Caracterización del grado de expansión de las arcillas del sector “el cerro” en el tramo de vía Rocafuerte – Tosagua km 184 al km 188 y su afectación a la infraestructura vial.

Abstract

In the “El Cerro” sector, dark brown claystones primarily composed of illite clay are found. This type of clay is highly reactive to water, causing issues and failures in the road section, such as potholes, sinkholes, deformations, and others, necessitating continuous maintenance. Studies were conducted on the samples using the methylene blue value test. Additionally, Atterberg limits, Proctor compaction, swelling, and controlled expansion tests were performed. These tests provide detailed information about the properties of the clays, such as their plasticity, compaction capacity, and swelling tendency. The objective was to understand the expansive behavior of the soil and its impact on road infrastructure. Two rounds of sampling were carried out. The first set of samples was used to characterize a broader road section, while the second round focused on the “El Cerro” sector. The methylene blue value test revealed high clay content, indicating a road performance prone to potential failures or issues, which was corroborated by the high expansive degree obtained through other methods and the visible problems in the road section. This suggests that the methylene blue value test can be used as a tool to characterize the expansive degree of clayey materials. Additionally, during sampling and test results analysis, it was observed that some areas exhibit greater expansiveness than others. For instance, the central zone of “El Cerro” shows the highest number of road damages. In contrast, other areas of the study, such as Km 184.5 to Km 185.5, exhibit few or no issues related to clay expansiveness. This is attributed to the presence of rocky claystone soils, unlike residual soils, which are more prone to expansion.