INFLUENCE OF ORGANIC MATTER ON THE GEOTECHNICAL PROPERTIES OF CLAYS

THIS REPORT DEALS WITH SWEDISH QUATERNARY SEDIMENTARY CLAYS BELOW THE DRY CRUST. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS ORGANIC SPECIES AND THEIR INTERACTION WITH THE SOIL MINERAL NETWORK FORMS THE BASIS OF THE REPORT. THE INFLUENCE OF ORGANIC MATTER ON THE STRENGTH- AND DEFORMATION PROPERTIES OF CLAY ARE DISCUSSED. IT IS SHOWN THAT THE GEOTECHNICAL PROPERTIES OF CLAY ARE LARGELY INFLUENCED BY THE AMOUNT OF ORGANIC SUBSTANCE. PROGRESSIVE FAILURE AND CREEP DEFORMATION ARE OBVIOUS AT AN ORGANIC CONTENT OF 2-3%. WHEN THE ORGANIC CONTENT IS OF THE ORDER 3-4%, THE SHEAR STRENGTH IS CONSIDERABLY INFLUENCED. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT VERY SMALL AMOUNTS OF ORGANIC MATTER LARGELY AFFECT THE REMOULDED STRENGTH. THE INVESTIGATION INDICATES A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PROCESSES INVOLVED IN CREEP DEFORMATION CAUSED BY SHEAR AND COMPRESSION. THE STUDIES SHOW THAT THE SWEDISH CLASSIFICATION OF CLAYS WITH REFERENCE TO THE ORGANIC CONTENT IS REASONABLE FOR GEOTECHNICAL PURPOSES AS CONCERNS THE LIMIT BETWEEN CLAYS AND MUDDY CLAYS (2%) WHILE THE LIMIT BETWEEN MUDDY CLAYS AND MUDS (6%) SHOULD BE OF THE ORDER OF 4% TO ILLUSTRATE A SPECIFIC EFFECT OF THE ORGANIC CONTENT.

• Corporate Authors:

  National Swedish Institute for Building Research

  Box 27 163, 102 52
  Stockholm,   Sweden 
• Authors:
  • Pusch, R
• Publication Date: 1973

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 64 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bacteria; Clay; Compression; Consolidations; Creep; Deformation; Failure; Geological phenomena; Geophysics; Mud; Organic compounds; Organic content; Sensitivity; Shear strength; Soils; Strength of materials; Time periods
• Uncontrolled Terms: Soil deformation
• Old TRIS Terms: Organic content (Soil)
• ITRD Terms: 5229: Bacteria; 4177: Clay; 5532: Compression; 5791: Consolidation (soil); 4732: Creep (mater); 5595: Deformation; 5520: Failure; 7366: Organic; 4083: Quaternary era; 5928: Sensitivity; 5531: Shear; 5544: Strength (mater)
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00081071
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Report/Paper Numbers: No. D 11:1973 R&D Repr.
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 8 1975 12:00AM