Degree of consolidation - peaked initial excess pore water pressure distributions

Abstract

The solution to Terzaghi's one-dimensional consolidation equation can be freely found in literature for two different cases of initial excess pore water pressure varying with depth; linear or uniform. As a result, one of these distributions is usually adopted for most consolidation analyses. However, whilst the initial excess pore water pressure can be expected to vary with depth, it may not necessarily adhere to a uniform or linear format. The primary focus of this paper will involve a consolidation analysis of a soil layer with one- or two-way drainage subjected to several possible initial excess pore water pressure distributions. It will be shown that the traditional definition for degree of consolidation is sometimes inadequate when describing the state of consolidation. For example, at certain depths, the pore water pressure can increase during consolidation, particularly when the majority of initial excess pore pressure is confined to a small region of the overall stratum.