Geotechnical and Minerology Properties of Marine Clay at the Northeast of Penang Island

Abstract

A series of subsurface investigation including in-situ and laboratory tests has been carefully planned and executed for a proposed residential and commercial development over soft marine clay at Tg Tokong, Penang Island. This paper presents the approach taken in determining and developing fundamental geotechnical engineering design parameters of the soft clay. The subsurface investigation was carried out in two phases to suit the overall development implementation plan namely subsurface investigation done near-shore with about 70 nos of boreholes, 50 nos of cone penetration tests (CPT) and 100 nos of Mackintosh probes and those that were carried out off-shore with 72 Nos of boreholes. The samples extracted from the field work were subjected to grain size analyses, Atterberg limits, oedometer test and consolidated undrained compression. Subsequently, correlations were established between physical soil properties with undrained shear strength from field vane and laboratory tests. The subsurface investigation has suggested that the soft marine clay at the northeast of Penang island comprises of a very soft upper marine clay layer overlying a stiffer lower marine clay. An intermediate stiff clay is sandwiched between these two marine clay layers. The soft clay was also subjected to x-ray diffraction to observe the minerology make up. The primary clay mineral was kaolinite/chlorite followed by smectite. The clay is anticipated to pose minimum effect onto the swelling and compression behaviour.