Numerical and phenomenological study of desiccation of soil

Desiccation cracks are assumed to be the consequence of an excess of tensile stresses induced by shrinkage of the drying body with a constrained kinematics. Free and constrained desiccation shrinking tests on silt samples are compared and simulated using linear hygro-elasticity. The results reveal diverse patterns of stress depending on the external constraints and presence of moisture gradient. The linear hygro-elasticity captures well the drying process before the appearance of the cracks. For the tested material, the tensile axial stress at the first crack (w = 24%) was estimated at about 3.7 kPa. Copyright ASCE 2006.