Undrained shear strength of artificially flocculated clays

Abstract

The flocculation and sedimentation of suspended clay particles in marine environments are an important process to form natural marine clays. In this study, the process of flocculation and sedimentation is simulated using appropriate flocculating agents in the laboratory. A series of laboratory sedimentation tests are carried out on various floc samples prepared with different concentrations of flocculating agents, and the size and density of flocs are measured and are found to serve as good parameters to characterise the development of flocculation. Multiple series of undrained triaxial compression tests under normal consolidation, as well as under over-consolidation, are then carried out on a slightly flocculated sample and a largely flocculated sample, as well as an ordinary remoulded sample. The values of the undrained shear strength of the flocculated samples are compared with those of the ordinary remoulded sample. The largely flocculated sample exhibits a higher undrained shear strength under normal consolidation as well as under over-consolidation. A comparison with past studies on natural marine clays also indicates that the highly variable values of the undrained shear strength of marine clays can be attributed to the different levels of development of flocculated structures in clays.