Oxford University
Civil Engineering
Department of Engineering Science
Soft Soils and Environmental Applications
The behaviour of soft soils deposited through water is important in such areas as dredging programmes, reservoir and estuary siltation, slurry waste disposal and land reclamation. The fundamental behaviour is being examined by introducing soil slurries into 2 m high, 100 mm diameter acrylic settling columns and allowing them to settle and consolidate. Accurate non-destructive measurements of density are made using X-rays transmitted through the soil, detected by a scintillation crystal and photomultiplier assembly. Measurements are also made of pore water pressure by transducers, of shear stiffness by shear wave transmission and of shear strength by sensitive shear vane and by fall cone.
Previous research programmes have examined the effects of rate of sediment deposition, initial density and pore water chemistry. Current and recent projects include:
The effect of chemicals on the state of soils;
The effect of electro-osmosis on soil behaviour; and
creep behaviour of soft soils under low stress conditions
Detailed information regarding some of the current projects in this field, and descriptions of equipment are available in the project pages:
MAST III COSINUS;
EPSRC: COSINUS EXTENSION;
and EU SWAMIEE
These research programmes and have been carried out by Gilliane Sills' group, based in the Jenkin Building, where research is also conducted on seabed soils and gassy soils.
