Phase 1: Test site search and selection
A site in central New Jersey was selected for the fieldwork based on geological data and soil samples taken from several potential test sites during previous scientific investigation work performed by Rutgers University.
The test site is referred to as the ‘Search Farm’ (named after its owner William Search), and is dominated by glauconite-rich soil.
During field testing, CPTs were performed indicating a moderately dense, yet contractile deposit of glauconitic sand with a localized hard layer. CPT data from the site shows qt values ranging from 5 to 50 MPa and fs values ranging from 50 to 800 kPa, resulting in friction ratios Rf from 1 to 8%.
Compared to typical offshore sites with high percent glauconite sands, the test site exhibits mostly positive excess pore pressure, is less dense, and exhibits lower friction ratios.
