Proposed Amendment No 3 in IS 9451:1994 "Code of practice for lining of canals in expansive soils"

Published on November 5, 2016 08:14 by Yogesh Agrawal, Director (retired), Minor irrigation schemes, Water Resources Department at Govt of Rajasthan

Proposed Ammendment No 3 in IS 9451:1994 " Code of practice for lining of canals in expansive soils " (second revision) - Doc: WRD 13(662)

Avialable at https://archive.org/details/gov.in.is.9451.1994 with my review

Finalised in 18 th meeting of WRD 13 held on 30 Sept 2016.

In IS 9451:1994 " Code of practice for lining of canals in expansive soils " (second revision) identification of expansive soils is based only on the arbitrary limit of SWELLING PRESSURE of soils, at ZERO PERCENT MOISTURE CONTENT. No soil in the world in its natural state, is having zero percent moisture content. With this criteria, any soil can be declared as Expansive. SWELLING PRESSURE TEST in a laboratory is done by an employee, equivalent in status, to a forth class employee in government. Therefore its correctness is always doubtful .

A soil can be categorized as expansive only if the clay mineral montmorillonite is present in the soils, otherwise not. Swelling pressure value has nothing to do with identification of expansive property of the soil. Based on this incorrect code, billions of rupees of government money have been incurred and wasted in India for treatment of so called expansive soils in canal lining and many years delay in construction of canals.

I studied the problem of so called expansive soils in Indira Gandhi Nahar Project, in year 1998-99. Based on my research findings, in year 1999, in the meeting of Indira Gandhi Nahar Board, Govt. of Rajasthan, Jaipur it was decided that the provisions of Is 9451:1994 are incorrect and the soils in Indira Gandhi Nahar Project are not expansive at the places under consideration, although as per IS 9451:1994, they were characterized as highly expansive.

In year 2003 (about 13 years back) to include correct identification of expansive soils in IS 9451:1994, I submitted the draft updation of IS 9451:1994, to WRD 13 of Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS). IS 9451:1994 was approved by the Bureau of Indian Standard in contravention of all the available knowledge and International Codes for the reasons best known to it.

In year 2003, when I submitted the updation of the IS 9451, the BIS should have withdrawn the IS 9451 till the matter is finalized to save government money, which was not done.

It looks that the Central Water Commission, CSMRS and the Bureau of Indian Standard are the fine examples of inactivity, indecision who believes to remain idle and not finalize any thing, which is not to their liking and interest. I thought after the taking over the charge by Modi Govt. in May 2014, things will improve, but nothing has changed at least in CWC, CSMRS and BIS. What a pity? Whether honourable PM Mr Modi will like to intervene or the people have to go to ISO - International Organization for Standardization, Geneva for correction in Indian standards and issue of new Indian Standards ?

Ultimately in 18 th meeting of “Canals & Cross Drainage Works Sectional Committee, WRD 13” held on 30 Sep 2016 at New Delhi, the Amenedment No. 3 was finalized, as per details below. In this amendment also, the standard procedure for formation of a code has not been adopted. The code must have first para for identication, then analysis and then cure. But here in first para cure i.e. Swelling pressure ( which is an arbitrary limit depending upon test procedure and quality of test) has been put, giving impression that only swelling pressure is the correct procedure for identification and deciding the treatment. This is wrong. Only if the clay mineral Montmorillonite or combination of Montmorillonite and Illite are present.

I suggested that to ascertain that any soil is expansive or not, clay mineral test must be done. But it has not been accepted.

I appeal all the Soil Scientists, Indian Institute of Technologies , Engineering Colleges, Water Resources departments of India, individual experts; to write to the Bureau of Indian Standard , New Delhi at e-mail wrd.bis@bis.org.in and wrd.bis@gmail.com to correct the Amendment No. 3 of IS 9451: 1994., so that a correct amendment is prepared and issued.

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Ammendment No. 3 as finalized in 18 th meeting of WRD 13 held on 30 September 2016

Doc: WRD 13(662)

ANNEX II

(Item 4.1)

AMENDMENT NO. 3 OCTOBER 2016

IS 9451:1994 GUIDELINES FOR LINING OF CANALS IN EXPANSIVE SOILS (SECOND REVISION)

( Page 1, Clause 4.1) Substitute the existing clause by:

4.1 Expansive soils in side slopes and bed of canal in cutting or embankment when in contact with water swell, exerting a swelling pressure which may range from 50 to 300 kN/m2 or more. This characteristic of swelling and the swelling pressures of expansive soils is attributed to the presence of Montmorillonite or combination of Montmorillonite and Illite clay minerals.

The swelling pressure should be determined under no volume change condition when moisture content is increased from minimum in the year (summer season) to full saturation level.

The free swell index test should be done in accordance with IS:2720 (Part 40). The degree of expansion and the degree of severity of the tested soils should be categorized according to Table 8 of IS:1498. Expansive soil met within the locality has to be analysed for swelling pressure before deciding the type of treatment. The swelling pressure test should be done in accordance with IS:2720 (Part 41).

a) Where the canal is in cutting, the test should be performed on undisturbed soil samples at minimum moisture content in the year (which for normal cases will be in summer).

b) Where the canal is in filling (bed and sides are in filling) the remolded soil samples may be used with moisture content at minimum moisture content in the year (which for normal cases will be in summer). The density of remoulded samples should be kept equal to the proposed density of canal in bed and sides.

c) In case of remoulded soil samples, the initial water content shall be at the shrinkage limit or field water content during the driest season of the year so that the swelling pressure recorded shall be maximum. The remoulded density shall be the one available at any time in the year in the field at a depth of 1.0m (in the expansive soil).

( Page 1, Clause 4.2.3 ) Substitute the existing clause by :

4.2.3 CNS material should be non-swelling with a maximum swelling pressure of 10 kN/m2 when tested in accordance with IS : 2720 (Part 41) at optimum moisture content and minimum cohesion should be 10 kN/m2 when tested according to IS:2720 (Part 10).

[( Page 2, Clause 6.1.1 c)] Substitute the existing clause by:

c) CNS material should be compacted at optimum moisture content".

[( Page 2, Clause 6.2 a)] Substitute the existing clause by:

c) CNS material and expansive soil should be compacted at optimum moisture content".

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Ammendment No 3 as circulated for wide comments in March 2016

21 March 2016

ADDRESSED TO:

1. All Members of Canals and Cross Drainage Works Sectional Committee, WRD 13

2. All Interested Members of Water Resources Division Council

3. All others interested

4. BIS Website

Dear Sir(s),

As per the decision taken in the 17th meeting of the sectional committee, the following draft

document is hosted on the BIS website www.bis.org.in :

DOC. NO.

TITLE

WRD 13 (662)

Amendment No. 3 to IS 9451:1994 Guidelines for Lining of Canals in

Expansive Soils (Second Revision)

Kindly examine this draft amendment and forward your views stating any difficulties which

you are likely to experience in your business or profession, if this is finally adopted as a

national standard and kindly provide your specific suggestion for revising the same in view of

latest technology.

Last Date for Comment is 21 May 2016

Comments, if any, may please be made in the format as annexed and mailed to the

undersigned at the above address. Comments will be appreciated in electronic form at the email

address ‘ wrd.bis@gmail.com’ . In case you have any difficulty in accessing the

document at our website, please write to us for a hard copy.

In case no comments are received or comments received are of editorial nature, you will

kindly permit us to presume your approval for the above document as finalized. However, in

case of comments of technical in nature are received then it may be finalized either in

consultation with the Chairman, Sectional Committee or referred to the Sectional committee

for further necessary action if so desired by the Chairman, Sectional Committee.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

(R.S. Juneja)

Sc.F & Head (WRD)

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Doc: WRD 13(662)

AMENDMENT NO. 3 MARCH 2016

IS 9451:1994 GUIDELINES FOR LINING OF CANALS IN EXPANSIVE SOILS (SECOND

REVISION)