An ideal resource for civil engineers working with offshore structures, pipelines, dredging, and coastal erosion, Seafloor Processes and Geotechnology bridges the gap between the standard soil mechanics curriculum of civil engineering and published material on marine geotechnology. Utilizing organized information on sediments and foundations for marine applications from a variety of sources, it provides practical reference information and approaches for analysis and design.
This book provides an understanding of the processes and loadings affecting the sediment/water interface and the sediment column on the continental shelf and slope as well as the abyssal plains. It outlines the geological and geotechnical factors that should be considered in an investigation, and provides practicing professionals with the information they need to analyze potential environmental hazards and problems in marine foundations and slope stability. It covers geology, site investigation, drilling and sampling sediments, material properties, foundation design, slope stability, and more.
Exploring marine geotechnology from a historical perspective, this book:
- Describes the development of marine geotechnology, the marine environment, and the geology of the seabed
- Discusses the various elements of a site investigation
- Explains how to investigate a site by remote sensing over the macro scale, probing to look at a more defined area, and drilling and sampling at the micro scale
- Looks at the physical, acoustic, and geochemical properties of marine sediments at the micro scale
- Focuses on slope stability and marine foundations
Seafloor Processes and Geotechnology
provides the background for in situ investigation, drilling, soil sampling, and laboratory testing technologies and serves as a complete handbook for engineers, geologists, as well as marine and environmental scientists.ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION
Origin and Development of Marine Geotechnology
Introduction
Definition and Scope of Marine Geotechnology
Origin of Marine Geotechnology (1786–1899)
Twentieth-Century Precedents (1900–1949)
Development of Marine Geotechnology (1950–2000)
Events Occurring to Change Marine Geotechnology in the Late 1970s and Early 1980s
Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Aspects
Summary
Geological Environments/Processes and Provinces
Introduction
Plate Tectonics and the Physiography of the Ocean Floor
Sediment Accumulation and Response to Sea-Level Changes
Sediments
Marine Sedimentary Environments
SITE INVESTIGATION
Elements of Site Investigations
Introduction
Planning a Site Investigation
Site Survey Flow Plan
Positioning
Location or Positioning
Geophysical Surveys: Equipment and Techniques
Vessel Operations
In Situ Investigations
Data Management
In Situ Testing
Introduction
Deployment Systems
Sensors
Sensor Calibration
Special-Purpose Tests
Drilling, Sampling, and Handling of Marine Sediments
Introduction
Offshore Soil Sampling
Sampler Disturbance
Handling and Storage
Laboratory Testing at Sea and Ashore
Introduction
Preparation of Soil Samples
Logging, X-Radiography, and Computed Tomography
Index/Classification Testing
Consolidation
Permeability
Static Shear Strength
Cyclic and Dynamic Strength
GEOTECHNICAL PROPERTIES OF MARINE SEDIMENTS
Properties of Marine Soils
Introduction
Soil Characterization
Classification of Sediments
Geophysical Properties of Marine Sediments
Index, Compressibility, and Strength Properties of Marine Sediments
Introduction
Density and Water Content
Consistency Properties and Organic Materials
Compressibility and Permeability of Fine-Grained Marine Sediments
Permeability
Shear Strength Characterization
Effect of Time on Soil Behavior
Cyclic and Dynamic Properties of Marine Sediments
Introduction
Theoretical Background
Soil Parameter Modeling
Behavior of Clays and Silts
Analytical Methods to Predict Cyclic Response of Clays
Behavior of Granular Materials
Historical Review of Liquefaction in the Coastal Environment
Post-Cyclic Loading Behavior
SLOPE STABILITY AND FOUNDATIONS
Marine Foundations
Introduction
Loadings on Foundations
Pile Structures in the Marine Environment
Gravity Platforms
Anchor Uplift Capacity
Jack-Up Platforms
Hydraulic Filled Islands
Slope Stability
Introduction
Types of Seafloor Movements
Mechanisms of Movement
Evaluation of Initiation of Instability
Evaluation of the Large Movements of the Soil Mass
Summary
References
Biography
Ronald C. Chaney is emeritus professor of environmental resources engineering, former director of the Telonicher Marine Laboratory, and head of vessel operations at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California. Prior to that, he was an associate professor of civil engineering at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He received his PhD in engineering from the University of California-Los Angeles in 1978. In addition, Dr. Chaney was the editor of the International Journal of Marine Geotechnology, Journal of Marine Georesources and Geotechnology, and the American Society for Testing and Materials’s Geotechnical Testing Journal. He is a fellow of both ASCE and ASTM.
Gideon Almagor is an emeritus senior geologist from the Geological Survey of Israel, specializing in coastal and marine geology, and geotechnology. He is currently affiliated with AdaMa Environmental and Geological Sciences as a geologist. He received his PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1977. He has extensive experience in shipboard operations (geophysical, coring) and laboratory testing.
"… a compendium of many years of valuable information neatly packaged in one place. The book is written so that a non-technical person can read and understand the concepts of marine geotechnology. … The authors did their homework and have put forth a lot of good and practical information…The topics seem to cover just about everything engineering wise about the seafloor."
—Kendra S. Adams, President, Blue Rock Labs, Inc., USA"… provides practical and useful descriptions of marine geology, marine geoscientific exploration techniques and marine geotechnical engineering in one text. … the primary author has been a long-time contributor in research, practice, chairing symposia and development of standards. His experience and expertise are well known worldwide."
—Ron Ebelhar, Terracon, Olathe, Kansas, USA"… the authors have done an excellent job… a great reference and a must read for anyone planning an offshore site investigation or involved in the design of structures to be built offshore."
—Kenneth Bell, Bechtel Infrastructure, USA
