Research on Undrained Shear Strength Rate Properties of Shallow Soft Clay in an Offshore Wind Farm in Shandong Province

In view of the problem of different loading rates under the submarine soft clay strength of different responses, the undrained shear strength characteristics of submarine soft clay in an offshore wind farm area in Shandong Province were tested and analyzed under various shear rates by using a high-precision soft-solid rheometer. The results show that the shear rate does not affect the undrained shear stress-strain relationship characteristics of submarine soft clay. The original undrained shear strength of submarine soft clay at different shear rates showed strain-softened damage characteristics, while the remodeled undrained shear strength showed plastic damage characteristics. There is a positive correlation between the peak undrained shear strength and the shear rate, while the residual undrained shear strength is almost unaffected by the shear rate, and the average residual strength is about 1 700 Pa. The sensitivity of the seabed soft clay has a tendency to increase with the increase of shear rate. The results of the study can provide a reference for the selection of strength parameters of seabed soft clay under different loading rate conditions in marine engineering.