Assessment of Stiffness and Strength Parameters for the Soft Soil Model of Clays of Cameroon

Abstract

This paper focuses on the advanced modelling of soft Cameroon clays for the global prediction of the behaviour of geotechnical structures. A comprehensive set of experimental data on Cameroon subsoils from the oedometer and triaxial tests are analyzed in this paper in order to determine the stiffness and strength parameters for the Soft Soil model. It is based on 71 soil samples taken from both sides of the construction sites of several major structures across the territory. At the first approach, the soil samples taken were analyzed in a geotechnical laboratory to obtain physical and mechanical identification parameters specific to each soil type. The results obtained reveal that the analyzed soils are generally compressible clays. In the second phase, the law of behaviour of the Soft Soil model was used to characterize these Cameroon soils. Its parameters were obtained after calibration of the results of the laboratory tests obtained in first approach. The results obtained in this article can be compared to the different models obtained on clays soils around the world. The parameters are of the same order of magnitude as other clays modelled around the world.