Salahaddin University

Engineering College
Civil Engineering Department
Geotechnical Engineering Specialization

Statistical Analysis of an Article: Empirical

Correlations of Expansive Soils Parameters for the
Surat Region

MSc. Student: Gulistan Mohammed Ali

Email: gulistan.li@su.edu.krd

Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Dr. Saman Hussein Mahmood

2023-2024
 Empirical Correlations of Expansive Soils
Parameters for the Surat Region
The paper conducted on the expansive soils of the Surat region in India which have
tendency to undergo volume change due to change in water content with seasonal
variation. These soils, containing clay minerals, cause significant damage to civil
engineering structures due to shrinkage and swelling. The identification and classification
of the soil in Surat have been carried out, and the swelling pressure predictions for these
soils are found to be inaccurate. New correlations for the prediction of swelling pressure
have been proposed through statistical analysis. The study also presents correlations for
predicting swelling pressure using liquid limit, plasticity index, shrinkage index, field
moisture content, and free swell index. The correlations are verified using statistical
analyses and it is found that basic soil properties show a better correlation coefficient with
swelling pressure in the study area. Detailed statistical analysis is presented for new
correlations to predict swelling pressure from various soil properties, all based on
empirical data.
Methodology:
1. Data collection
The city is subjected to frequent floods. The laboratory results of 12 soil samples of
different zones are studied. The depth of soil studied is about 1.5 m. The soil collected
from all 12 locations in Surat mostly comes in CH (clay of high plastic) group.
2. Statistical Analysis
In this paper, two types of regression analysis were employed: solving matrices AX
= B and using software SPSS 13 data editor. These statistical methods were utilized to
obtain the most suitable and practically applicable relationships by comparing the results of
both methods. The statistical parameters such as unstandardized and standardized
coefficients, mean, standard deviation, and analysis of variation (ANOVA) were presented
in for different soil properties, as well as the comparison of different methods to obtain the
most suitable relationships for estimating swelling pressure. Additionally, new correlations
for predicting swelling pressure are proposed based on linear regression analysis, with the
aim of providing a more accurate solution for the Surat region. These analyses assist in
establishing suitable correlations for estimating swelling pressure, offering practical and
applicable relationships that would be of significance in predicting the behavior of
expansive soils found in the Surat region.
Types of regression models were used in this paper include the following:
1. Multiple linear regression
This method provides a relation between swelling pressure (Ps) values and soil
properties ssuch as,plastic index (IP), liquid limit (WL), shrinkage index (Is), water
content in field (FMC) and free swell index (FSI).
Ps = 0.0008 - 0.00553 (WL) + 0.012326 (Ip) (R2 = 0.931) ...............................................................(1)

Ps = 0.000314 - 0.00387(WL)+0.009067(Ip) + 0.004062(Is) (R2= 0.967) .......................................(2)

Ps = 0.00032-0.00429 (WL)+0.010626(Ip)+0.004126(Is)- 0.00061 (FSI) (R2 =0.972) ...................(3)

Ps = -0.276 + 0.007(WL) + 0.0005(Ip) - 0.00015(Is) +0.00018(FMC) (R2= 0.974) ........................(4)

Ps = 0.00015-0.00078(WL)+0.00642(Ip)+0.00242(Is)-0.00176(FMC)-0.00042(FSI) (R2=0.983)...(5)

In this study, it was pointed out on the number of independents, the more variables,
the higher regression coefficient R2 has been provided (equation 5). The high values of R 2
for these correlations indicate a strong relationship between these variables and the
swelling pressure. These correlations allow for the prediction of swelling pressure values
using the basic soil properties, which can be easily determined in a laboratory setting. The
correlations and correlation coefficients are obtained through statistical analyses and
regression methods, providing a reliable quantitative basis for understanding the
relationships between these variables.
Furthermore, it was predicted that liquid limit (W L) had a strong correlation with
swelling pressure (PS) which is 0.994, hence other variables had also the strong correlation
with the swelling pressure with were (for plastic index was 0.985, shrinkage index was
0.88, field water content was 0.928 and for free swell index was 0.894). From ANOVA
outputs, P value less than 0.05, soil property’s variables in the model had a statistically
significant relationship with the swelling pressure variable.