Fig. 2. Scheme of the different shrinkage curves of an aggregated clay soil based on Hallaire's (1984) Fig. 2. 1—initial specific volume of a shrinking and cracking soil layer. 2—shrinkage curve ^'_l(w) of a shrinking soil layer with cracks in Bronswijk's approximation (see Fig. 1b and d, disconnected layer). 3—shrinkage curve _l(w) of a shrinking soil layer with cracks in approximation of the present work (connected layer). 4—shrinkage curve _s(w) of a shrinking soil sample with cracks. 5—shrinkage curve (w) of a soil matrix without cracks. 6—1:1 theoretical line. ^'_lz, _lz, _sz, and _z designate values of corresponding specific volumes after oven drying. In general _z < _sz, that is, the oven-dried sample contains cracks. AB—the specific volume of the layer subsidence in Bronswijk's approximation at a given w; AC—the true specific volume of the layer subsidence at a given w; BE—the specific volume of cracks in the soil layer in Bronswijk's approximation at a given w; CE—the true specific volume of cracks in the soil layer at a given w; DE—the specific volume of cracks in the sample with free boundaries at a given w.