Geotechnical characteristics of peat

Peat soil is encountered in many areas and generally originates from plant/animal remains and is considered partly as decomposed biomass. Due to this composition, the structure of this soil is very different when compared with inorganic soils like clay, sand and gravel. Peat has a high compressibility, low shear strength, high moisture content and low bearing capacity. The behaviour and composition of peats in different geographical areas are different from one another, accentuating the need in soil engineering for a useful geological classification of peat soils. This paper focuses on presenting a comparative overview of the characteristic geotechnical properties for these soils. It also examines and discusses the effects of composition on the basic properties and behaviour of each soil, supported by case studies from Malaysia.Soft Soil

Comparative study of British and Malaysian peat soils pertainting to geotechnical characteristics

Peat soils occur in many countries and are described differently at times from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective. Peats are formed naturally through the decomposition of plant and animal matter under anaerobic conditions that take place over long periods of time. While the estimated and reported extent of Malaysian peat was approximately 2.6 million hectares respectively [12], there is an estimated 1.6 million hectares (minimum) of peat land available in British [6]. In British, peat soils are classified as Bog and Fen Peat. However in Malaysia, peat soil is described and generally termed as basin and valley peat [4]. The behaviour and composition of these peats are different from each other, accentuating the need for a useful engineering geological classification of peat soils. These soils are known for their low shear strength and high compressibility characteristics leading to unstable ground conditions. This paper focuses on comparative study an overview of the characteristic geotechnical properties for these soils. It also examines and discusses the effect of basic properties and behaviour of composition of each soil with case studies that had been done by one of the authors at Western Johore, Malaysia.Soft Soil