive Soil Properties  

While it is true that expansive soils tend to swell and shrink a lot, they compact better than any other soil. Soil that is to be used as a foundation must be compacted well so that it can be tough and dense. When properly compacted, expansive soils are firm, stable foundations. 

Because of these specific properties, many site managers prefer to use expansive soils. Other types of soils would have to be compacted multiple times before they are ready to be used as foundations. Because expansive soils compact so well, they are very easy to manipulate, which saves time during a construction job. 

• Other Soils  

Other soils like gravel and sand have less clay in them, so they are less absorbent and don’t swell as much. As a result, they don’t shrink as much either. This might make them seem like the more attractive option as foundation soils, however, they have their downsides as well. 

Soils that don’t compact very well have a lot of air between each particle. Because of this, they are very loose and have a tendency to fall apart and give way when exposed to water or when there’s an earthquake. North Carolina may not get major earthquakes, but the earth is shaking with mini tremors all the time. Even though we don’t feel it, it does affect the ground significantly.