DETERMINATION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A SOFT CLAY DEPOSIT IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

This paper presents results from a wide range of in situ tests and laboratory investigation of the CEASA soft clay deposit in southern Brazil. The site is remarkably uniform exhibiting a soft grey clay layer down to about 10 m (30.48 ft) depth. Geotechnical investigation involved in situ testing comprising vane, piezocone and pressuremeter tests, as well as laboratory triaxial stress path tests instrumented with local and radial strain measurements and one-dimensional consolidation tests carried out on high quality intact specimens. An overview of the ground conditions is presented and the applicability of in situ tests and laboratory tests for providing reliable estimates of shear strength, OCR, deformation and flow characteristics is demonstrated.