Empirical correlations of compression index for marine clay from regression analysis

Abstract

Single and multiple regression models to estimate the compression index of marine clay in coastal areas in Korea were investigated based on soil property data from more than 1200 consolidation tests on undisturbed samples. Site-specific empirical correlations were proposed to estimate the compression index in terms of both single and multiple soil properties. The proposed regression equations were then compared with the existing empirical equations. It was found that the compression index predicted by a simple linear regression model involving the natural water content, natural void ratio, and liquid limit can reasonably evaluate the real soil compression index. These regression equations may allow a preliminary estimation of the ground settlement for marine clay. It was also recognized that the applications of empirical equations suggested in previous studies result in large uncertainties in estimating the compression index of marine clayey soil in the coastal zone in Korea.Key words: settlement, compression index, regression, statistical analysis, consolidation.