STRENGTH PROPERTIES OF SOME PACIFIC AND INDIAN OCEANS SEDIMENTS 



Technical Note N-1177 



Z-R011-01-01-130 



by 



D. G. Anderson 



ABSTRACT 



Sediment engineering properties, including vane shear strength 

 data and classification test results, are summarized for core samples 

 from 18 locations in the southwest Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans. 

 This summary presents information on the engineering properties of 

 soils from the areas of investigation. 



In addition to displaying graphical plots of sediment strength 

 and index property variations with depth, the data suggest other 

 important trends. For example, when the locations considered were 

 divided into three physiographic provinces: continental terrace, 

 abyssal plain, and abyssal hill, a considerable amount of data scatter 

 was found to exist between similar provinces. Seafloor sediment 

 provinces must be defined more precisely before it will be possible to 

 categorize seafloor soil engineering properties on the basis of 

 provinces. 



Attempts were made to correlate the measured strength data with 

 index properties of the sediments (Atterberg limits) that can be 

 determined from disturbed or remolded samples. For the relatively 

 shallow sediments considered in this study, no useful relationships 

 were observed. 



Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. 



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