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Back-analysis of one-dimensional consolidation settlement

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Abstract

This paper reevaluated the disadvantages of existing observational methods using both theoretical and laboratory consolidation settlement–time (S–t) relationships. Two observational methods that account for the effect of sampling range were developed by using the Taylor model as a substitute for Terzaghi’s solution. The significance of the sampling range effect in predicting the end of consolidation settlement (S100) and the consolidation coefficient (cv) was verified through application to the above S–t data. The further application of the proposed methods to three case records with some prerequisites produced slightly higher S100 and lower cv values compared with two routine methods and indicated that the back-analyzed S–t curves correlated excellently with the in situ monitored curves. The latter finding may support the hypothesis that the in situ consolidation settlement curves are the family of laboratory consolidation settlement curves. In this case, consolidation-based prediction was applicable to such in situ consolidation settlement, thereby suggesting that both in situ and laboratory consolidation settlement curves behave with an identical cv value as verified in a homogeneous clay deposit. The above approach was also confirmed to be applicable to prolonged yet incompletely measured settlement data.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) Research Program grant funded by the Korean government (MEST) (NRF-2020R1I1A3074225).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Dong-A University, 37, #550 Street, Saha-gu, Busan, 49315, Republic of Korea

    S. G. Chung

  2. Soft Clay Engineering Laboratory, Industry-Academy Cooperation, Dong-A University, 37, #550 Street, Saha-gu, Busan, 49315, Republic of Korea

    H. J. Kweon

  3. Faculty of Engineering, Busan Institute of Science and Technology, 88, #132 Street, Buk-gu, Busan, 46639, Republic of Korea

    C. G. Chung

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  3. C. G. Chung
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Appendix I: Application of the curve fit method in microsoft excel solver

Appendix I: Application of the curve fit method in microsoft excel solver

For convenience, Eq. (13) can be divided into the following equations:

$$S = S_{100} \sqrt {\frac{4\chi t}{\pi }} \quad {\text{for}}\;0 < t < 0.{287/}\chi$$
(20)
$$S = S_{100} \left[ {1 - 10^{{\left\{ {\frac{{ - \left( {\chi t + 0.0851} \right)}}{0.933}} \right\}}} } \right]\quad {\text{for}}\;0.{287/}\chi \le t < \infty$$
(21)

Three basic conditions are provided for the application of the curve fit method in Microsoft Excel Solver as follows: (i) S100 values obtained using Eqs. (20) and (21) are identical; (ii) Eq. (20) is used when S/S100 < 0.6 (or t < 0.287/χ) and Eq. (21) is used when S/S100 ≥ 0.6 (or t ≥ 0.287/χ); and (iii) the iteration continues until an iterated initial value of S100,i identical to a predicted S100 is obtained. S100 is finally determined.

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Chung, S.G., Kweon, H.J. & Chung, C.G. Back-analysis of one-dimensional consolidation settlement. Acta Geotech. 19, 239–254 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-023-01964-8

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