Compressibility behaviour of lime-treated marine clay

The necessity to tap natural marine resources from the ocean beds represents a considerable challenge for the construction of offshore structures on weak marine deposits. The use of lime to improve the behaviour of soft clays is not new. The present investigation examines lime-induced changes in the compressibility of marine clay. The test results indicate a reduction of 1/2 to 1/3 in the compressibility of the soil system within 30 to 45 days of treatment. The formation of various cementation compounds due to soil–lime reactions improves the soil characteristics with time. The results encourage the application of lime column and lime injection techniques to improve the engineering behaviour of soft marine clayey deposits. However, one has to be cautious in applying the lime technique to marine clays that contain sodium sulfate.