d

2n International Conference on New Developments in Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering,

28-30 May 2009, Near East University, Nicosia, North Cyprus

Comparison between behaviour of undisturbed and reconstituted

Tunis soft clay

Mnaouar Klai
Geotechnical Engineering team, National Engineering School of Tunis BP 37 Le Belvédère 1002 Tunis
Mounir Bouassida
Geotechnical Engineering team, National Engineering School of Tunis BP 37 Le Belvédère 1002 Tunis

KEYWORDS: behavior, reconstituted, Tunis soft clay, undisturbed.

ABSTRACT:
This paper presents a laboratory investigation carried out on undisturbed specimens and remoulded
specimens of Tunis soft clay preceded by initial consolidation under vertical stress of 50 kPa.
Recorded laboratory data were collected from oedometric and triaxial tests. From these a comparison
between characteristics of undisturbed and remoulded Tunis soft clay specimens is then discussed.
Also the verification of well known correlation between physical parameters and mechanical
characteristics has been investigated.

1 INTRODUCTION

Studying the behaviour of soils usually needs to carry out laboratory tests on extracted specimens
either from cored samples (so called undisturbed) or from remoulded ones. Tunis soft clay belongs to
the category of problematic soils because of its weak strength characteristics and high
compressibility. Then, designing foundation on Tunis soft clay requires a thorough study both for the
short term behaviour and long term behaviour (Schofield & Wroth, 1968).
The reconstitution in laboratory of an altered ground is necessary especially when dealing with soft
grounds for which the extraction of undisturbed samples remains very challenging operation. It is
the case of Tunis soft clay which belongs to the category of problematic soils (Bouassida 2006).
Essentially, the comparison between remoulded and undisturbed Tunis soft clay properties is
addressed. First, the identification and classification of undisturbed and remoulded Tunis soft clay is
presented. Second, recorded results from laboratory tests are given. The comparison between intact
and reconstituted soft clay specimens is carried out. Conclusions and suggestions are finally outlined.

2 GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS: SAMPLING AND IDENTIFICATION:

In the urban area of Tunis City two bore holes namely BH1 and BH2 located 10 m apart were made
at “Avenue de la République”. Cored samples namely CS1 and CS2 have been extracted respectively
at depths 7.5 m and 9.5 m by equipment using a double rotary driller of external diameter 101 mm.

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2n International Conference on New Developments in Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering,
28-30 May 2009, Near East University, Nicosia, North Cyprus

- BH1 soil profile shows an upper fill layer of 7 m thickness resting on the Tunis soft clay layer of
about 18 m thickness. Three undisturbed cored samples (UCS1, UCS2, and UCS3) have been
extracted at average depth of 7.55m, 9.85 m and 18.35 m respectively.
- BH2 soil profile shows a similar formation as that observed in BH1 at the difference of 2.5 m
thickness of upper layer. Two cored samples UCS 4 and UCS 5 have been extracted at average
depths of 3.75 m and 7.75 m respectively.

3. LABORATORY TESTS RESULTS

Laboratory tests have been carried out in soil mechanics laboratory of Rades Institute of High
Technological Studies (ISET). The identification tests has included: grain size distribution (sieve and
sedimentation), total unit weight, specific gravity, Atterberg limits and percentage of organic matter
(OM) content. The second group of tests included oedometric tests (compressibility and
consolidation), consolidated undrained triaxial tests and consolidated drained triaxial tests.

3.1 Experimental investigation: tests and results

3.1.1. Classification tests
As part of soil identification wetted sieve and sedimentation analyses were performed on two
samples of reconstituted soft soil RC1 and RC2 which grading curves are given by Tounekti et al,
(2008). For undisturbed soft clay specimens grain size distributions show the average minimum fines
content (dimension < 0.08 mm) was about 87%.
Tables 1 and 2 respectively summarize the identification parameters of two reconstituted and five
undisturbed soft clay samples.

Table 1. Identification parameters of reconstituted Tunis soft clay.

Reconstituted Tunis soft clay
Water Unit weight
Sample Specific
content
gravity 3 WL WP IC IP
(%) ( kN / m )

RC1 67.5 2.52 16.40 84 34 0.33 50

RC2 56.5 2.56 17 80 31 0.48 49

Table 2. Identification parameters of undisturbed Tunis soft clay

Undisturbed Tunis soft clay

Sample Water Specific Unit weight WL W IC IP

P
3
content (%) gravity ( kN / m )

UCS1 40 2.62 17.4 46 27 0.31 19

UCS2 52 2.5 16.1 50 50 0.52 5
UCS3 44.3 2.53 18 51 41.5 0.70 9.5
UCS4 65 2.32 17.6 65 50 0.40 15
UCS5 60 2.39 16.9 79 50 0.65 29
WL = liquid limit; WP = plastic limit; Ic = consistency index; Ip = plasticity index.

According to results of classification tests one concludes that samples RC1 and RC2 show high
proportion of silt. Atterberg limits indicates sample RC1 high plastic muddy soil with small clay
fraction, and sample RC2 is a high plastic muddy soil with high clay fraction. For undisturbed soft
clay samples, which contain wastes of shell, Atterberg limits values are lower than those of the
reconstituted soft clay. The classification of saturated Tunis soft clay is highly plastic silt or with
very low consistency (Bouassida 2006).

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Klai, M & Bouassida, M.
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Several useful properties also help in a better identification of soft clays. Indeed, chemical tests for
determination of the percentage of organic wastes and the calcium carbonate respectively provide
useful information about the compressibility and strength (Das 2006).
The percentage of organic matter recorded for reconstituted soft clay was about 3.12 %. Undisturbed
soft clay has a higher content matter organic than the reconstituted soft clay which informs low
compressibility for it (about 10%).
According to results recorded during the geotechnical campaigns carried out within the framework of
Radès La Goulette Bridge project (Nippon Koeï et al, 2001), the Tunis soft clay is characterized by
variable percentage of organic matter from 0.8 to 22 %.

3.2 Oedometric tests

After oedometric tests, recorded values of compression index, swelling rate and pre-consolidation
stress respectively for reconstituted soft clay and undisturbed soft clay are summarized in Tables 3
and 4 (Bouassida & Boussetta 2007). The values of compression index and swelling rate indicate
that the reconstituted soft clay is, on one hand, highly compressible and, on the other hand, with non
significant swelling potential.
As observed for the undisturbed soft clay it is concluded that the remoulded soft clay is slightly
under consolidated by comparing values of p in Table 3 to applied vertical stress during the initial
consolidation less than 60 kPa. Also after table 4 the undisturbed soft clay samples UCS1, UCS2,
UCS3, UCS4 and UCS5 extracted at average depth of 8.5 m are under consolidated.

Table 3. Oedometric characteristics of Tunis reconstituted soft clay

Tunis reconstituted soft clay
Sample Compression Swelling Pre-consolidation
index = Cc index = Cs pressure  p (kPa)
RC1 0.637 0.064 45
RC2 0.675 0.090 48

Table 4. Oedometric characteristics of Tunis undisturbed soft clay

Tunis undisturbed soft clay
Sample Compression Swelling Pre-consolidation
index Cc rate Cs pressure  p (kPa)
USC1 0.430 0.057 12
USC2 0.485 0.056 25
USC3 0.350 0.057 17
USC4 0.385 0.057 14
USC5 0.384 0.057 14

However, it should be noticed that during initial consolidation, pore pressure was not recorded
during the reconstitution soft clay. Consequently, full primary consolidation would not be ensured
along the entire thickness of reconstituted samples. This may explain the under consolidation
recorded for reconstituted samples.
Undisturbed specimens of Tunis soft clay are under consolidated since effective vertical stress was
varying both from 52 kPa to 180 kPa (Figures 1 & 2). Compression index and swelling rate values
indicate that Tunis undisturbed soft clay has lower compressibility and swelling rate than those of
reconstituted soft clay (Table 4). Meanwhile recorded values of compression index are in accordance
with those reported by (Touiti et al, 2008) from geotechnical campaigns conducted in Tunis soft clay
layers, i.e. 0.4  Cc  1.6 .

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2n International Conference on New Developments in Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering,
28-30 May 2009, Near East University, Nicosia, North Cyprus

Figure 1: Oedometric curves of undisturbed samples UCS1, UCS2 and UCS3

Figure 2: Oedometric curves of undisturbed samples UCS4 and UCS5

3.3 CU&CD Triaxial tests

Consolidated undrained triaxial (CU) tests with measured excess pore pressure and two series of
consolidated drained (CD) triaxial tests have been performed on reconstituted soft clay samples
(Tounekti et al, 2008). Consolidated undrained triaxial (CU) tests are part of the database used to
determine shear strength characteristics of undisturbed soft clay samples. Mechanical characteristics
of remoulded and undisturbed soft clay from consolidated (CU) triaxial tests with measured excess
pore pressure at failure are summarized in Tables 5 and 6.

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 Comparison between behaviour of undisturbed and reconstituted Tunis soft clay
Klai, M & Bouassida, M.
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Table 5. Shear strength characteristics of reconstituted soft clay

Tunis reconstituted soft clay
Sample CU cohesion (kPa) CU friction angle CD cohesion C CD friction angle
tg cu
Ccu cu (kPa)  (°/°)
RC1 17 14.3 21 21 0.309
RC2 16 14 18 23 0.302

Table 6. Shear strength parameters of undisturbed soft clay

Tunis undisturbed soft clay
Sample CU cohesion (kPa) CU friction angle CD cohesion C CD Friction angle
tg cu
Ccu cu (kPa)  (°/°)
USC1 7.53 15.0 10.07 17.8 0.34
USC2 8.49 16.6 14.66 21.5 0.37
USC3 8.67 15.0 15.08 19.5 0.33
USC4 7.79 15.7 13.10 18.3 0.37
USC5 - - - - -

4. COMPARISON BETWEEN PROPERTIES OF UNDISTURBED AND REMOULDED TUNIS

SOFT CLAYS:

From Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4 the specific gravity appears an intrinsic parameter because of recorded
constant value. The water content obviously increases after remoulding soft clay. It can be noticed
that the initial consolidation of remoulded soil is not generally sufficient to establish the in-situ
water content.
Direct comparison between mechanical characteristics of undisturbed and reconstituted soft clay is
difficult to deal with since preparation of the two kinds of specimen is quite different. At the same
time, underestimated soil strength can be seen. The main advantage, when using remoulded soil, is
to avoid disturbance usually occurring during cored samples extraction, from the in situ soil.
Besides, the remoulded soil has controlled loading history.
For applications which involve staged construction, due to soft clay primary consolidation, the short
term strength characteristic that is undrained cohesion will be modified; then stability will be studied
with modified characteristics for each stage of construction (Roscoe & Schofield 1963). Since the
vertical effective stress plays the role of consolidation stress, one of the most important parameter to
determine is the increase of undrained cohesion with depth. The increase of undrained cohesion as
function of stress consolidation may be written as:

tg cu  Cu  p (1)

cu and  p respectively denote the increase of undrained cohesion and the consolidation stress.
The theoretical prediction of undrained cohesion from CU triaxial tests can be expressed as:

Cu (p )  Ccu cos cu /1  sin cu  p sin cu /1  sin cu (2)

From the results of CU triaxial shear tests, the undrained cohesion is the radius of the Mohr’s circle
at failure. From Eqs (1) and (2) the analytical parameter governing the increase of undrained
cohesion can be determined (Bouassida 2006). Assessment of relationship given by Eq (2) by using
cu and Ccu values with experimental values of undrained cohesion from CU triaxial tests revealed
satisfactory. From tables 5 and 6, values of tg cu are about 0.3 for remoulded soft clay samples.

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2n International Conference on New Developments in Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering,
28-30 May 2009, Near East University, Nicosia, North Cyprus

These previous ranges are in agreement with tg cu = 0.35 deduced from results on undisturbed soft
clay samples. Results recorded conveniently from laboratory tests constitute help for the prediction
of soils behaviour (Asaka et al. 2003).

5 CONCLUSIONS

This paper gives a comparison between parameter of undisturbed and remoulded Tunis soft clay.
Mechanical characteristics for the soils are obtained from standard types of laboratory tests. Tunis
soft clay deposits lightly under consolidated to normally consolidated state. Characteristics of
remoulded soft clays are sometimes quite different from those recorded for undisturbed.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Authors gratefully acknowledge Mister A. Marzougi (ISET Radès) for providing the data recorded
on undisturbed soft soil samples.

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