FTUI Doctor Researches Expansive Soil Behavior to Provide Insights for Short and Long-Term Development

Christy Anandha Putri conducted research aimed at understanding the short and long-term development behaviour of expansive soil. Christy detailed this research in her dissertation titled “Determination of Short and Long-Term Development Potential in Tropical Residual Soil Through Wet-Dry Cycles.” This dissertation was presented at the open doctoral promotion session in Civil Engineering, FTUI, on Wednesday (10/07) at the Smart Classroom Kapal Api, FTUI. Christy Anandha Putri earned her Doctorate with Cum Laude honours and a GPA of 3.93. She is the 74th Doctor in the Civil Engineering Department and the 563rd in the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia.

“Expansive soil is problematic soil that can expand and shrink due to the presence of water. When rainfall is high, the soil tends to have a high moisture content, increasing in volume, while shrinkage occurs as the soil volume decreases with the reduction of moisture content during dry conditions. The presence of expansive soil often causes damage to buildings and other infrastructure, such as a reduction in a foundation support capacity, longitudinal cracks in road pavements, soil heaving causing bumpy roads, and landslides due to the decrease in soil support capacity caused by soil expansion and shrinkage behaviour,” explained Christy at the beginning of her presentation.

This research was conducted considering mineral properties and the factors that influence them. It provides an overview of the shrink-swell behaviour of expansive soil due to various influencing factors and offers information on the potential development produced in both the short and long term. Christy’s research was limited to the Cikarang and Karawang areas in West Java.

“The research results show that the wet-dry cycles applied during testing affect the potential and pressure of development produced. Changes in both property values continue to occur with an increasing number of wet-dry cycles. However, after three to four cycles, the development potential tends to show constant values and similar values at each location, even though the test specimens were formed under different initial conditions, referred to as the equilibrium condition,” explained Christy.

“The study conducted by Christy has never been done before in Indonesia. Therefore, this study is very important to provide insights for building criteria to determine the degree of development suitable for the characteristics of tropical residual soil in Indonesia,” explained the Dean of FTUI, Prof. Dr. Ir. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU.

The Doctoral Promotion Session was led by the Session Chair, Prof. Dr. Ir. Yanuar, M.Eng., M.Sc., with Promoter Prof. Ir. Widjojo Adi Prakoso, M.Sc., Ph.D., and Co-Promoter, Dr. Ir. Wiwik Rahayu, DEA. The examination committee consisted of Ayomi Dita Rarasati, S.T., M.T., Ph.D., Prof. Dr. Ir. Budi Susilo Soepandji, DEA., Prof. Dr. Ir. Tommy Ilyas, M.Eng., Dr. rer. Nat. Agustino Zulys, and Dr. Eng. Hasbullah Nawir, S.T., M.T.

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