Thirty years of secondary consolidation in sensitive marine clay

Abstract

This case record shows that when a surface load is applied to a sensitive, normally consolidated clay, the effective stresses increase rapidly to the measured preconsolidated stresses, and remain at that level while consolidation continues for several decades. Only after more than 30 years was there an indication that the in situ effective stresses were beginning to increase to their final value. These observations have important implications with respect to the design of foundations in such areas. Key words: consolidation, foundations, secondary consolidation, sensitive clay settlements, marine clay.