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Study on the consolidation state of sediments in the Huelva Estuary (SW Spain)

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Abstract

This study investigates the consolidation properties of muddy sediments from the Huelva Estuary (Spain). Soil index properties were calculated and oedometer tests were undertaken to establish the consolidation properties. The results indicated most of the soils were of medium–low plasticity and high–very high compressibility. The paper discusses the difference in the overconsolidation ratios of the sedimentological units distinguished, noting that in the upper 10 m the soils are overconsolidated while below that depth high pore pressures are frequently present such that the soil can be metastable.

Résumé

L’étude s’intéresse au phénomène de consolidation pour des sédiments argileux de l’estuaire de Huelva (Espagne). Les paramètres d’identification géotechnique ont été calculés et des essais oedométriques réalisés afin d’étudier le phénomène de consolidation. Les résultats ont montré que la plupart des sols présentaient une plasticité moyenne à faible et une compressibilité forte à très forte. L’article discute des différences de degrés de sur-consolidation entre les unités sédimentologiques distinguées, notant que dans les 10 m supérieurs les sols étaient sur-consolidés tandis qu’en dessous de cette profondeur de fortes pressions de pore sont fréquentes de sorte que le sol peut être qualifié de métastable.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been financed by the Research Group of the Andalusian Government RNM 316 “Tectónica y Paleontología”. We especially acknowledge the contribution of the enterprise ASTM which did the boreholes and took the samples for this work. The support of Dr. Brian Hawkins was essential to the improvement of the manuscript to get this final version.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento Geodinámica y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Huelva, Avda. Fuerzas Armadas s/n, 21007, Huelva, Spain

    M. A. Camacho & E. García-Navarro

  2. Departamento Geología, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Huelva, Avda. Fuerzas Armadas s/n, 21007, Huelva, Spain

    J. A. Morales

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  1. M. A. Camacho
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  2. E. García-Navarro
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  3. J. A. Morales
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Correspondence to M. A. Camacho.

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Camacho, M.A., García-Navarro, E. & Morales, J.A. Study on the consolidation state of sediments in the Huelva Estuary (SW Spain). Bull Eng Geol Environ 70, 699–707 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-011-0378-3

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