ABSTRACT
Conventional incremental loading, IL tests are commonly used to find the compressibility of soft clays. However, these tests are time-consuming and can affect the results of treated samples due to the extended duration of the tests. To overcome this, constant rate of strain test (CRS) is used. It is a strain-controlled method and can be completed within 24 hours. This paper investigates the consolidation properties of marine clays treated with calcium carbide residue, CCR. The strain rate was selected to maintain a base excess pressure ratio between 3% and 15% during loading. Treated and untreated clay samples were prepared at water content equal to 1.3 to 1.5 times the clay’s liquid limit. The results were compared to those from IL consolidation tests to evaluate the reliability and efficiency. The results show that improved clays, though still exhibiting compressibility, but the coefficient of compressibility reduces by 12%, with the development of new pre-consolidation pressure in CCR-treated samples.
