Influence of marine organic compounds on the engineering properties of a remoulded sediment

Rashid, M.A. and Brown, J.D. 1975. Influence of marine organic compound on the engineering properties of a remoulded sediment. Eng. Geol., 9: 141–154The effect of low to moderate organic content on the engineering properties of a remoulded marine sediment was investigated by classificatin tests, undrained shear-strength tests, consolidation tests and triaxial compression tests. Sediment with a naturally occuring organic content of 2%, was treated to provide 0, 3, and 4% organic matter; first by reaction with hydrogen peroxide to remove the organic matter and then by addition of a naturally occuring humic compound in the latter two cases. In its natural state the sediment was classified as an organic sediment of low plsticity. Addition of the stated amounts of organic content did not result in the sediment being classified as organic; however, the remoulded undrained shear stregnth, the compressability, and the rheological behaivior of the sediment were significantly affected by ht evariations in the organic content. By contrast, the effects of these variations on the specific gravity, permeability, rate of consolidation and consolidated-undrained shear stregnth were not very marked.