Consolidation of system of clay and thin sand layers

Abstract

Formulations are developed to compute the consolidation behaviour of a clay soil containing multiple thin sand layers. One-dimensional loading and two-dimensional flow are considered. The formulations are based on the transfer matrix approach, which is found to be very convenient and efficient for analysing the consolidation of a multi-layered soil system. Special attention is given to accommodating thin sand layers in a computationally efficient way. The formulations developed are verified by using available field observation records and a formulation that is based on a different approach. Coupling of the consolidation of clay soil and the discharge flow in sand layers is found to be primarily governed by the parameter A, defined herein. Based on this finding, a design criterion is proposed for designing multiple thin sand layers to accelerate the consolidation of a constructed clay ground. An example is provided to use the above design criterion.