Miami soil is Indiana’s state soil, and Kokomo’s terrain is covered in it. Indiana’s state soil has a silt loam topsoil that’s very friable and granular, but just eight inches down, clay can be found in the soil. Clay soils can be very destructive, and they are the root of most foundation and slab damage. Clay soils are problematic because of the way they erode and disrupt the structures that depend on them for support. When exposed to water, clay soils expand significantly. The moisture separates the space between each soil particle, which is what causes the expansion. This ability to retain water causes a lot of problems if you have a basement. When it rains or when snow melts in your yard, the water seeps down to the clay soils below and accumulates. If too much water gathers against your foundation, then hydrostatic pressure will be exerted onto your basement, causing the wall to bow inwards. Clay soils also are the reason the concrete slabs around your home settle. Clay soils expand when saturated with water, but when that water content dries up, the soil shrinks. When it shrinks, it compresses together and loses a considerable amount of surface volume since the particles unite so closely together. Because of the loss in volume, a gap between the rest of the soil and the slab is formed. Because the slab is no longer supported by an even base, it settles against the soil when weight is placed on it.