The proposed research consists of two tiers to understand the volume change behaviour of problematic geomaterials. Engineered structures have been distressed by expansive soils because of heaving and subsidence. Likewise, mine waste tailings from mineral beneficiation process must be contained in-pit storage facilities to minimize environmental impacts. This research is divided into investigation of volume changes in expansive soils under fluctuating pressure regimes using a diffusion equation as well as simulation of ng the volume changes in waste tailings using large-strain consolidation. The partner organization will benefit from the innovative and advanced techniques to deal with more complicated geotechnical issues associated with this two classes of problematic geomaterials.