Experimental Investigation on Water-Sensitive Engineering Behaviors of High-Fines Clayey Sand and Quantitative Correlations Between Physical and Mechanical Indices

Abstract

Clayey sand is a typical transitional coastal alluvial soil controlled by both coarse-grain friction and fine-grain cementation. Current studies focus mostly on remolded samples, lacking systematic understanding of water-induced structural degradation and quantitative physico-mechanical correlations for natural undisturbed clayey sand. In this work, 74 intact undisturbed specimens (0.5–23.0 m depth) were tested via basic physical tests, one-dimensional consolidation and consolidated-undrained triaxial shear tests. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to establish prediction relationships between routine physical indices and mechanical parameters. Results show the soil is classified as SC clayey sand with 39.70% fines and an average natural water content of 23.17%. Natural water content dominates soil engineering performance, presenting strong linear correlations with dry density and void ratio (|r| = 0.90). Higher water content and void ratio increase compressibility and reduce shear strength. The compression coefficient and compression modulus exhibited a consistent nonlinear relationship, reflecting the inherent linkage between these two compression parameters. Burial depth has little influence on soil properties, and plasticity index only serves for soil classification. Mechanistically, increasing moisture may thicken adsorbed water films, weaken interparticle contact and matric suction, and the fine particle-filled skeleton may further enhance the water sensitivity of the soil. The established prediction models support fast evaluation of soil mechanical behaviors, offering theoretical and practical support for geotechnical design of similar coastal clayey sand strata.