Fundamental Engineering Characteristics of Cohesive Sediments in the Northern Region of South China Sea

Abstract

The northern region of South China Sea is the important strategic region for the offshore oil and gas resources development in China. The main shallow sediment of the region is the cohesive soil with diverse engineering characteristics difficult to be determined. The paper collects the comprehensive geotechnical data obtained from the laboratory test and the in-situ Cone Penetration Test (CPT) for the offshore oil and gas projects in the northern region of South China Sea, and presents the fundamental engineering characteristics of the cohesive soil. Results indicate that the cohesive soil with the low plasticity index and the low clay particle content in shallow water is obviously different from that in deep water in the northern region of South China Sea. The physical properties of the clay soil with the high plasticity index and high clay particle content in the northern deep water region of South China Sea are similar to those found in the Gulf of Mexico and West Africa. Moreover, there are two different deposit modes for the sediment in the northern region of South China Sea, which are the fine-grained and coarse-grained govern deposit modes in deep and shallow water respectively. It is found that the sleeve friction ratio of the cohesive sediment is very low in shallow water. The normalized values of the clay soil in deep water are consistent with those from the Gulf of Mexico and West Africa.