IV/16

Subgrade Moisture Study on Some Singapore Soils

S.D. RAMASWAMY Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Singapore, Singapore
M.A. AZIZ Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Singapore, Singapore

SYNOPSIS Subgrade moisture and its movement are a matter of serious concern as they contribute to a great extent
to many premature highway pavement failures. Knowledge concerning the cause, extent and effect of subgrade mois-
ture conditions can help highway engineers to develop design criteria and to improve ways of controlling the
effects on and the performance of highways. This paper presents the laboratory subgrade moisture studies carried
out on some Singapore soils to assess their suitability as subgrade materials.

base and roadbase of the pavement. In bituminous

INTRODUCTION
Subgrade moisture has a considerable influence on the
long time performance of highway pavements. Moisture
content variations lead not only to changes in density
of soils but also affect their strength, volume and
compressibility resulting in serious distortion and
cracking of highway pavements as mentioned by F.L.D.
Woltorton (1958), K. Russam (1962), T.A. Haliburton,
et al. (1972), B.G. Richards (1973} and S.K. Roy and
S.D. Ramaswamy (1974). Subgrade moisture moves as the
result of any force which upsets equilibrium in the
soil-water system. The forces which may cause mois-
ture movement in subgrade soil include hydrostatic
pressure, capillary pressure, osmotic pressure, soil
ionic or chemical potentials and temperature gradients
as studied by the RRL (1967), K. Russam (1970), and
the DECO (1973). Moisture may migrate through soil
pores in the liquid phase, vapour phase or combination
of both, depending upon forces causing pore water
movement.
The moisture content of subgrades and its distribution
with depth tends towards an equilibrium which is essen-
tially the result of the force of gravity on water
inducing drainage of the subgrade, the force of attrac-
tion or soil suction drawing moisture into the sub-
grade, and the force of gravity on self-weight or sur-
face loadings on the subgrade tending to expel water
from subgrade.
For impervious pavement surfaces, moisture accumula-
tion is thought to occur due to the following causes:
(a) soil moisture suction, and (b) subgrade tempera-
ture gradients. Although in Singapore for most areas,
the groundwater may be permanently at least 1.5 m
below the ground level, the subgrade soils could draw
water from the uncovered and sometimes uncompacted
pavement shoulders. The moisture suction into the
subgrade is further assisted by the frequent dry and
wet spells. The temperature of the pavement surface
and that of the subgrade measured in Singapore on a
relatively warm day have been found to be of the order
of 7QOC and 3QOC respectively. Such high temperature
gradients could cause moisture changes for the sub-
grade resulting in vapour movement through the sub-
pavements, such vapour movements could cause condensa-
tion of water at the interface of the impermeable sur-
faces and the permeable roadbase which, as studied by
S.D. Ramaswamy and I. Jeevanantham (1973), is known to
induce stripping resulting in serious loss of stability
for the pavement. Accumulation of water in the sub-
grade through infiltration from the pavement surface
and rising water table on account of rainfall is also
a possibility. In highway pavement design, the eva-
luation of the improvement in the subgrade soil
strength produced by lowering the groundwater table by
drainage requires the application of soil suction
characteristics. Subgrade moisture behaviour definite-
ly affects the highway pavement design and its per-
formance.
EXPERIMENTAL WORKS
Representative disturbed soil samples were collected
from various road construction sites from the
Singapore Island (Fig. 1). The laboratory experiments
conducted on various soil samples include grain size
distribution, atterberg limits, proctor compaction,
permeability, CBR and suction. All the experiments
except suction were conducted according to ASTM Stan-
dards. The suction experiment was conducted as per
recommendations of the RRL (K. Russam, 1970).
DISCUSSIONS OF EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
All the experimental results are shown in Table I and
graphically presented in Figs. 2 to 5. For the soil
samples studied fines content varied from 55 to 82%
(Table I), the liquid limit ranged from 46 to 90% and
the coefficient of permeability varied from l .2 to
6.3 x 10- em/sec. Using the AASHO System, all the
soils could be classified as A-7-5 or A-7-6, and using
the Unified System, the soils could be classified as
CH or CI. Such soils are quite impervious and exhibit
expansive tendency.
The compaction curves for the soil samples are shown
in Fig. 2. It is seen that the dry densi~ of the
Paya Lebar soil is the highest (1750 kg/m ) at the
optimum moisture content (OMC) of 16.80% whereas the
same for the Bukit Panjang soil is the lowest (1450
kg/m 3) at an OMC of 27.40%. The dry densities of

333
IV/16

other three soils from Jurong, Kent Ridge ~nd East The suction curves for various soil samples are shown
Coast Parkway range from 1600 to 1650 kg/m for the in Fig. 4. It is observed that the suction curves

l KENT RIDGE
4 RIIYA LEBAR
5 EAST COAST RoiRKWAY

Fig. Location Map for Soil Samples

OMC ranging from 19.30 to 22.20%. The Fig. 3 shows exhibit similar pattern for all the soils studied ·at
the effect of moisture content on the CBR values of different moisture content. Similar behaviour was

Table I Properties of Soil Samples

Sample Grain size, % Specific Optimum Optimum Atterberg 1imits Coefficient
from gravity moisture dry of per-
Fine
Clay Silt Sand gravel content densi~ Liquid Plastic Plasticity meabi 1i ty
% kg/m 1imit 1imit index, % em/sec
% %
Bukit 34 24 29 4 2.59 27.40 1450 90.00 36.00 54.00 3.3xl0- 6
Panjang
Jurong 35 47 11 7 2.68 19.30 1650 46.80 29.20 17.60 1.2xl0- 6
Kent 35 20 17 28 2.48 22.20 1600 65.70 35.80 29.90 3.4xlo- 6
Ridge
Pay a 40 30 27 3 2.37 16.80 1750 48.00 23.20 24.80 3.6xlo- 6
Lebar
East 37 20 33 10 2.63 21.77 1630 68.60 29.40 39.20 6.3xl0- 6
Coast
Parkway

different unsoaked soil samples. It is observed that
the steepest portion of the curves usually occurs
around the optimum moisture content of each sample.
This tallies with the observations made by F.L.D.
Woltorton (1958), T.A. Haliburton, et al (1972) and
B.G. Richards (1973). The slight increase in moisture
content of the soil samples results in large reduction
of CBR values. This shows the sensitivity of the sub-
grade soils to moisture variations.
also observed by K. Russam (1962). The increase in
suction with decreasing moisture content was more
prominent in soil samples from Jurong and Paya Lebar
where the suction increased from about 2.5 to about
4.0 over a small change in moisture content.
The CBR - suction relationship is shown in Fig. 5. It
is observed that the maximum suction {pF=3.5) occurred
at the CBR value of around 25 for all the samples.

334
 IV/16

Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 clearly indicate that the CBR values A study made by C.K. Chionh, et al (1974) on cement
and the suction values drop significantly as the stabilization of several Singapore subgrade soils has

35
lfYJO

~/'~ ~BftR
30
PAYA LEBAR
PA>A
JURONG
7700

~
EAST COAST PARKWAY
.,

.r\.
E KENT RIDGE

{' B UKIT PANJANG

,._- 7600
-
.....
V)
~
lu
Cl

>-
ll:
Cl
7500
MRONGtl

/
EAST COAST
PARKWAY - /
./,
1
I !"'
6
.\
~
<J
15 \ \· "~
.""-•
~
10

\~
KENT I>DGE y•~'"'\
)1,00
5 \
•
~ BUKIT PAN lANG
0"' ~~ •

7300
'----:5~--,!1"'"
0 -~15:----:!-20=----::;'f;5--:---::3~0--3~5::-
MOISTURE CONTENT, PERCENT
15
0' 4
20 25
0
30
........
35
\
40
MOISTURE CONTENT, PERCENT

Fig. 2 Compaction Curves Fig. 3 CBR vs Moisture Content

moisture content increases. The Paya Lebar and Bukit conclusively proven that with the addition of cement
Panjang samples show extreme variations in suction - around 3 to 5%, CBR values, soaked and unsoaked, as
moisture content relationship. high as 40% and 60% respectively can be attained.

I,

~---·--
-·-·~---~~
~ ""-~
3
o A •

~
PAYA L E B A R \

JURONG
0
\

•
\

\
\-

i ::.S:w':f'ST \
1
\ i : .. -----\
6~-~~o~-7.12~-~~"--1~6--:--:1~6~---::20~-~2~2-~24~~~M~-2~6~-3~o~~l~2~
MOISTURE CONTENT, PERCENT

Fig. 4 Suction Curves

335
IV/16

Cement stabilized subgrades of Singapore can be Organization For Economic Co-operation and Development
expected to be less sensitive to moisture content (DECO), Paris (1973), "Water in Roads: Prediction of
changes from the point of view of stability. Moisture Content of Road Subgrades," OECD Tech.
Report, pp. 7-49.
Ramaswamy, S.D. and Jeevanantham, I. (1973), "Inves-
40 tigation of Pavement at Johor Bahru Airport,
35 Malaysia," Tech. Report, Dept. of Civil Eng., Univ.
30
of Singapore, (unpublished}.

........ a/
2S Richards, B.G. (1973), "The Analysis of Flexible Road
Pavements in the Australian Environment - Changes of

----A .
20
Pore Pressure or Soil Suction," CSIRO, Australia,
K~o Tech. Paper No. 17, pp. 1-18.
IS
JURO~..,-o
Road Research Laboratory ( 1967), "Estimation of Sub-
h
<::
lJ.J
(J
ct
lJ.J
10

3
::-:J /
BUKIT /0
~
i
grade Moisture Content," Leaflet LF 98, RRL,
Crowthorne, England.
Roy, S.K. and Ramaswamy, S.D. (1974), "Thermodynamics
of Clay-water System," Traos. Indian Ceramic Society,

~v
Cl
a:' 6
Vol. XXXIII, No. 526, pp. 58-62.
....11:1 Russam, K. (1962), "The Distribution of Moisture in
4
Soils at Overseas Airfields," Road Research Tech.
Paper No. 58, HMSO, London.
\EAST :OAST PARKWAY
Russam, K. (1970), "Subgrade Moisture Studies by the
British Road Research Laboratory," Highway Research
Board Record No. 301, HRB.
2
Woltorton, F.L.D. (1958}, "Moisture Content and the
CBR Method of Design," Highway Research Board
Special Report No. 40, pp. 268-297, Washington, D.C.

1
1~----------2~----------3~----------~.~
SUC T/ON, pF

Fig. 5 CBR - Suction Relationship

CONCLUSIONS
From the limited study of the Singapore subgrade
soils reported herein, it is emphasized that the
subgrade moisture variation of Singapore soils needs
to be controlled to ensure satisfactory performance
of highways. Subgrades should be suitably treated,
preferably protected and well compacted. In addition,
the provision of well compacted wide shoulders while
reducing the effects of runoff infiltration is
believed to contribute to a great extent in mini-
mizing the subgrade moisture variation.

REFERENCES
Chionh, C.K., et al. (1974), "Cement Stabilization
of Some Singapore Soils," Final Year Project -
Thesis, Dept. of Civil Eng., University of Singapore.
Haliburton, T.A., et al. (1972} "Subgrade Moisture
under Oklahoma Highways," Proc. ASCE, Vo 1. 98,
No. TE2, pp. 325-339.

336