Consolidation of sensitive clay with vertical drain

The coefficient of consolidation is one of the most important parameters that control the rate of consolidation. Conventional consolidation theories assume that the coefficient of consolidation is constant during the whole consolidation process. In the case of sensitive clay, the coefficient of consolidation is strongly dependent on the level of effective stress of clay. With the dissipation of pore water pressure and the increase of effective stress, the soil structure of the upper subsoil is gradually destroyed downwards and its coefficient of consolidation becomes smaller. At the same time, the coefficient of permeability of the vertical drains drops down because of the kinking or bending effect. The destructured upper subsoil and the kinking of the vertical drain hinder the dissipation of the pore pressure in the lower subsoil. This paper presents a model to describe the above important phenomena during the consolidation of sensitive clay with vertical drain. The solution for proposed model can be obtained by extending the closed‐form solution of the consolidation of double‐layered ground with vertical drain by the interactive method introducing the concept of the moving boundary and the reduction of discharge capacity of vertical drain. The numerical results obtained from the finite element method package PLAXIS (Ver. 7.2) are adopted to compare those obtained from the present algorithm. Moreover, the rationality of the moving boundary is explained by the distributions of the excess pore water pressure in natural soil zone along the radial direction. Wenzhou airport project is taken as a case study in this paper. The results for the sensitive soil with decaying sand drain agree very well with the in situ measured data. The calculated results can properly explain two general phenomena observed in the consolidation of soft sensitive soil ground with vertical drains: one is that the time to achieve the same consolidation degree is much longer under heavy loading than that under light loading; the other is that the consolidation speed is much slower in the lower subsoil than in the upper subsoil. Finally, it is indicated that the vertical drains can decrease the hindrance effect of the destructured subsoil. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

任意附加应力下竖井径竖向耦合固结等应变解

竖向排水体包括砂井和塑料排水板已广泛应用于加速软黏土地基的固结。不同形式的轴对称条件下含竖向排水体均质各向同性地基的固结解析解答也相继被提出,而各种解答均假定地基中附加应力在竖向排水体的深度范围内是均匀分布的。显然,当竖向排水体深度与地面堆载区宽度的比值相对较高,或竖向排水体的影响区域靠近地面堆载区的边缘时,这个假定并不适用。为此,在现有径竖向耦合固结等应变解的基础上,提出任意分布的地基附加应力条件下的解答,并分析附加应力分布形式和线性加载速率对地基固结的影响。结果表明,均匀分布的附加应力条件下的解答低估了地基的固结速率,而瞬时加载条件下的解答则高估了地基的固结速率。     

Analytical models for consolidation of combined composite ground improved by impervious columns and vertical drains

In recent years, a new technique of ground improvement, which involves the combined use of impervious column and vertical drains, has been proposed and utilized in many field projects to accelerate consolidation and increase bearing capacity of soft soil ground. To cover the possible distribution patterns of impervious columns and vertical drains, 2 analytical models, including Model A with outward flow and Model B with inward flow within the soils, are proposed to predict the consolidation of combined composite ground by considering the following factors: (1) disturbance effects of both impervious columns and vertical drains, (2) the well resistance of vertical drains, and (3) time‐variant loadings. The average degrees of consolidation predicted by the proposed analytical models are compared with several existing solutions and then against the measured data in the literature. The consolidation behavior of a combined composite ground is investigated by the proposed analytical solutions. The results show that the combined use of impervious columns and vertical drains can remarkably accelerate the consolidation rate of soft soils compared with the single use of either of them. The average degrees of consolidation predicted by both analytical models agree well with the measured data. Compared with Model B, Model A usually predicts a faster consolidation rate because of a shorter drainage path. Many factors can influence consolidation behavior of combined composite ground, such as loading scheme, distribution patterns and the disturbance effects of impervious columns and vertical drains, and compression modulus ratio of impervious column to soil.     

Nonlinear consolidation of vertical drains with coupled radial-vertical flow considering time and depth dependent vacuum pressure

The system of vacuum pressure combined with vertical drains to accelerate soil consolidation is one of the most effective ground improvement methods. The consolidation theories of soft soil improved by vertical drains including void ratio–dependent compressibility and permeability have been widely applied in practice to predict the consolidation behavior. In this paper, analytical solutions of the consolidation of vertical drains are derived incorporating the loss and propagating stage of vacuum pressure. In addition, special solutions are obtained for the cases of instantaneous surcharge loading and staged surcharge loading, based on the general solution. The solution is verified by ignoring the propagating stage of vacuum pressure formation and comparing it with an existing solution. The effects of vacuum pressure loss and propagating stage combined with other parameters are investigated through the ratio between excess pore water pressure and surcharge loading.     

成层软黏土地基的固结沉降计算分析

针对实际工程中软黏土地基的成层特性及竖井有时并未打穿软土层情况,采用太沙基一维固结理论和巴伦固结理论的基本假定,利用固结度联系孔压与变形,提出一种简化成层软黏土地基的固结沉降计算方法,对竖向排水地基的固结度及沉降等进行预测。对计算的几个关键问题进行探讨：如固结系数的反演选择、竖井未打穿土层时,竖井底部成层地基固结度计算、压缩土层厚度选取等问题。在上述理论的基础上,用FORTRAN语言编写排水竖井固结程序CONSOL,在工程实践中得到应用,取得良好的效果。     

A new analytical model for consolidation with multiple vertical drains

Various analytical theories of consolidation for soils with vertical drains have been proposed in the past. Most conventional theories are based on a cylindrical unit cell that contains only a single vertical drain. This paper described a new analytical model where a vertical drain located at the centre (the ‘inner vertical drain’) and is surrounded by two or three vertical drains (the ‘outer vertical drains’), the number of which depends on whether the configuration is triangular or rectangular. Both types of drains are combined into a cylindrical unit cell, and the water is assumed to flow both inwards to the inner vertical drain and outwards to the outer vertical drains distributed around the circumference. The outer radial boundary of the unit cell is regarded as a permeable boundary, with a drainage capacity of two or three separate vertical drains for triangular and rectangular configurations, respectively. The smear effects and the drainage resistances for both the inner and outer vertical drains are considered in the analysis as well. In this way, the equations governing the consolidation process with multiple vertical drains are derived, and the corresponding analytical solutions are obtained for instantaneously loading, ramp loading and multi‐stage of instantaneously loading and multi‐stage of ramp loading. The present solutions are finally compared with several conventional solutions for a single vertical drain in the literature. The results show that the present model predicts the same average degree of consolidation as conventional models do, which verifies the correctness of this new model. Finally, the settlement predicted by the present solution is compared with the measured settlement from a field test at the Port of Brisbane, Australia, which shows a good agreement between them. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Consolidation by vertical drains under time‐dependent loading

A solution for the consolidation by vertical drains under time‐dependent loading is presented in this paper. Considering the well resistance and the smear action, the simultaneous basic partial differential equations of the consolidation by vertical drains are obtained for the arbitrary loading method. However, the impulse function method cannot be directly applied to obtain the solution. The partial differential equations and the solution conditions that satisfy the impulse function method are obtained after some mathematical processing. The solution for the consolidation by vertical drains under time‐dependent loading is obtained by virtue of the impulse function method and the solution under instantaneous loading. The solutions under single ramp loading and multi‐ramp loading are obtained and the feasibility of Carrillo's method under time‐dependent loading is discussed. Further, the characteristics of the consolidation by vertical drains under instantaneous loading and time‐dependent loading are discussed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

考虑涂抹区压缩及渗透系数变化的堆载预压固结解

为评估涂抹区土体压缩和渗透系数变化对含竖向排水体地基固结的影响,采用等体积应变假设,考虑涂抹区土体的压缩变形及其水平向渗透系数沿径向分别呈线性和抛物线分布,并考虑井阻作用以及地基附加球应力沿深度任意分布,推导了随时间线性堆载预压条件下固结微分方程的显式解析解答,分析了涂抹区半径、水平向渗透系数的分布模式、以及体积压缩系数对地基整体平均固结度的影响。结果表明,涂抹区土体采用均匀折减的水平向渗透系数明显低估了地基的固结速率,而当涂抹区半径较大时,不考虑涂抹区土体的压缩变形将会高估地基的固结速率。在含竖向排水体地基固结问题的分析中,这些影响不可忽视。     

Analytical solutions for advective–dispersive solute transport in double‐layered finite porous media

Analytical solutions for advection and dispersion of a conservative solute in a one‐dimensional double‐layered finite porous media are presented. The solutions are applicable to five scenarios that have various combinations of fixed concentration, fixed flux and zero concentration gradient conditions at the inlet and outlet boundaries that provide a wide number of options. Arbitrary initial solute concentration distributions throughout the media can be considered via explicit formulations or numerical integration. The analytical solutions presented have been verified against numerical solutions from a finite‐element‐based approach and an existing closed‐form solution for double‐layered media with an excellent correlation being found in both cases. A practical application pertaining to advective transport induced by consolidation of underlying sediment layers on contaminant movement within a capped contaminated sediment system is presented. Comparison of the calculated concentrations and fluxes with alternative approaches clearly illustrates the need to consider advection processes. Consideration of the different features of contaminant transport due to varying pore‐water velocity fields in primary consolidation and secondary consolidation stages is achieved via the use of non‐uniform initial concentration distributions within the proposed analytical solutions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

塑料排水板处理地基非线性固结计算研究

针对目前国内外竖井地基非线性固结计算大多均采用近似等效法求解的不足,根据软土固结理论及数学理论推导,基于塑料排水板椭圆柱假定,推导了考虑地基土水平渗透系数、压缩模量随固结过程非线性变化影响下的排水板处理地基非线性固结控制方程,并利用数学中非线性微分方程理论,给出了非线性固结解析解。通过与Indraratna等非线性固结近似解对比分析,认为理想井下预压荷载越大（Nu越大）,则Indraratna等近似法成果误差越大;且在Cc/Ck = 1.8、Nu = 5时Indraratna等近似解与该理想井非线性固结精确解析解误差高达16%,而解析解与精确数值解基本一致。最后通过Indraratna等典型工程案例验证分析,认为所得理论更符合工程实际,具有较好的工程应用价值。     

变荷载下考虑井阻随时空变化的竖井地基固结解

竖井排水固结法中井阻随时空演变（即由淤堵和弯折所引起的竖井排水能力下降）的现象已引起广泛关注,且变井阻对竖井地基固结速率的影响不容忽略。但目前能同时考虑变荷载及井阻随时间和空间变化的固结解析解还鲜有报道。考虑井阻随时空演变过程,引入实际中广泛采用的单级或多级加载模式,建立了竖井地基固结模型,并应用分离变量法获得固结模型的解析解答。通过与已有的解析解、有限差分解及工程实测值进行对比分析,充分验证了该模型的正确性。通过大量的计算,分析变井阻参数对竖井地基固结性状的影响。结果表明：竖井地基固结速率随竖井最终排水能力的增大而加快,随深度井阻参数及时间井阻参数的增大而减缓,且时间井阻参数的影响更为显著。     

成层竖向排水井地基固结分析

实际工程中竖井地基具有成层性,有时竖井也并未完全打穿软土层。在竖井打设区满足竖井等应变固结理论、下卧层满足一维太沙基固结理论假设的基础上,将现有竖井地基固结理论推广到成层未打穿竖井地基情况。利用边界条件和竖直向连续条件,确定该系统的正交关系,并给出了其固结解答,该解具有广泛的适用性。通过对竖井打设区和下卧层层数的变化,即可获得现有关于简单未打穿竖井地基的固结解答。将该解答编制成应用程序,对一算例进行了分析。结果表明,平均固结度按孔压定义和按变形定义是不相同的,硬表层的存在会加快其下土层的固结。     

复杂荷载作用下考虑下卧层三维渗流的未打穿竖井地基固结分析

针对任意复杂变荷载作用下未打穿的竖井地基,通过在竖井底面以下土层中设置虚拟竖井,使其能够合理考虑下卧层土体三维渗流问题,运用Laplace变换,求得频域内竖井地基的固结解。通过Laplace逆变换,得到了任意荷载作用下竖井地基的平均固结度、孔压消散曲线、沉降曲线。结合具体算例,对影响竖井地基固结的主要影响因素进行了详细分析,并将现有未打穿竖井地基平均固结度近似计算方法的精度和适用的范围进行了对比,得到了一些有益于工程实践的结论。     

砂墙地基二维固结自由应变解

将含竖向排水体地基的三维固结变形问题等效为平面应变问题进行数值分析时,砂墙地基二维固结解析解答是合理确定其等效固结计算参数的重要依据。为辨析现有砂墙地基等应变固结近似解答的适用性,针对微单元土体严格的二维固结微分方程,考虑对地基固结有重要影响的井阻作用,以及涵盖完全透水和不完全透水的更一般边界面排水条件,推求得到了其自由应变解答。并与现有解答进行对比分析,同时,分析了泊松比效应以及水平和竖向排水对地基固结的影响。结果表明,现有砂墙地基的等应变固结解答虽然近似,但已有足够精确;砂墙地基以水平向固结为主,竖向固结几乎可以忽略不计;地基固结速率随着泊松比的增大而增大,在将竖向排水体等效为砂墙时,应考虑其作用影响。     

An analytical solution of one-dimensional consolidation for soft sensitive soil ground

An analytical solution of one-dimensional consolidation for soft sensitive soil ground is presented. The moving boundary is introduced to indicate the notable change of consolidation behaviour of sensitive soil with the increase of stress level. It is assumed that the soil structure of the upper subsoil gradually destroys downwards with the dissipation of pore pressure, and the coefficient of consolidation as well as the coefficient of permeability of the upper subsoil become small, which hinders the dissipation of pore pressure of the lower subsoil. The consolidation degree curve obtained from the present solution is found to lie between the two curves obtained from Terzaghi one-dimensional consolidation solution with the parameters of the undisturbed soil and the remolded soil. The calculated results provide a new explanation for a general phenomenon in the consolidation of soft sensitive soil ground, as that for high loadings the consolidation is longer than for small ones. It should be pointed out from this study that both the deep mixing method and the long vertical drains methods are effective techniques for improving deep sensitive soil ground. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new simplified Hypothesis B method for calculating the consolidation settlement of ground improved by vertical drains

Vertical drains are widely used in soft ground improvements to accelerate the consolidation process. This paper develops a new simplified Hypothesis B method for calculating the consolidation settlement of a soil layer improved by vertical drains under the instant and ramp loadings. As a comparison, the traditional Hypothesis A method is also used to calculate the settlement. Then, a fully coupled finite element consolidation analysis is utilized to examine and verify this simplified method and Hypothesis A method. For the instant loading, Carrillo‐Barron method and Zhu‐Yin method are used to obtain the average degree of consolidation for vertical drain system. Typical parameters, such as over‐consolidation ratio (OCR), smear zone, and space ratio of vertical drains, are considered. It is found that the calculation results from the new simplified method in this study agree well with finite element simulations, and relative errors are in the range of 0.1% to 12.3%. Comparatively, there are obvious differences between the calculated results from Hypothesis A method and finite element results. Carrillo‐Olson method and Zhu‐Yin method are utilized to obtain the average degree of consolidation for the vertical drain system to consider the ramp loading. Equivalent time is determined from half of the construction period to calculate the creep compression under the ramp loading. The accuracy of this simplified Hypothesis B method using both Carrillo‐Olson method and Zhu‐Yin method is acceptable with the relative errors less than 9.4%.     

A quasistatic analysis of a plate on consolidating layered soils by analytical layer‐element/finite element method coupling

In this paper, a coupling method between finite element and analytical layer‐elements is utilized to analyze the time‐dependent behavior of a plate of any shape and finite rigidity resting on layered saturated soils. Based on the integral transform techniques together with the aid of an order reduction method, an analytical layer‐element solution is derived from the governing equations for three‐dimensional Biot consolidation with respect to a Cartesian coordinate system and then extended to be the fundamental solution for the layered saturated soil under a point load. The Mindlin plate is modeled by eight‐noded isoparametric elements. The governing equations of the interaction between soil and plate in the Laplace‐Fourier transformed domain are deduced by referring to the coupling theory of FEM/BEM, and the final solution is obtained by applying numerical inversion. Numerical examples concerned with the time‐dependent response of a plate are performed to demonstrate the influence of soil and plate properties on the interaction process. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

双层竖井地基半透水边界固结分析

在现有双层竖井地基固结理论基础上,对双面半透水边界下的固结问题进行了研究,给出了相应的固结解答。将该解答编制成应用程序,对一算例进行了参数分析,以了解双层竖井地基半透水边界的固结特性。算例分析表明,半透水边界对竖井地基的固结影响较大：半透水参数(Rt,Rb)越大,则整个系统的孔压消散越快;半透水参数对与其相邻的土层的固结影响要比远离其边界的土层的固结影响大得多;按变形定义和按孔压定义的平均固结度两者的差别受半透水边界参数的影响。     

Probabilistic analyses of soil consolidation by prefabricated vertical drains for single‐drain and multi‐drain systems

Natural soils are one of the most inherently variables in the ground. Although the significance of inherent soil variability in relation to reliable predictions of consolidation rates of soil deposits has long been realized, there have been few studies that addressed the issue of soil variability for the problem of ground improvement by prefabricated vertical drains. Despite showing valuable insights into the impact of soil spatial variability on soil consolidation by prefabricated vertical drains, available stochastic works on this subject are based on a single‐drain (or unit cell) analyses. However, how the idealized unit cell solution can be a supplement to the complex multi‐drain systems for spatially variable soils has never been addressed in the literature. In this study, a rigorous stochastic finite elements modeling approach that allows the true nature of soil spatial variability to be considered in a reliable and quantifiable manner, both for the single‐drain and multi‐drain systems, is presented. The feasibility of performing an analysis based on the unit cell concept as compared with the multi‐drain analysis is assessed in a probabilistic context. It is shown that with proper input statistics representative of a particular domain of interest, both the single‐drain and multi‐drain analyses yield almost identical results. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

考虑幂函数渗透压缩变化的双层砂井地基固结性状

采用Barron轴对称固结及大变形固结问题的某些简化与假定,推导建立了砂井地基大变形固结控制方程,利用建立的双层砂井地基大变形固结方程及编制的计算程序,通过引入软土渗透系数、有效应力与孔隙比之间的幂函数关系k =ced与e=a( )b,对瞬时加载下双层砂井地基固结性状进行算例计算。结果表明：（1）双层软土幂函数渗透关系及压缩关系中诸参数对双层砂井地基固结性状有重要影响：随着两层软土幂函数渗透关系中参数c1、c2的增加（渗透性增加）、或幂函数压缩关系中参数a1、a2的增加,各土层水平径向与竖向孔隙比减小更快,沉降发展速率与超静孔压消散速率也相应增加,且沉降发展速率快于孔压消散速率。（2）两层土在分界面处的孔隙比及平均超静孔压均出现明显的突变,将沿深度分布曲线分成形状不同的两段,表现出不同的固结性状。