Ground movement and soil structure interaction – recent findingsKeynote Address

Recently, unsatisfactory performance of some domestic structures founded on reactive soils has been reported. In Victoria, many instances of significant damage particularly in the western suburb are associated with houses built during the millennium drought. Abnormal moisture conditions (e.g., extreme climate conditions or pipe leak) lead to changes in soil moisture content under the footing system causing differential movement of slabs and supported superstructure. This paper presents a summary of research undertaken by Swinburne University of Technology with support from a number of organisations investigating the main causes of damage and some of the shortcomings in current design and construction practice.