Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Viscous Behaviour of Soft Clay and Inducing Factors

  • State-of-the-Art Review
  • Published:
Geotechnical and Geological Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

As a result of the scarcity of land for construction, a number of projects to construct man-made islands or to expand lands over soft grounds keeps increasing. Creep behaviour of soft ground has been considered as a challenging issue for engineers and researchers for many years. A number of studies have focused on the method to predict the creep deformation of the ground under a construction site. However, there is no unified theory to clearly explain the mechanism of soil creep deformation of soils. Results of the critical review in this paper indicate that the causes of soil creep can be categorised into five main groups, namely (a) the breakdown of the inter-particle bonds, (b) sliding between the soil particles, (c) water flow from micro-pores to macro-pores (d) the deformation due to the structural viscosity and (e) the deformation due to the jumping of bonds. This paper presents these mechanisms in details with an effort to recommend an enhanced explanation for the creep compression mechanisms of clays.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akagi H (1994) A physico-chemical approach to the consolidation mechanism of soft clays. Soils Found 34(4):43–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ameratunga J, De Bok C, Boyle P, Berthier D (2010) Ground improvement in Port of Brisbane (PoB) clay. ISSMGE Bull 4(2):28–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Barden L (1969) Time dependent deformation of normally consolidated clays and peats. J Soil Mech Found Div 95:1–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry PL, Poskitt TJ (1972) The consolidation of peat. Geotechnique 22(1):27–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bjerrum L (1967) Engineering geology of Norwegian normally-consolidated marine clays as related to settlements of buildings. Geotechnique 17:81–118

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolt GH (1956) Physico-chemical analysis of the compressibility of pure clays. Geotechnique 6(2):86–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouazza A, Kwan PS, Chapman G (2004) Strength properties of cement treated Coode Island Silt by the soil mixing method. In: Proceedings of GeoTrans, geotechnical engineering for transportation projects (GSP 126), pp 1421–1428

  • Christensen RW, Wu TH (1964) Analysis of clay deformation as a rate process. J Soil Mech Found 90:125–157

    Google Scholar 

  • Christie IF, Tonks DM (1985) Developments in the time line theory of consolidation. In: The 11th international conference on soil mechanics and foundation Engineering, San Francisco, pp 423–426

  • Craig P (2004) Craig’s soil mechanics, 7th edn. Taylor & Francis, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Crooks JHA, Becker DE, Jerreries MG, McKenzie K (1984) Yield behaviour and consolidation. I: pore water response. In: Yong RN, Townsend FC (eds) Proceedings, Symposium on sedimentation consolidation models: prediction and validation. San Francisco, ASCE, pp 356–381

  • Das BM (2008) Advanced soil mechanics, 3rd edn. Taylor & Francis, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • De Jong GJ, Verruijt A (1965) Primary and secondary consolidation of a spherical clay sample. In: Proceeding of the 6th international conference soil mechanic and foundation engineering, Montreal, pp 254–258

  • Ervin M (1992) Engineering properties of Quatemary age sediments of the Yarra delta. In: Peck WA, Neilson JL, Olds RJ, Seddon KD (eds) Engineering geology of Melbourne. AA Balkema, Rotterdam, pp 245–259

    Google Scholar 

  • Feda J (1992) Creep of soils and related phenomena, Elsevier

  • Fredlund DG, Rahardjo H (1993) Soil mechanics for unsaturated soils. Wiley, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Garlanger JE (1972) The consolidation of soils exhibiting creep under constant effective stress. Geotechnique 22(1):71–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson RE, Lo KY (1961) A theory of consolidation exhibiting secondary compression. In: Norwegian Geotechnical Institute

  • Graham J, Yin JH (2001) On the time-dependent stress-strain behaviour of soft soils. Paper presented at the Soft Soil Engineering

  • Graham J, Tanaka N, Crilly T, Alfaro M (2001) Modified cam-clay modelling of temperature effects in clays. Can Geotech J 38:608–621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grim RE (1962) Applied clay mineralogy, International series in the earth and planetary sciences. McGrawHill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Grim RE (1968) Clay mineralogy. International series in the earth and planetary sciences, 2nd edn. Mcgraw Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta B (1964) Creep of saturated soil at different temperatures. PhD Thesis, The University of British Columbia, Canada

  • Guven N (1993) Molecular aspects of clay-water interactions. In: Guven N, Pallastro RM (eds) Clay water interface and its rheological properties,CMS workshop lectures. Clay Minerals Society, pp 2–79

  • Huang W, Fityus S, Bishop D, Smith D, Sheng D (2006) Finite element parametric study of the consolidation behaviour of a trial embankment on soft clay. Int J Geomech 6(5):328–341

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Indraratna B (2010) Recent advances in the application of vertical drains and vacuum loading in soft soil stabilisation. 2009 EH David Memorial Lecture, Australian Geomechanics Society, 45(2):1–43

  • Kuhn MR, Mitchell JK (1993) New perspectives on soil creep. J Geotech Eng 119(3):507–524

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kwok CY, Bolton MD (2010) DEM simulations of thermally activated creep in soils. Geotechnique 60(6):425–433

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leonards GA, Girault PA (1961) Study of one dimensional consolidation tests. In: Proceeding of 5th international conference soil mechanics, Paris, pp 213–218

  • Leroueil S, Kabbaj M, Tavenas F, Bouchard R (1985) Stress-strain-strain rate relation for the compressibility of sensitive natural clays. Geotechnique 35(2):159–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Low PF (1962) Influence of adsorbed water on exchangable ion movement. Paper presented at the proceedings of the 9th national conference on clays and clay minerals, New York

  • Matsuo S, Kamon M (1977) Macroscopic study on deformation and strength on clays. In: Proceedings of the 9th international conference on soil mechanics and foundation engineering, Tokyo, Japan, pp 201–204

  • Mcllquham J (2010) Geotechnical design of transition structures for the Port Botany Expansion. ISSMGE Bull 4(2):55–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Mesri G (1973) Coefficient of secondary compression. J Soil Mech Found Div, ASCE 99(1):123–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Mesri G (2003) Primary compression and secondary compression In: Soil behaviour and soft ground construction, vol 119. Geotechnical special publication, ASCE, Reston, pp 122–166

  • Mesri G, Godlewski PM (1977) Time and stress compressibility interrelationship. J Geotech Eng 103(5):417–430

    Google Scholar 

  • Mesri G, Olson RE (1971) Mechanisms controlling the permeability of clays. Clays Clay Miner 19:151–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell JK (1956) The fabric of natural clays and its relation to engineering properties. Highw Res Board Proc 35:693–713

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell JK (1964) Shearing resistance of soils as a rate process. J Soil Mech Found Div ASCE 90(SM1):29–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell JK (1976) Fundamentals of soil behaviour. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell JK, Soga K (2005) Fundamentals of soil behaviour, 3rd edn. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell JK, Campanella RG, Singh A (1968) Soil creep as a rate process. ASCE J SMFD 94(1):1–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Murayama S, Shibata T (1961) Rheological properties of clays. In: Proceedings of the 5th international conference soil mechanics, Paris 1:269–273

  • Navarro V, Alonso EE (2001) Secondary compression of clay as a local dehydration process. Geotechnique 51(10):859–869

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ranjan G, Rao ASR (2007) Basic and applied soil mechanics. New Age International Publishers, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao SN, Matthew PK (1995) Effects of exchangeable cations on hydraulic conductivity of a marine clay. Clays Clays Miner 43(4):433–437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reeves G, Sims I, Cripps J (2006) Clay materials used in construction, The Geological Society

  • Singh A, Mitchell JK (1968) General stress-strain-time function for soils. J Soil Mech Found Div ASCE 94(SM3):709–734

    Google Scholar 

  • Sridharan A (2001) Engineering behaviour of clays: influence of mineralogy. In: Chemo-mechanical coupling in clays: from nano-scale to engineering applications, Swets & Zeitlinger, Maratea

  • Sridharan A, Rao GV (1973) Mechanisms controlling volume change of saturated clays and the role of effective stress concept. Geotechnique 23(3):359–382

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sridharan A, Rao GV (1979) Shear strength behaviour of saturated clays and the role of effective stress concept. Geotechnique 29(2):177–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor DW (1942) Research on consolidation of clays. Department of Civil and Sanitation Engineering, Massachusetts Insitute of Technology, Report 82

  • Taylor DW, Merchant WA (1940) A theory of clay consolidation accounting for secondary compression. J Math Phys 19:167–185

    Google Scholar 

  • Terzaghi K (1941) Undisturbed clay samples and undisturbed clays. J Boston Soc Civil Eng 29(3):211–231

    Google Scholar 

  • Vermeer PA, Neher HP (2000) A soft soil model that accounts for creep. In: Beyond 2000 in Computational Geotechnics-10 years of PLAXIS International, Balkema, Rotterdam, 1999

  • Wang YH, Xu D (2006) Dual porosity and secondary consolidation. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 133(7):793–801

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winkerkorn HW (1943) The condition of water in porous systems. Soil Sci 55(2):109–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wong PK (2006) Preload design, Part 1: review of soil compressibility behaviour in relation to the design of preloads, Australian Geomechanics Society Sydney chapter 2006 symposium, pp 27–32

  • Yin JH (1999) Non-linear creep of soils in oedometer tests. Geotechnique 49(5):699–707

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin JH (2002) Calculation of settlements of foundation soils considering creep. In: Proceedings of the Nakase Memorial symposium on soft ground engineering in coastal areas, Yokosuka, Japan, pp 205–211

  • Yin JH, Graham J (1989) Viscous-elastic-plastic modelling of one dimensional time-dependent behaviour of clays. Can Geotech J 26:199–209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin JH, Graham J (1999) Elastic viscoplastic modelling of the time-dependent stress-strain behaviour of soils. Can Geotech J 36(4):736–745

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin JH, Zhu JG, Graham J (2002) A new elastic viscoplastic model for time-dependent behaviour of normally and overconsolidated clays: theory and verification. Can Geotech J 39(1):157–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yong RN, Pusch R, Nakano M (2010) Containment of high level radioactive and hazardous solid wastes with clay barriers. Taylor & Francis, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeevaart L (1986) Consolidation in the intergranular viscosity of highly compressible soils. In: ASTM (ed) Consolidation of soils: testing and evaluation, vol 892. ASTM Special Technical Publication, Philadelphia, pp 257–281

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Centre for Built Infrastructure Research, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Thu Minh Le & Hadi Khabbaz

  2. Faculty of Engineering and IT, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Centre for Built Infrastructure Research, University of Technology (UTS), City Campus Broadway, PO Box 123, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia

    Behzad Fatahi

Authors
  1. Thu Minh Le
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Behzad Fatahi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hadi Khabbaz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Behzad Fatahi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Le, T.M., Fatahi, B. & Khabbaz, H. Viscous Behaviour of Soft Clay and Inducing Factors. Geotech Geol Eng 30, 1069–1083 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-012-9535-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-012-9535-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation