CYCLIC STRENGTH OF A SENSITIVE CLAY OF EASTERN CANADA

Cyclic loading tests were performed on many undisturbed specimens and a few compacted specimens of two samples of very sensitive clay from an earth dam site on the Outardes River in Quebec. Failure occurred when one or more thin shear zones developes in which the remolded soil was reduced to a liquid, while the rest of the specimen remained intact, strong, and brittle. The cyclic strength of this clay was high in comparison to that required for the foundation of a planned earth dike and was relatively strong in comparison with other clays. However, simplified analyses indicate that under some conditions dynamic loading can be expected to induce instability in this type of soil. Refs.