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Chen defines the engineering problem as distinct from typical settlement issues:

For anyone unfamiliar: this is essentially the bible for dealing with vertisols, clay heave, and shrinkage cracking. Even though it was published decades ago, the fundamental soil mechanics on suction, swell pressure, and moisture migration patterns are still cited in modern codes (including the PVR method for residential slabs).

Chen (1988) [1] proposed a method for designing foundations on expansive soils, which involves the following steps:

Heave (ΔH) = Σ (C_s × H × log (σ'_f / σ'_i))

To mitigate the risks associated with building on expansive soils, engineers and builders can employ a range of design and construction strategies, including: