| Peat is an organic complex soil, well known for its high compressibility and low stability. Peat forms naturally by the incomplete decomposition of plant and animal constituents under anaerobic conditions at low temperatures.; A relocation of state highway No. 44 in Carver, Massachusetts requires the construction of sheet pile walls, fills and embankments through cranberry bogs and ponds containing deep peat deposits. The engineering properties of Carver peat in Southern Massachusetts (south of Boston) were investigated via laboratory testing including standard index tests, scanning electron micrographs, fiber content, engineering classification, permeability, consolidated undrained triaxial tests, direct shear and oedometer tests. The tests were carried out on vertically and horizontally oriented undisturbed samples.; Unlike inorganic clays, the secondary compression of peat is of great significance as it dominates its deformation and takes place over a long period of time. The presented testing program examines the deformation properties of the peat and the ratio of the coefficient of secondary compression (C α) to compression index (Cc). The obtained results are compared to those reported in the literature. The biodegradation of peat seems to increase the coefficient of secondary compression Cα and the coefficient of tertiary compression Ck. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
PDF Full Text Request