Microscopic analysis of the engineering geological behavior of soft clay in Shanghai, China

The upper 75 m of the alluvium beneath Shanghai can be divided into three clay layers. Consolidation of the upper soft clay contributes to the average 3 mm/year land subsidence which occurs in the Shanghai region, despite mitigation measures including reduction in groundwater exploitation from the underlying aquifer and groundwater recharge. Data indicate that the soft clay is semi-dispersed, marginally stable, and susceptible to compaction. The study reports an analysis of the granulometric characteristics and aggregate components, pore-size distribution, microstructure, pore solution composition and cation exchangeability of the soft clay. The results indicate the deformation/consolidation of the soft clay is related to its microscopic physical and chemical characteristics rather than the fluctuation of the groundwater level in the underlying aquifer.