Vertical and Radial Consolidation Analysis of Multilayered Soil Using the Spectral Method
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 135, Issue 5
Abstract
A new, easy to implement, solution to the consolidation of multilayered soil based on the spectral method is presented. Combined vertical and radial drainage under instantaneous or single ramp loading is considered, ignoring well resistance. Flow in the vertical direction is based on the average hydraulic gradient at a particular depth which allows smear effects to be included. The excess pore-water pressure profile across all soil layers is described by a single expression calculated with common matrix operations. Average excess pore pressures within or across any number of layers are easily calculated from the single expression. The new model is verified against other solutions from the current literature indicating that the more general spectral method model can replace the separate solutions developed for specific problems.
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Acknowledgments
The writers gratefully acknowledge financial assistance from the Australian Research Council and Queensland Department of Main Roads during the first writer’s Ph.D. program at the University of Wollongong. The assistance of Dr. Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn during the preparation of the final paper is appreciated.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 135 • Issue 5 • May 2009
Pages: 657 - 663
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Apr 12, 2007
Accepted: Sep 2, 2008
Published online: May 1, 2009
Published in print: May 2009
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