ABSTRACT
Marine sediments are particulate multiphase systems that consist of granular material, relatively high ionic strength fluid, organic, and gas, which may be in either the dissolved or the free phase. The microstructure and pore-water pressure are important fundamental properties to consider in the geotechnical and geological analysis of sediment transport and sea floor stability. This chapter evaluates the significance of pore-water pressure in marine sediments in light of the currently available pore pressure data obtained from shallow-water, deep-ocean, and laboratory tests with both large and small diameter piezometer probes. Dissipation of excess pore pressure with time is obtained by solving the governing equations for the initial excess pore-pressure distributions. Piezometer measurements provide not only ambient static, dynamic, and transient porepressure conditions, but also provide a way to determine the in situ undrained shear strength, consolidation coefficients, permeabilities, and other soil properties.
