EARTHWORK DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION ISSUES FOR ARID REGIONS

Urbanization of arid regions in the western and southwestern regions of the U.S. is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Most of this development dates from the commercialization of air conditioning since World War II, and recent demographic trends demonstrate acceleration of this phenomenon. In the last mid-decade U.S. census, 8 of the 10 fastest-growing cities and 6 of the 10 fastest-growing metropolitan areas were located in the arid Southwest. With the explosive growth in the region has come a need for supporting infrastructure, and a growing appreciation for the different mechanical behavior of soils in regions where water is a precious and sparse commodity. This article looks at specific design problems (response to wetting, cementation, salts) and construction issues (compaction, etc.).