Properties and behaviour of Hong Kong marine deposits with different clay contents

Abstract

Large-scale marine reclamation has taken place on soft Hong Kong marine deposits (HKMD). More and more reclamation is to be undertaken due to the rapid development of infrastructures and housing projects. Properties and behavioural parameters (e.g., consolidation parameters) of HKMD are required for the design of reclamation or foundations on HKMD. The behaviour of HKMD is affected by clay content and other factors. This paper presents results dealing with the (i) composition (content of clay, silt, and sand), (ii) index properties, (iii) behaviour during oedometer consolidation, and (iv) strength and deformation behaviour in triaxial compression for HKMD deposits with different clay contents. Correlations of the behavioural parameters with clay content and index properties are obtained, presented, and discussed. The correlations and parameter values obtained in the present study follow the same trend as those published in the literature. Limitations on the application of these correlations are pointed out.