possible (including motorized vane shear testing) because the samples 

 will density in storage on-board and in transit to the shore laboratory, 

 thus altering their state. 



3. One -dimensional consolidation tests on sediment specimens 

 indicate a compression index, C , of 0.80. An artificial specimen 

 composed primarily of foraminifera tests had a compression index 

 of 1.87; that is, the artificial specimen was considerably more 

 compressible than the natural specimens. 



4. The one -dimensional consolidation tests of the calcareous 

 ooze, which has 40% by weight smaller than 0.002 mm, had negligible 

 observable influence on the Globigerina foraminifera tests (shells) 

 comprising most of the coarser grained size fraction. This response 

 is believed due to the action, of the finer grained fraction of 



the sediment in distributing loads on the foraminifera test surfaces. 



5. As demonstrated by the artificial specimen performance, 

 one -dimensional consolidation of calcareous oozes having lesser 

 amounts of fines will, if the coarse Globigerina tests are in contact 

 with each other, result in crushing of the tests and in increased 

 compressibilities at load intensities of engineering interest. 



This behavior is contrary to that experienced with usual terrestrial 

 soils. 



6. The artificial specimen, with the fraction passing the 325 sieve 

 removed, resembles the calcareous oozes found near the tops of seamounts 

 and submarine ridges, where strong currents have removed the fine fraction 

 by winnowing. In such high energy environments, embedment anchors and 

 heavily loaded footing foundations imposing compressive stresses of 

 engineering interest (that is, 50 to 200 kPa or 1,000 to 4,000 psf) 



will cause crushing of Globigerina tests (shells) making up the coarse- 

 grained calcareous ooze. This grain crushing will manifest itself as 

 large displacements of the anchor or footing, which may impair the 

 function of the structure or may lead to its failure. 



7. Empirical relationships used in terrestrial soils engineering 

 for the estimation of the compression index are not directly applicable 

 to calcareous sediments. 



8. The coefficient of consolidation, c , for vertical effective 



V 



stresses equal to or greater than 96 kPa (2,000 psf), ranged from 

 0.003 to 0.021 cm /sec. For stresses less than 96 kPa, the end 

 of primary consolidation could not be identified, and, therefore, 

 the value of c could not be calculated (using a load increment 

 ratio of 1). 



9. The normally-consolidated calcareous ooze sediment exhibits 

 an angle of internal friction, (j) , of 0.65 radians (37 degrees) 



in undrained triaxial shear tests. 



10. The samples tested from Box Core 4 (sample transported 

 in corer box and tube sampled in the laboratory) behave in shear 



as an overconsolidated soil when subjected to isotropic consolidation 

 stresses, a , less than about 40 kPa (6 psi) . This observed overconsolidation 



15 



