and may result in a measurable effect on the Atterberg limit determination. 



Second, the changing salt concentration also influences the water 



content correction calculation; and the approximate correction 



of Reference 30, based upon 3.5% salt, no longer applies. 



The quantitative and practical significance of these errors has 



not been evaluated. 



This calcareous ooze classifies in the Unified Soil Classification 

 [32] system as MH, an inorganic silt. 



CONSOLIDATION CHARACTERISTICS 



One -dimensional consolidation properties of three calcareous 

 sediment specimens are presented herein. For a brief review of 

 the one -dimensional consolidation test,- including the recommended 

 specimen relative dimensions, the boundary conditions, the loading 

 technique, and the methods of data presentation and analysis, the 

 reader is referred to the Appendix. 



Equipment and Procedure Description 



Consolidation tests were conducted in two consolidometers, 

 each having its own advantages. One test was conducted in an Anteus 

 consolidometer, capable of applying a backpressure of 210 kPa (30 

 psi) to the specimen pore water for the purpose of driving any 

 gas bubbles in the sample back into solution. The Anteus unit has 

 a load range capability from 0.38 to 790 kPa (8 psf to 16,500 psf), 

 with the upper limit dictated by the compressed-air line pressure. 

 The Anteus unit also permits the option of using only top drainage 

 and measuring induced excess pore pressures at the bottom of the 

 specimen, thus the point of 100% excess pore pressure dissipation 

 (end of primary consolidation) can be readily identified (see Appendix, 

 Figure 18). The specimen was 57.2 mm diameter by 18.63 mm high (2.25 

 in. by 0.733 in.), just slightly smaller in diameter than the tube 

 samples. Consolidation specimens are trimmed to diameter by pushing 

 them into a special consolidometer ring with an integral knife 

 edge. 



Two other tests were conducted in a Karol-Warner consolidometer, 

 which does not have a backpressure capability. Its load range capability 

 extends from 0.48 to 2,490 kPa (10 psf to 52,000 psf), with the 

 lower limit dictated by the dial indicator plunger force and the 

 upper limit dictated by the compressed-air line pressure. Specimens 

 were 56.9 mm diameter by 19.05 mm high (2.24 in. by 0.75 in.), prepared 

 similarly to that of the Anteus unit. 



Consolidation tests were run on material from the fourth box 

 core retrieved (tube cored in the laboratory) . The first test was 

 conducted in the Anteus unit, under backpressure, at a room temperature 



