Abstract: “Dredged marine sediments (DMS) are usually disposed of in open sea, inadvertently causing contamination and destruction of the marine ecosystem. Some of these adverse effects are long term, far-reaching and irreversible. However the DMS, if suitably assessed and managed, can be potentially reused as a backfill material with sufficient soundness and safety. Applications include reclamation and shoreline rehabilitation works, where artificial land is created using the DMS. Due to the very soft or slurry form of the material, significant subsidence is expected in a backfilled embankment, as the soil undergoes sedimentation and self-weight consolidation. This would be followed by time-dependent regain of hardness, hence strength and stiffness, under constant water content or volume condition, also known as ‘thixotropic hardening’. It is imperative to know this time-dependent characteristic of the DMS for efficient reuse, where the time required for sufficient strength and stiffness regain”

Keywords: dredging, sediments, solidification, geomaterials, time