Sensitive Clays

Foundation Engineering
CIVI-6501

LEMIEX
Landslide,June20,1993

Submitted To : Submitted By:

Dr. Adel Hanna Sohail Akhtar
40041613
 Table Of Content
Introduction
Effects of Sensitive on Foundations
Causes of Sensitivity
Metastable Fabrics
Cementation
Weathering
Thixotropic Hardening
Leaching (Monovalent/Divalent Cation Ratios)
Research Findings and Conclusions
Location of Sensitive clay (Referenced)
References
 Introduction
1. The ratio of peak undisturbed strength (Sup) to remolded strength (Sur), as determined by the unconfined
compression test, was used initially as the quantitative measure of sensitivity St ( Sup /Sur) (Terzaghi,
1944).

2. The sensitivity of clays is defined as the ratio of their undisturbed and remolded strengths, and varies from
about 1.0 for heavily over-consolidated clays to values of over 100 for the so-called extra sensitive or
quick clays.(Skempton,1955)

undisturbed Strength
St =( )= C
remoldedStrength Cr
undrained shear strength of the undisturbed sample
3. St =( ) = Cu (Hanna,A.M. and Javed,K.,2008)
undrained shear strength of the remolded sample Cur
 Strength loss of a clay that is extremely sensitive to
Fig.01 Stress/strain curves for typical Sensitive clay (after remolding. Clay that becomes fluid on remolding is
SKEMPTON,A.W. and R. D. NORTHEY,1952) termed quick clay (photograph courtesy of Haley and
Aldrich, Inc.)
 St St
Insensitive ~1.0
Insensitive clays ~1.0
Slightly sensitive clays 1-2
Clays of low sensitivity 1-2
Medium sensitive clays 2-4

Clays of medium sensitivity 2-4 Very sensitive clays 4-8

Sensitive clays 4-8 Slightly quick clays 8-16

Medium quick clays 16-32

Extra-sensitive clays 8
Very quick clays 32-64
Quick-clays 16
Extra quick clays >64

Table 01. (after SKEMPTON,A.W. and R. D. Table 02. (Rosenqvist, I. Th. ,1953)
NORTHEY,1952)
 Effects of Sensitive on Foundations

Sensitive clay have catastrophic effects on almost both Shallow and Deep Foundations
Local shear is dominant In terms of sensitive clay layer for Shallow foundation.
Piles disturb surrounding foundation soil 4 times of their diameter, results in strain and causing
sever reduction in shear strength.
Machine foundation are for vibro-sensitive produce cyclic loads, results in liquefaction and
extensive settlement and catastrophic loss of bearing capacity.
Foundation for High towers allow settlement for tower swinging at top, produced same effect as
Machine foundation.
In case of Dynamically Sensitive area, Strength of the sensitive clays reduces with the number of
cycles .
(after Hanna,A.M and Javed,K, 2008)
 Causes of Sensitivity

1. Metastable Fabric
-from edge to edge/face to face to face

The influence of metastable fabric on void ratio under and effective

consolidation pressure. (after Mitchell,James K.2005),
2. Cementation
Amorphous oxides (alumina, iron and silica) that may precipitate at interparticle contacts and act as
cementing agents. On disturbance, the cemented bonds are destroyed leading to a loss of strength.
-can cause sensitivity of 45 to 780.
3. Thixotropic Hardening
Thixotropy is time-dependent process occurring under
conditions of constant composition and volume
whereby a material stiffens while at rest and softens or
liquefies upon remolding.
-Under Same shear rate
-same water content
-water content equal or more than LL , show high Sensitivity Properties of a purely thixotropic material
-Water content less than LL, even may not show sensitivity

Thixotropic fluid substance (after

SKEMPTON,A.W. and R. D. NORTHEY,1952)
Thixotropic regain in Borne typical clays(after
SKEMPTON,A.W. and R. D. NORTHEY,1952)
4. Leaching (Monovalent/Divalent Cation Ratios)
Removal of saline fluid and or addition of clean water
Can reduce undisturbed strength up to 50 percent ( make a clay quick)
Inter-particle repulsion is the main cause in remold situation.
Example : Champlain clay usually have salt ions less than 1 g/ liter, but still the sensitivities of different samples
range from as low as 10 to over 1000. (after Mitchell,James K.,2005)

Dry condition The water molecules The cations are fully hydrated,
(Interlayer) wedge into the interlayer which results in repulsive forces
after adding water and expanding clay layers
(hydration energy).
 Findings and Conclusions

Sensitive clays can be found in both sub-aerial and sub-aqueos locations but quick clays mostly found in
sub-aerial although their sedimentation occurred sub-marine stage.
Higher the St, qcyc, and IL, the lower the number of load cycles N needed to reach failure.
Summary of the Causes of Sensitivity in Soils
Mechanism Approximate Upper Predominant Soil Types Affected
Limit
of Sensitivity
Metastable fabric Slightly quick (816) All soils
Cementation Extra quick (>64) Soils containing Fe2O3, Al2
O3, CaCO3, free SiO2
Weathering Medium sensitive (24) All soils
Thixotropic hardening Very sensitive Clays
Leaching, ion exchange, and Extra quick (>64) Glacial and postglacial marine clays
change in monovalent / divalent
cation ratio
Formation or addition of Extra quick (>64) Inorganic clays containing organic compounds in
dispersing agents solution or on particle surfaces

(after Mitchell,James K.,2005)

 Findings and Conclusions
Higher the cyclic deviatoric stress (q) , failure will occur on fewer number N cycles ( in both drained and
undrained condition)
Safe Zone exists for foundation placed on Sensitive Clay shown in figure (Ref.No.03)

safe zones for foundation on sensitive clay (after Hanna,A.M and Javed,K, 2008)
flow slide is not possible when sensitive clays have Q , 15% or cur 1.0 kPa.
Over-consolidation clays show higher shear strength because of lower pore pressure.
 Locations of Sensitive Clays

1. Thames estuary (Great Britain)

2. St. Thuribe, near Quebec (after Peck et. al. 1951), with a sensitivity of about 150
3. Late glacial plastic clay Sweden
4. Quick Clay Labrador ,Canada
5. Norwegian marine clay
6. Champlain Clay, Canada
 References
1. Hanna,A.M and Javed,K,2014, Experimental Investigation of Foundations on SensitiveClay Subjected to Cyclic
Loading, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering,Vol.140,No.11,pp.1-12
2. SKEMPTON,A.W. and R. D. NORTHEY,1952,The Sensitivity of Clays,Geotechnique,Vol.3,No.1,pp.30-53
3. Hanna,A.M and Javed,K, 2008, Design of Foundations on Sensitive Champlain Clay Subjected to Cyclic Loading,
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering,Vol.134,No.7,pp. 29937
4. Terzaghi, K. 1944. Ends and means in soil mechanics, Engineering Journal of Canada, Vol. 27, pp. 608
5. Rosenqvist, I. Th. ,1953, Considerations on the sensitivity of Norwegian quick clays,Geotechnique, Vol. 3, No. 5, pp..
6. Mitchell,James K.(2005),Fundamentals of Soil Behavior,Wiley,United States,pp.203-208
7. Mahdia Hattab, Tammam Hammad, Jean-Marie Fleureau, Pierre-Yves Hicher. Behaviour of a sensitive marine
sediment: microstructural investigation. Geotechnique, Thomas Telford, 2013, 63 (1), pp.71-84.
8. Thakur,V. and Degago,S.A.,2012, Quickness of sensitive clays,Geotechnique,Vol.2,pp.87-95
9. Fig. 01 from http://www.cgenarchive.org/uploads/2/5/2/6/25269392/7734732_orig.jpg