Preconsolidation pressure of Champlain clays. Part I. In-situ determination

The preconsolidation pressure of sensitive clays is an important parameter for the design of foundations on these soils, which are widespread in Eastern Canada and above all in the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Valleys where Champlain clays are found. A research study was initiated in 1979 to assess whether the preconsolidation pressure values derived from laboratory tests are representative of the preconsolidation pressure effectively mobilized in situ.Several existing structures were investigated and five of them are presented with performance records taken during and after construction together with data obtained from recent soil investigations. For each case study, the in-situ preconsolidation pressure is determined from the analysis of settlement and/or pore pressure records.The preconsolidation pressure values derived from conventional oedometer tests on good quality undisturbed samples are compared with the in-situ values and a simple correlation taking into account the overconsolidation ratio of the cla...