Lateral movement and settlement of sandwiched soft soil using physical model

Abstract

Soft marine clay is a well-known problematic soil in geotechnical engineering. Soft marine clay soil is one of the problematic soils which are commonly found along the coastal areas of West Malaysia. In Klang area where the samples are taken, the thickness of the soft marine clay may vary from 20 to 40m. The general physical properties of the soft soil are presented in this study. In general, the unit weight of the soft clay is about 14 to 16 kN/m3. The result for Liquid Limit (LL) of the soft clay is very high which about 50% to 150%. Plasticity Index (PI) varies from 20% to 80%. The compressibility properties of the soft soil are mainly assessed from the laboratory consolidation test results. This study involves the laboratory test studies where the specimen of soft soil is obtained in disturbed condition. Prior to the experimentation, the physical model is prepared. The physical model is under constant condition of exposure in the laboratory to ensure any possible errors pertaining to the surrounding environment are mostly eliminated. The results of this experiment show that the lateral movement of soft soil is proportional to the depth of normal excavation and failure occur parallel to the soft soil plane in the geotechnical tank. Maximum settlement occurs at the centre of tank. In conclusion, it can be accepted that the soft soil has a smooth characteristic and can cause lateral movement of the above soil layers by dispersing its mass horizontally.