Influence of grain size on the compressibility of Venice Lagoon soils

The soils of Venice Lagoon are characterized by very erratic depositional patterns, resulting in an extremely heterogeneous stratigraphy. Identification of stratigraphic units is difficult because the layers are not continuous. The mineralogical composition of these soils, on the other hand, is quite uniform. The sediments were either originated in the basin of either the rivers Po and Adige, or the rivers Brenta, Piave e Sile and these common sources explain the similarity of composition. It is believed that mechanical action is the main agent determining grain size distribution. Since these soils are characterized by varying contents of coarse and fine-grained particles it is possible to examine what factors affect the transition from one material type to another, In particular, the compressive behavior of the soils will be considered with attention to the proportion of coarse-grained to clay content of the tested specimens and the relative importance of mechanical and physico-chemical factors.