Stress-strain behavior of blue marls from the Guadalquivir river basin in Spain

Abstract

This paper describes the geotechnical behavior of the Blue Marls from the Guadalquivir River Basin in Southern Spain, defined as high-plasticity clays that behave as a stiff, over- -consolidated clayey soil. These Blue Marls are, in general, classified as an inadequate material for reuse in various earthworks. In this study the comparison between the geotechnical properties of its natural and compacted remolded state, with and without additives, is studied based on different laboratory tests. A great variety of laboratory tests were performed, including triaxial tests under consolidated undrained conditions. Three types of samples were tested in triaxial tests to define different stress-strain behaviors: undisturbed and remolded samples of the in-situ clay material, as well as remolded clay samples mixed with lime. Lime stabilization is frequently used to improve the geotechnical properties of clayey soils for application in different earthworks. The back-analysis of the slope stability is performed for a comprehensive assessment of the condition of the slopes consisting of these remolded materials mixed with lime as well as without lime. The results of the retrospective analysis of man-made slopes permit an analysis of the operational geotechnical strength parameters necessary in the design of slopes as well as its comparison with the results of the triaxial consolidated undrained tests. The improvement of the strength parameters for the slope-stability analysis is confirmed under remolded conditions with and without the addition of the small amount of lime.