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Foundation Engineering Handbook pp 72–87Cite as

Sampling and Preparation of Marine Sediments

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Abstract

The recent development in the exploitation of the resources of the ocean floors of the world for petroleum, natural gas, and other minerals, along with waste disposal has resulted in an increased interest in the application of geotechnical sciences to the marine environment (Anderson, 1981; Chaney, 1984; Chaney and Fang, 1985, 1986; Chaney et al., 1986; Fang and Chaney, 1985,1986; Fang and Owen, 1977; Lee, 1985; Richards and Chaney, 1981, 1982; Winterkorn and Fang, 1971). The selection of an offshore site is essential for most seafloor engineering projects. It is a process strongly influenced by engineering judgment that is often constrained by economic, political, environmental, and societal considerations. Fletcher (1969) considers that the purpose of an offshore site investigation is to “secure such information by procedures appropriate to the project and to report the findings in sufficient technical detail to provide a basis for economic studies and design decisions.” The process of site evaluation from the recognition of a siting problem to the development of a problem solution involves a number of discrete steps as shown in Figure 2.1 (Chaney et al., 1985). These steps are: (1) determination of environmental loading, (2) site reconnaissance, (3) development of a stratigraphic model based on both a combination of sampling and in-situ testing, and (4) interpretation of data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fred Telonicher Marine Laboratory, Humboldt State University, USA

    Ronald C. Chaney Ph.D., P.E. (Professor and Director)

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  1. Ronald C. Chaney Ph.D., P.E.
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Geotechnical Engineering Division, Fritz Engineering Laboratory, Lehigh University, USA

    Hsai-Yang Fang Ph.D. (Professor of Civil Engineering and Director) (Professor of Civil Engineering and Director)

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Chaney, R.C. (1991). Sampling and Preparation of Marine Sediments. In: Fang, HY. (eds) Foundation Engineering Handbook. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-5271-7_2

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