ABSTRACT
In situ testing will be preferable for many applications because problems associated with sample disturbance are minimized. In addition, in situ tests can be applied to the material in a manner which can be more closely related to the scale of real application (e.g., foundation engineering), and it has the advantage of not having artificial boundaries, as occurs with laboratory samples. The main disadvantages of in situ testing techniques are that they tend to be relatively expensive and only comparatively simple tests can be performed. In addition, in situ testing cannot measure the effects of future loading. For deep-sea sediments, the problems are magnified; laboratory testing is much less reliable than for terrestrial samples because of the increased problems of sample disturbance and because the sediments are often highly sensitive and in situ testing is inherently more problematic in oceanic depths. Consequently, any investigation into geotechnical properties of deepsea sediments must involve careful consideration into the most appropriate technique to measure any given parameter (Noorany, 1985).
