The 'quick clay' behaviour observed in sensitive Scandinavian clays is due to:
Choose the correct answer
Very high organic content making clay buoyant
Leached marine clay — loss of salt destroys flocculated structure; disturbance collapses cemented fabric to near-fluid slurry
Presence of coarse sand layers
High temperature melting clay minerals
Correct Answer
B. Leached marine clay — loss of salt destroys flocculated structure; disturbance collapses cemented fabric to near-fluid slurry
Why is this the answer?
Quick clay: marine clay deposited in saline water (Na⁺ in pores keeps clay flocculated). Later leached by freshwater → Na⁺ replaced by water → highly unstable structure maintained only by cementation and structure. On disturbance (liquefaction): structure collapses, strength drops to near-zero → liquid. St > 100. Cannot be predicted by simple tests. Causes massive landslides (e.g., Rissa 1978 Norway). Indian analogy: very soft marine clays.
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