ABSTRACT
The behavior of sediments under load is dependent upon a number of factors. These factors include type of loading (i.e., long-term sustained load application, dynamic loading, cyclic loading), type of pore pressure response (drained or undrained) and the permeability, presence of cohesion or cementation between particles. The primary difficulty with wave or seismic loading on seabed sediment is that the induced stresses are transient, each peak lasting from only a fraction of a second to a few seconds. The response of the sediment to this type of loading is different from the response under a sustained load. The behavior of saturated sediments under cyclic loading is very dependent on whether the effective stress between particles increases or decreases. The effective stress in turn is dependent on whether excess pore water pressure decreases or increases during the cyclic loading. During cyclic loading, excess pore pressures can build up, causing large cyclic strains.
