CE 5101 Lecture 6 1D

Consolidation
Oct 2013
Prof Harry Tan

Outline

Terzaghi Theory
Useful Elastic Solutions
Oedometer Tests
FEM Theory
FEM compared with Terzaghi
Consolidation of Realistic Soils
Example of Consolidation in Reclaimed Land
Secondary Compression and Creep
2

Terzaghi 1D Vertical Flow

Formulation of Theory
Useful Approximations
Elastic Solutions

1D CONSOLIDATION
Assumptions made:
soil is fully saturated
pore water is incompressible
Darcy's law is valid
isotropic (constant) permeability
linear elastic soil behaviour
load

applied instantaneously

one-dimensional problem (length of applied load >

1D CONSOLIDATION
apply surcharge loadrapidly

initial
ground surface

pw = pw, o

soft clay layer

fully saturated

pw = pw, o + pw, t=o

t=0

pw, t=o =

z
rigid impermeable layer
consolidation process completed
settlement s

rigid impermeable layer

consolidation takes place
settlement st

pw = pw, o

t=

= +

rigid impermeable layer

pw = pw, o + pw, t
pw, t = t

0<t<

= + t

rigid impermeable layer

5

1D CONSOLIDATION
the change in pore pressure (pw) with time and
position within the layer can be expressed by the
partial differential equation

p w
2 p w
cv
t
z 2

with

k E oed
cv
w

cv . coefficient of consolidation

with boundary conditions:

pw = 0
no flow
pw =
pw = 0

at the top of layer (independent of t)

at bottom of layer
at t = 0 (independent of z)
at t = (independent of z)

2 M 2 Tv
Ut 1 e
m 0 M

1
2m 1
2
6

1D CONSOLIDATION
Ut average degree of consolidation
Tv dimensionless time factor

Ut

p w ,o p w , t
p w , 0

s t

Tv

cv t
D2

k E oed
t
2
w D

NOTE:
D .... drainage path, NOT thickness of layer !
U .... depends on Tv and boundary conditions
Tv ... depends on problem (pw, o - distribution)

1D CONSOLIDATION
t1: bottom of layer not yet influenced
by consolidation process

surcharge load

t=0

slope of Isochrones
> hydraulic gradient

t = t1 t = t2
t = t3

/ w
horizontal tangent > dv/dz = 0
(no flow) at bottom boundary

t=
clay layer
fully saturated

D
45

impermeable

1D CONSOLIDATION
permeable

Tv
D

permeable

degree of consolidation Ut
Isochrones: lines of excess pore pressures (pw, t) at a given time

Terzaghi 1D Vertical Flow

Consolidation
For
Then

For

Then

T v 0.2, i.e. U v 0.5

cv is Coeficient of
Consolidation
v
v
2

Tv
Uv 2

T v 0.2, i.e. U v 0.5

8
Uv 1 2 e

Tv is Time factor

2
Tv
4

1 e

ct
T
H
kv
cv
mv w

Tv 0.21
4

10

Drainage Boundaries

When k is 2 orders smaller it behaves like an impermeable boundary eg

k=1e-8 m/s is an impermeable boundary to sand of k=1e-6 m/s

11

Initial Excess Pore Pressures

Distributions

Case 0

Case 0

Case 0

Case 1

Case 0

Case 2

12

Initial Excess PP Distributions

13

Initial Excess PP Distributions

14

Initial Excess PP Distributions

15

Superposition of Elastic Solutions

Case 1

Case 0

drained

A0

+
A1

undrained
For a given Tv, find U0 and U1
Combined U = U0(A0/A) + U1(A1/A)
What may produce this initial Excess PP??
Reclaimed Clay Fill self weight combined with
Imposed Sand Capping weight above reclaimed clay fill
16

Superposition of Elastic Solutions

Let ultimate settlement be SAf

S ( A) S ( A0) S ( A1)
U

A
Then degree of consolidation for A is:
S Af
S Af
S Af
S ( A0)
S ( A1)
By definition:
U A0
; U A1

Therefore:

Now the amount of settlement is proportional to the area under the

pore pressure isochrones. Thus the ultimate settlement is
proportional to the area of the initial excess PP isochrones:
S A0 f
AA0 S A1 f
AA1

S Af
AA S Af
AA

S A0 f

Therefore,

U A U A0

S A0 f
S Af

U A U A0

S A1 f

U A1

S A1 f
S Af

AA0
AA1
U A1
AA
AA
17

1D Consolidation Test (Oedometer Test)

Void ratio corresponding to full consolidation for each load

increment is calculated backwards from final water content and
final thickness readings

18

e vs P curve depends on stress history

deposition gives normal curve (Normally Consolidated Soils)
unloading by erosion or removal of soil load gives swelling
curve (Over-consolidated Soils)

19

By Eye Method for Determining Pc

20

Casagrande Method for Determining Pc

21

EX Casagrande Method for Determining Pc

22

Log-log Method for Determining Pc

23

Determine Pc - Janbu
Pc

24

Idealized 1D Consolidation e-logP Curve

25

Correction to get Field Curve for NC Clays

26

Correction to get Field Curve for OC Clays

27

Factors Affecting Accuracy of Pc

Sample Disturbance

Load Increment Ratio

28

Factors Affecting Accuracy of Pc

Load Increment Duration
Related to the influence of
secondary compression on
test results

29

Taylor Square root time Method for cv

Theory Curve

Experimental Curve

Tv90 = 0.848
Correction ratio
=0.9209/0.7976=
1.15

30

Casagrande Log time Method for cv

Correction for U0
based on parabolic
relation upto U50

31

Example of
Use of Sqrt
time and log
time
methods
32

Rectangular Hyperbolic Method for cv

Sridharan and Prakash 1981,1985
T / U MT C

t/
mt c
t / Amt
Therefore ,
c
BmH 2
t
and cv
m( A 1 )
c
where
A 2.04 for t 60
A 1.35 for t 90
B 0.2972

33

Example of Hyperbolic Method

34

What is a high quality test?

35

Cv is one order larger in OC state

compare to NC state

36

FEM Theory

Formulation
Stress Equilibrium Deformation Part
Continuity Equilibrium Hydraulic Part
Global Assembly
Step by step Integration (Implicit Method)
Output

37

FINITE ELEMENT FORMULATION FOR CONSOLIDATION (1)

Effective stresses

Constitutive law

Discretization

In terms of excess pore pressure

same shape functions for

displacements and pore pressures
38

FINITE ELEMENT FORMULATION FOR CONSOLIDATION (2)

Mechanical problem: equilibrium equation

Stiffness matrix
Coupling matrix
Incremental load vector
39

FINITE ELEMENT FORMULATION FOR CONSOLIDATION (2)

Hydraulic (flow) problem: continuity equation

Flow matrix
Coupling matrix
Water compressibility matrix
40

FINITE ELEMENT FORMULATION FOR CONSOLIDATION (3)

Global system of equations

Step-by-step integration procedure

0 < < 1 ; Generally, fully implicit)

41

FINITE ELEMENT FORMULATION FOR CONSOLIDATION (4)

Time step

Automatic time stepping is required

Critical time step

H2

80cv
H2

40cv

Consolidation analysis

Prescribed time

Maximum excess pore pressure

42

FEM compare Terzaghi

43

Plaxis Model at 1 day

Load = 100 kPa

44

FEM compare Terzaghi

Terzhagi theory
Plaxis Ver 9.0

45

FEM compare Terzaghi

Terzhagi theory
Plaxis

46

Fully Coupled with Unsaturated

Soil Model - Plaxis 2010

47

Fully Coupled with Unsaturated

Soil Model - Plaxis 2010

48

Fully Coupled with Unsaturated

Soil Model - Plaxis 2010
Results for Terzaghis 1D Consolidation Test

49

Real Soils Consolidation

Cv is not constant with consolidation
process
Both kv and mv (or Eoed) are varied as
consolidation progress
Cv is one order larger for OC state
compared to NC state

50

1D CONSOLIDATION NUMERICAL
SIMULATION
applied load = 100 kPa
soil layer 2D = 10 m
drainage at top and bottom

Investigate influence of:

compressibility of pore water
(by means of B-value)

permeability depending on void ratio

elastic-plastic soil behaviour
(by means of changing constitutive model)

51

1D CONSOLIDATION NUMERICAL
SIMULATION
0

reference elastic
pore water compressible
(B=0.85)
permeability e-dependent
Hardening Soil model

settlement [mm]

20

40

60

80

100
0.01

0.1

10

100

1000

time [days]
52

1D CONSOLIDATION NUMERICAL
SIMULATION
excess pore pressure [kPa]

-100

-80

-60

-40

reference elastic
pore water compressible
(B=0.85)
permeability e-dependent
Hardening Soil model

-20

0
0.01

0.1

10

100

1000

time [days]
53

1D CONSOLIDATION NUMERICAL SIMULATION

elastic

Hardening Soil model

distribution of excess pore pressures at 50% consolidation along centre line

54

influence of parameters in HS-model

vertical displacements [mm]

-20

-40

-60

-80

HS_ref
B=0.85
E50 <
E50 >

-100

-120
0.001

Ko_nc >
Ko_nc <

0.01

0.1

10

100

time [days]
55

influence of parameters in HS-model

excess pore pressure [kPa]

-100

-80

-60

HS_ref
B=0.85
E50 <

-40

E50 >
Eoed <

-20

Ko_nc >
Ko_nc <
0
0.01

0.1

time [days]

10

100

56

influence of parameters in HS-model

degree of consolidation [%]

20

40

60

HS_ref
B=0.85
E50 <
E50 >

80

Eoed >
Ko_nc >
Ko_nc <

100
0.001

0.01

0.1

time [days]

10

100

57

Consolidation Modeling in a
Reclaimed Land
Why a Mohr-Coulomb Model is
grossly incorrect ?

58

Consider a Reclaimed Land

Sand Loading in 365 days

10m Reclaim Sand

Sea Bed

15m Marine Clay

Closed
consolidation
boundaries all
round

59

Soil Parameters

Equivalent Oedometer Parameters in HS Model:

Cc=1.0 Cs=0.1 eo=2.0 and m=1.0 for logarithmic compression response
60

HS Model can produce results very close to Oedometer Test Data

61

Compare Settlements of seabed

MC = 400 mm in 2500 days

Which Model is Correct ?

HS = 4,350 mm in 12,700 days

62

Amount of Settlement
Single layer 1-D compression Estimate:
Cc=1.0, eo=2.0, Ho=15m
Po = 7.5m*5 = 37.5 kPa
P_inc = 10m*18 = 180 kPa
Pf = Po+P_inc = 217.5 kPa
Sett = Ho*Cc/(1+eo)*log(Pf/Po) = 15000*0.254 = 3,817 mm

This is a single layer computation and it grossly under-estimate

amount of settlements; but 3,817 mm >> 400 mm by MC Model, and
is much closer to 4,330 mm by HS Model
Thus HS Model gave realistic answer and MC Model is grossly
incorrect
63

Compare with Program UniSettle

Using same oedometer
parameters of Cc=1.0,
eo=2.0;
UniSettle = 4428 mm
HS = 4350 mm
UniSettle 15-layer
computation gave same
results as Plaxis HS model

64

Conclusions
MC Model cannot be used for consolidation
analysis of soft soils
The linear elastic model in MC cannot predict
both the rate and amount of consolidation
settlements of highly nonlinear soft clays
The HS Model with equivalent oedometer
parameters will give very good predictions of
both rate and amount of consolidation
settlements
65

Secondary Compression - Creep Effects,

continued settlements under constant
effective stress

66

Definition of Secondary Compression Index

e ep
e

log t
t

log
t
p
where t p time at

end of primary consolidation

67

Bjerrum data on Secondary Compression in 1D

Oedometer Test

Apparent Pc

68

Relation between Instantaneous and delayed

compression (a) for different thickness (b) for
given thickness

Secondary compression index is independent of soil

thickness for most cases

69

Effect of Magnitude of Stress Increment: ratio of

secondary to primary compression is largest when
stress increment to initial stress is small

70

Effects of Pre-consolidation Pressure on cv

and C

71

Typical values for C

NC Clays 0.005-0.02

Values of C/ Cc

Organic Clays,
highly plastic > 0.03

Organic Silts 0.035-0.06

OCR> 2 <0.001

Canadian Muskeg 0.09-0.1

Peats 0.035-0.085

Singapore MC 0.04-0.06
SF Baymud 0.04-0.06
Leda Clay 0.03-0.06
72

Creep Settlements by Janbu

Can identify 3 different phases for 3
different mechanisms of settlements:

Immediate is Elastic Undrained

Compression
Consolidation is Drained (elastic
plus plastic) Cap Compression
Creep is time-dependent secondary
compression at constant effective
stress

73

Creep Settlements by Janbu

74

Creep Settlements by Janbu

75