Quick Clay Development and Cation Composition of Pore Water in Marine Sediments from the Ariake Bay Area, Japan

Abstract

By analyzing the cation composition of pore water in the soil samples of Ariake Bay sediments, the present study assesses the development of quick clay by leaching in both the original and seawater-saturated soil samples. Divalent cations were dominant in the pore water of the original soil sample, whereas Na+ was the major cation in that of the seawater-saturated soil sample. The cation proportion in the pore water for both soil samples remained the same after leaching. The difference in pore water cation composition between the original and seawater-saturated soil samples affected how their geotechnical properties changed through leaching. The undisturbed shear strength of both soil samples remained almost the same, but a large disparity between the soil samples was observed in the remolded shear strength: it remained almost the same in the original soil sample after leaching. Hence, sensitivity was not increased and quick clay was not formed. However, in the seawater-saturated soil sample, the remolded shear strength decreased to a great extent, and quick clay with a sensitivity exceeding 700 developed. The lack of development of quick clay in the original soil sample is attributed to the dominance of divalent cations in the pore water, and the development of quick clay in the seawater-saturated soil sample is ascribed to the dominance of Na+ in the pore water.