A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering at Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand

Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1975

A laboratory investigation was carried out on two lateritic soils from Chanthaburi and Chonburi, Thailand. The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of drying-wetting cycles on strength of compacted lateritic soils. For each soil, three series of tests were carried out. They included (i) Soil compacted on the dry side of optimum having 95 % maximum dry unit weight, (2) Soil compacted at optimum moisture content and maximum dry unit weight and (3) Soil compacted on the wet side having 95 % maximum dry unit weight. All series of tests were treated with different periods of drying and wetting, different number of drying-wetting cycles and different compactify efforts. From the experimental results, it was concluded that the effects of drying-wetting on strength depend on the soil type. In general, alternative drying-wetting cycles tend to reduce the strength of compacted lateritic soils. The type of free iron oxide and compaction water content played important role in the soil' s response to drying-wetting treatment.