Strain-rate dependent stress-strain behavior of undisturbed Hong Kong marine deposits under oedometric and triaxial stress states

This article presents a testing study on the strain-rate effects on the stress - strain behavior of natural, undisturbed Hong Kong marine deposits (HKMD) from three Hong Kong locations, including a one-dimensional (1-D) compressibility in a confined condition, and undrained shear strengths in triaxial compression and extension modes. The influences of the strain rates on the one-dimensional compressibility are studied by means of constant rate of strain (CRS) tests and multistage loading oedometer (MSL) tests, and those on the undrained shear strengths are studied by Ko-consolidated undrained compression and extension tests with step-changed axial strain rates (CKoUC and CKoUE tests), and with both step-changed axial strain rates and relaxation processes (CKoUCR and CKoUER tests). The strain-rate effects on the stress - strain behavior are generally examined by "apparent" preconsolidation pressures in the 1-D compressions and undrained shear strengths in the triaxial compression and extension stress states. The stress - strain behavior of the natural, undisturbed HKMD exhibits considerable viscous characteristics. In the CRS and MSL tests at a given strain, the higher the strain rate, the higher the effective stress, the higher the porewater pressure. In the undrained shearing tests, the higher the strain rate, the higher the undrained shear strength, but the lower the porewater pressure. For the CKoUC and CKoUE tests on the Tsing Yi site samples, the undrained shear strength increases by 8.5% and 12.1% for one order increment of axial strain rate of 0.2%/hr (i.e., ρ0.2) for the compression and extension modes respectively. For the CKoUCR and CKotests on the Tung Chung site samples of different compositions, average ρ0.2is increased by 6.2% for the compression and 9.5% for the extension, but by 18.8% for the extension on a higher plastic sample. The present study shows that the strain-rate effects on the stress - strain behavior of the undisturbed HKMD are larger for specimens in extension than those in compression.