Behavior of One-Dimensional Consolidation under Time-Dependent Loading

This paper extends Olson’s solution for one-dimensional consolidation under time-dependent loading with the assumption of constant coefficient of consolidation, to those with varying loading-dependent coefficients of consolidation. The investigation first presents the experimental study on a series of one-dimensional consolidation tests with various loading rate. Subsequently, the viscoelastic theory was applied to estimate the consolidation settlement and compared with the experimental results. Four consolidation tests with different loading rates were performed on three types of remolded clay soils with various plasticity indices to evaluate loading rate effects on the consolidation settlement. After explicitly performing the falling head permeability test at various stages during the conventional consolidation tests, the variation of coefficient of consolidation with external pressure was established and converted to the relationship between the coefficient of consolidation and the time of the corresponding pressure applied on the specimens for each loading rate test. The hereditary integral of viscoelastic theory was then applied to predict the settlement curve with time for each loading rate test. The findings indicate that the theoretical predictions using the loading-dependent coefficients of consolidation and experimental results in term of consolidation settlement are in good agreement.