One-Dimensional Consolidation Analysis of Layered Foundations Subjected to Arbitrary Loads under a Continuous Drainage Boundary
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 24, Issue 6
Abstract
Laboratory one-dimensional consolidation tests were conducted to measure the variation trend of the soil pore pressure at the drainage boundary with time under different magnitudes of loads. Based on the test data, continuous drainage boundary interface parameters under arbitrary loads were inversely derived, the reasonableness of which was verified by comparing the theoretical values of the boundary pore pressure with the experimental results. Moreover, the one-dimensional consolidation model of the layered foundation was established with a continuous drainage boundary. The semianalytical solution of the corresponding model under an arbitrary load was given by using the boundary transformation method. A comparison with degraded results and the finite-element calculation results verified the correctness of the present solutions. Finally, the influences of the interface parameters and loading rate on the soil consolidation behavior were studied, where three different types of loads (i.e., linear, exponential, and simple harmonic) were considered. The results revealed that the consolidation rate reaches the peak value for the linear loading pattern when the loading is completed. Moreover, the exponential load used to describe the surcharge preloading method also positively influenced the theoretical analysis due to its concise expression form. When the simple harmonic load was applied, the excess pore-water pressure in the soil element presented stable periodic vibration after the first cyclic load. In addition, the loading rate and interface parameters exhibited different influences on the consolidation behaviors. The research results of this paper can provide a theoretical reference for the settlement calculation of subgrades during the construction and operation phases.
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Data Availability Statement
The data sets generated and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 52178321, 52008124, 51878185, 52268054, and 52208345), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2020M683210), and the Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi Province (2021AC18008).
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International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 24 • Issue 6 • June 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 11, 2023
Accepted: Dec 12, 2023
Published online: Mar 26, 2024
Published in print: Jun 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Aug 26, 2024
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