Geotechnical characterization of Norwegian peat: database

Peat is widely available in Northern hemisphere and tropics. However, soil mechanics traditionally focuses on sands, clays and silts, and there is relatively little attention given to peats. Still, many engineering peat related problems like differential settlements or slides have an impact on society. The present paper presents the results of a large data collection of Norwegian peat properties from different consultancy and research projects related to road constructions and field tests during the last 60 years. Basic and advanced peat data like water content, von Post classification, total unit weight, organic content, shear wave velocity, deformation and strength properties are gathered in the database. The data presented may contribute to a larger database from different countries that will help to understand the behaviour of peat, define the best site investigation techniques in the laboratory and the field, and propose better practices on how to deal with peat in the future, towards more sustainable geotechnical solutions.