WHY ECO- SOIL :
Everything is bigger in Texas – including the capacity our soil has to shrink and swell due to extreme environmental conditions.
A high occurrence of highly expansive clay extends from the Red River to San Antonio, encompassing approximately 12 million acres.
Why Does Clay Expand?
At a high to moderate PH level, clay molecules take on a strong negative charge. Like a magnet, positively charged water molecules are attracted to the clay molecule surface. This strong attraction gives clay the ability to hold up to 10 times it’s weight in water.
Significant periods of wetting and drying, combined with high temperatures, lead to the most damaging shrink and swell behavior.
Dry conditions
Combined with warm temperatures shrink the soil, causing fissures to develop through the soil mass, exposing the negatively charged clay surface.
WET CONDITIONS
The fissures act as conduits for moisture to travel through the soil mass. Positively charged water molecules attach to and separate the clay molecules, causing excessive swelling.