Abstract: According to a total of 299 sets of soft soil test results collected from actual projects in Nansha District of Guangzhou, the basic physical and mechanical indexes of soft soil in Nansha are analyzed and classified corresponding to different moisture content intervals of soft soil. The relationships of strength index and deformation index against moisture content of soft soil are given and the results are compared with those of soft soil in Hengqin area, Zhuhai City. Results reveal that at given moisture content, the compressive modulus, direct shear cohesion and direct shear internal friction angle of soft soil from Hengqin are lower than those from Nansha, indicating that the indexes of soft soil in Nansha are superior. With the increase of moisture content, the compressive modulus and direct shear cohesion of soft soils both from Nansha and Hengqin display a consistent decreasing trend; however, direct shear internal friction angle exhibits different trends — direct shear internal friction angle of soft soil from Nansha fluctuates with no obvious reduction, while that from Hengqin declines evidently. In addition, the statistical ranges of soft soil indexes in different moisture content intervals are also given for reference for soft soil engineering design in Nansha and Hengqin.

Key words: soft soil, strength index, deformation index, moisture content, Nansha District, Hengqin of Zhuhai, statistical analysis