4.5.4, Jurassic days ‘The Jurassic system in the UK contains several important clay formations. All of them are over-consolidated and, in some cases the deposits have become indurated into low-strength rocks. They outcrop in an area of England that stretches from the south coast in Dorset northwards and eastwards through the south midlands and caster England to the coast in North Yorkshire. There are also ‘outcrops on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Appendix B, Table B6, lists the geotechnical properties of several Jurassic clay formations, whilst relevant lithological details are given in Table 4.28. The properties of these formations are described below. Data for Lias Clay, the properties of which are discussed in a subsequent specific section, are given in Appendix B, Table B7. ‘Most Jurassic clays are of intermediate to high plastic- ity, with many points plotting in the high area of the plas- ticity chart above the A-line. As indicated in Appendix B, ‘Table BG, Upper Oxford Clay contains material with very high or extremely high plasticity. The natural moisture content is usually in the region of 20 to 30%, but tends to be higher in the Fullers Earth Clay, which has a high Ca- montmorillonite content and was sheared and Ampthill Clay in which the wetter samples were from a shallow, 126 PROPERTIES OF CLAY MATERIALS, SOILS AND MUDROCKS ‘Taste 428. Clays iced i Table BS Formationt ithotegy Kellaways Clay Overconsoliated, fissured, silty, ocasonally sandy, high plasticity clay Lower Oxford Chey Over-consoldated fissured, sity, sometimes calcareous er eran, low to very high plasticity clay with at least fou bods of eomentstone nodules Middle Oxford Chay Pale grey sity modstne with thin bods of caleareou sitsone inthe upper part Upper Oxford Clay” Overconsoliated sure, sly, rarely sand ncrmedit to high and cccasiolly very high plasticity shy Amptill Cay (Overcomoliated fissure, silty clay: Someties with san grade shell fragment. The plasticity 8 ether tntemedate obigh ervey hig Kimmeridge Clay Overconsliated sured sity. sometimes caleareous or sandy cay West Wallon Formation Pale and da grey fesifrous, silky modtons th thin al bes sd fosierous horizons. rely high 1 See Chapter 6 for frmition deelweathered horizon. The average values of plasticity and activity respectively plotted in Figures 4.17 and 4.18, indicate that Oxford Clay and Kimmeridge Clay plot i the overlap region for illite, kaolinite and montmorillo- nite. The clay-sized fraction averages about 50%, except for lower values recorded for the Lower Oxford Clay. ‘The moisture content is very variable, with values of 10 to 60%, within the top 10 m. This changes to about 18 to 30% at approximately 5 m and 12 to 27% at between 7 and 25 m. Thus the effects of stress relief and weathering extend to depths of about 20 m. The wetter near-surface material has lower density with values of about 1.60 to 2.15 Mg/m’ but this increases to 2.00 to 2.23 Mg/m’ in the deeper fresh material. The undrained shear strength recorded for Jurassic clays puts them in the stiff clay category, but some samples of Middle Oxford Clay and Kimmeridge Clay are stiff or hard clays. The strength values span large ranges due to differences in weathering grade and moisture con- tent in the upper parts but depth of burial and lithological changes also cause the strength to vary. The wetter, near surface clays may be soft but, where the upper few metres are drier, they are stiffer and stronger than the underlying clay. Vertical profiles show an increase in undrained shear strength and reduction in moisture content below this. Work by Russell & Parker (1979) suggests that the undrained shear strength of moderately weathered Oxford Clay is about 50% that of the fresh clay. The effective shear strength parameters are also sensi- tive to weathering processes, with effective cohesion as high as 480 kPa recorded by Jackson & Fookes (1974) for a cemented Oxford Clay. Weathering action, disturbance and loss of bonding reduces c’ to zero or near zero, Aver- age values of effective angle of friction are between 20 and 30°, and residual effective angle of friction averages about 15°. The compressibility of Jurassic clays is from low to medium, depending on lithology and weathering grade. Most of these materials possess slow or medium rates of consolidation. The modulus of elasticity increases with depth with E,,,= $0 MPa at 17 m depth and 135 at 29m,