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Coefficient of consolidation for soil - that elusive quantity

Coefficient of consolidation for soil - that elusive quantity
Coefficient of consolidation for soil - that elusive quantity

Although it is accepted that the coefficient of consolidation for soil is not a true material property, but reflects the net effect of permeability and compressibility, it is a very useful parameter in day to day design. Design calculations make extensive use of elastic solutions for consolidation, such as beneath a shallow foundation or around a driven pile, but an important consideration is how to measure or estimate an appropriate coefficient of consolidation to use in those solutions. Typically the quantity is determined either from laboratory oedometer tests (generally then referred to as cv) or from field dissipation tests using a piezocone or piezoball penetrometer (generally then referred to as ch). Since the latter form of test includes a mix of stress paths, for some of which the soil has a stiffness associated with unloading and others of which involve plastic compression, the magnitude of ch for a given soil is typically 3 to 10 times the value of cv from virgin compression in laboratory oedometer tests. The paper explores the relationship between cv and ch for different boundary value problems, within the confines of soil modelled as Modified Cam Clay, for both isotropic and anisotropic permeability. Problems range among: simulated oedometer testing, field dissipation testing and pore pressure response beneath a shallow foundation. Results of finite element analysis of this range of problems are used to develop guidelines for different classes of problem, comparing the relevant coefficient of consolidation against a benchmark cv value associated with virgin compression in an oedometer. The normalised values of consolidation coefficient are expressed as functions of fundamental soil parameters used within Modified Cam Clay.

Coefficient of Consolidation, Elastoplastic Response, Modified Cam Clay, Soil Mechanics, Stiffness
1218-1231
International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering
Wang, Dong
8252495a-d031-44fa-9f21-6e8c76164aaa
Randolph, Mark F.
75caa33a-e630-4ae8-84cd-758797bf9633
Gourvenec, Susan
6ff91ad8-1a91-42fe-a3f4-1b5d6f5ce0b8
Wang, Dong
8252495a-d031-44fa-9f21-6e8c76164aaa
Randolph, Mark F.
75caa33a-e630-4ae8-84cd-758797bf9633
Gourvenec, Susan
6ff91ad8-1a91-42fe-a3f4-1b5d6f5ce0b8

Wang, Dong, Randolph, Mark F. and Gourvenec, Susan (2015) Coefficient of consolidation for soil - that elusive quantity. In Coupled Problems 2015 - Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Coupled Problems in Science and Engineering. International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering. pp. 1218-1231 .

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

Although it is accepted that the coefficient of consolidation for soil is not a true material property, but reflects the net effect of permeability and compressibility, it is a very useful parameter in day to day design. Design calculations make extensive use of elastic solutions for consolidation, such as beneath a shallow foundation or around a driven pile, but an important consideration is how to measure or estimate an appropriate coefficient of consolidation to use in those solutions. Typically the quantity is determined either from laboratory oedometer tests (generally then referred to as cv) or from field dissipation tests using a piezocone or piezoball penetrometer (generally then referred to as ch). Since the latter form of test includes a mix of stress paths, for some of which the soil has a stiffness associated with unloading and others of which involve plastic compression, the magnitude of ch for a given soil is typically 3 to 10 times the value of cv from virgin compression in laboratory oedometer tests. The paper explores the relationship between cv and ch for different boundary value problems, within the confines of soil modelled as Modified Cam Clay, for both isotropic and anisotropic permeability. Problems range among: simulated oedometer testing, field dissipation testing and pore pressure response beneath a shallow foundation. Results of finite element analysis of this range of problems are used to develop guidelines for different classes of problem, comparing the relevant coefficient of consolidation against a benchmark cv value associated with virgin compression in an oedometer. The normalised values of consolidation coefficient are expressed as functions of fundamental soil parameters used within Modified Cam Clay.

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More information

Published date: 1 April 2015
Venue - Dates: 6th International Conference on Computational Methods for Coupled Problems in Science and Engineering, COUPLED PROBLEMS 2015, , Venice, Italy, 2015-05-18 - 2015-05-20
Keywords: Coefficient of Consolidation, Elastoplastic Response, Modified Cam Clay, Soil Mechanics, Stiffness

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 414534
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/414534
PURE UUID: b6ad5985-629d-4614-8aee-7bf91f5ead3d
ORCID for Susan Gourvenec: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2628-7914

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 03 Oct 2017 16:31
Last modified: 06 Jun 2024 02:00

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Contributors

Author: Dong Wang
Author: Mark F. Randolph
Author: Susan Gourvenec ORCID iD

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