INDEX PROPERTIES OF SEDIMENTS OFF NARSAPUR, EAST-COAST OF INDIA AND THEIR IMPORTANCE FOR OFFSHORE CONSTRUCTION

A large number of soil engineering and index tests (shear strength, At terberg limits, unit weight, water content, etc.) were carried out on the 12 piston cores obtained during a cruise of R.V Samudra Kaustubh t o determine various physical parameters of sediments collected from th e shelf area of the Bay of Bengal off Narsapur. Maximum penetration de pth of the core was 4.71 m (PC-12). Correlations were made between und rained shear strength and liquidity index, saturated unit weight with water content and porosity, and shear strength with water content, by drawing the lines of best fit curves. Comparison of above mentioned pa rameters as determined, clearly reveals that many of these quick and i nexpensive tests adequately describe the general characteristics and b ehaviour of the sediments.