Evaluation of the soil characteristic parameters of the Yellow River Subaqueous Delta using CPT

Abstract

Based on the soil behavior type (SBT) and its parameters (I c) obtained by cone penetration tests (CPTs) in the Yellow River Delta, the standardized shear wave velocity (Vs1), permeability coefficient (k), and fine-grained soil content (FC) were calculated. The fine-grained soil content offshore is higher than that near the coast. The shear wave velocity is primarily distributed in the range of 50 m/s–400 m/s; however, it is lower than that in the nearshore position. The measured regional permeability coefficients are all less than 2 × 10−5 m/s; however, a small area of the nearshore has an increased value, for which the maximum value is approximately 6 × 10−5 m/s. According to the known marine disaster geological distribution map, there are significant differences in the composition of the shear wave velocity and fine-grained soil content between the disturbed delta front and the flat delta front: the fine-grained soil content in the disturbed delta front is less than that in the smooth delta front, and the shear wave velocity in the disturbed delta front is higher than that in the smooth delta front. Moreover, the measured parameters in the disturbed delta area near the shore clearly vary, and hard sand is distributed locally.