Property Interrelationships in Sensitive Clays

The general properties of sensitive clays fit a pattern which is predictable using basic concepts concerning the influence of effective stress and void ratio on volume change tendencies during shear. The low strain-at-failure, low c/p ratio, relatively low strength, and high pore pressure parameter, Āf, of sensitive clays are due to their tendency to contract during shear. Sensitivity was found to increase in a consistent manner with increasing liquidity index and increasing effective stress. By using liquidity index as a normalized water content, it was possible to develop a general relationship between sensitivity, effective stress, and liquidity index that is applicable both to natural deposits of clay in the field and to laboratory-prepared soils.