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Consolidation of sensitive clays: a numerical investigation

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Abstract

Consolidation of sensitive clay layers, which have significant compressibility at different stress states, is investigated via a nonlinear one-dimensional consolidation approach with a piecewise linear e ~ log10σ′ model. The behaviour of sensitive clays during consolidation and the limitations of conventional consolidation theory are addressed. It is shown that (1) the sensitive clay layer can be divided by the preconsolidation pressure into two zones, that is, high- and low-compressibility zones. The progressive destruction of particle cementation bonding through the soil layer is shown by the moving front of the interface between these two zones; (2) the excess pore pressure dissipation primarily takes place in the low-compressibility zone, which results in a small settlement during the early stages of consolidation; (3) conventional consolidation theory highly overestimates the settlement and gives a poor prediction of effective stress distribution.

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Abbreviations

a :

Lagrangian coordinate

a v :

Coefficient of vertical compressibility

c c :

Compression index

c c1, c c2, c c3 :

Compression index

c k :

Slope of \( e - \log_{10} k_{\text{v}} \) relationship

c v :

Coefficient of consolidation

e :

Void ratio

e 0 :

Initial void ratio

k v :

Vertical coefficient of permeability

k v0 :

Initial vertical coefficient of permeability

m v :

Coefficient of vertical compression

q :

Surface load

S :

Settlement

t :

Time

U s, U u :

Average degree of consolidation in terms of surface settlement and average excess pore pressure

\( \bar{u} \) :

Average excess pore pressure throughout clay layer

γw :

Unit weight of water

σ′:

Effective vertical stress

\( \sigma^{\prime}_{0} \) :

Initial effective vertical stress

\( \sigma^{\prime}_{\text{p}} \) :

Preconsolidation pressure

\( \sigma^{\prime}_{\text{t}} \) :

Transition pressure

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Acknowledgments

The financial supports received from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under Grant No. 51009121 and from the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) via Grant No. 2012CB719802 are gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MOE Key Laboratory of Soft Soils and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People’s Republic of China

    Yu-Chao Li

  2. Geoenvironmental Research Centre, Cardiff School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, CF24 3AA, UK

    Peter John Cleall

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  1. Yu-Chao Li
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  2. Peter John Cleall
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Correspondence to Peter John Cleall.

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Li, YC., Cleall, P.J. Consolidation of sensitive clays: a numerical investigation. Acta Geotech. 8, 59–66 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-012-0171-x

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