Keywords: 
• form soft soil in Hengqin new area /
• engineering characteristics /
• physical and mechanical parameters /
• correlation analysis

Abstract: [Introduction] In order to study the engineering properties of soft soil widely distributed in the West Bank of the Pearl River Estuary and guide the regional engineering construction. [Method] The physical and mechanical parameters of a construction project in Hengqin New Area of Zhuhai City were analyzed by means of modern mathematical statistics; the engineering characteristics and parameter correlation of the soft soil in the area were studied based on the geotechnical investigation data. [Result] The results show that the soft soil in Hengqin New Area has the typical characteristics of high water content, high porosity ratio, fluid-plastic state, high compressibility, low strength value and under-consolidation, its natural water content decreases with the increase of buried depth, plasticity index increases with the increase of buried depth, and the contact behavior of soft soil becomes better with the increase of depth; The shear strength index obtained by the fast shear test increases with the buried depth, but the shear strength index obtained by the consolidated fast shear test and the triaxial consolidated undrained shear strength (CU) test shows no regularity; The shear strength shows a good regularity, and increases with the buried depth. [Conclusion] Due to the soft soil in this area is deep, and its physical and mechanical properties and engineering properties change regularly with depth. The soft soil properties between 18m and 27m in depth change greatly in horizontal direction. It is suggested that the soil layers should be subdivided according to the engineering design characteristics when it is necessary.