Eighth International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering
Spatial and Temporal Variations in Moisture Content at a Sandy Beach and the Impact on Sediment Strength
Publication: Geo-Congress 2019: Engineering Geology, Site Characterization, and Geophysics (GSP 311)
ABSTRACT
The impact of moisture content on the strength of sediments at a sandy beach is explored. Surficial beach sediments with limited variability in size (0.34–0.37 mm median grain size) were tested for moisture contents and quasi-static bearing capacities. Moisture contents and grain sizes were found from push core samples and in situ sediment strength was assessed from deployments of a portable free-fall penetrometer. Moisture contents ranged from 4.5–21%, and estimates of quasi-static bearing capacities varied from 14.3–43.7 kPa over a single transect during one sampling period (~30 minutes). Over a survey period of three days, moisture contents varied from 4.7–19.9%, and quasi-static bearing capacities ranged from 13.0–38.1 kPa for one exemplary location. Higher moisture contents generally resulted in higher strengths in the intertidal zone. With other variables remaining constant, the results indicate a spatiotemporal relationship between sediment strength and moisture content of sandy foreshore sediments.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors acknowledge funding from the Office of Naval Research through grant N00014-17-1-2516. The authors would also like to thank Ali Albatal, Cagdas Bilici, Dennis Kiptoo, and Chris McBride, as well as the technical staff of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility in Duck, NC, for support with field measurements, and Bernardo Castellanos for support in the geotechnical laboratory at Virginia Tech.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Geo-Congress 2019: Engineering Geology, Site Characterization, and Geophysics (GSP 311)
Pages: 258 - 265
Editors: Christopher L. Meehan, Ph.D., University of Delaware, Sanjeev Kumar, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Miguel A. Pando, Ph.D., University of North Carolina Charlotte, and Joseph T. Coe, Ph.D., Temple University
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8213-1
Copyright
© 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Mar 21, 2019
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Beaches
- Coastal engineering
- Coasts, oceans, ports, and waterways engineering
- Engineering mechanics
- Foundation design
- Foundations
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Grain (material)
- Hydrologic engineering
- Hydrologic properties
- Hydrology
- Load bearing capacity
- Material mechanics
- Material properties
- Materials engineering
- River engineering
- Sediment
- Shores
- Soil mechanics
- Soil properties
- Soil strength
- Soil water
- Statics (mechanics)
- Water and water resources
- Water content
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