Effects of placement method on geotechnical behavior of hydraulic fill sands

Results of an investigation of the geotechnical behavior of a hydraulic sand placed at a land reclamation site in Hong Kong are presented and interpreted. The study was conducted to aid in developing guidelines for quality control of hydraulic landfill placement. The work described consisted of: (1) field investigations; (2) static and cyclic triaxial testing; and (3) calibration chamber tests to study the cone penetration test versus D-r relationships for marine sands obtained from the reclamation sites. The results of this study clearly indicate that the placement technique is the single most important factor controlling the geotechnical behavior of a given type of sand when placed as a hydraulic fill. The weakest zone is generally located just beneath the water level where fill deposition is placed by pipeline discharge.