Clay is a soil that is widely distributed and difficult to cut in dredging engineering.To analyze the mechanism of soil failure during clay cutting,we carry out two-dimensional and three-dimensional cutting experiments on the cutting of clay with different water contents,considering the effects of different cutting angles(30°,45° and 60°)and different cutting depths(50,100 and 150 mm).The horizontal and vertical cutting forces generated in the process of cutting are measured by a cutting force sensor; pressure sensors are arranged at different positions on the surface of the cutting tool,and the soil pressure received at different positions of the cutting tool during cutting is measured;a friction sensor is arranged to measure the friction generated in the process of cutting;and the deformation and failure modes of the soil during clay cutting are observed.Based on the cutting experiment,the influence of different cutting parameters on the cutting force of clay is discussed and the mechanism of soil failure in clay cutting is analyzed.