• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.561-573
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• 2020

The creep and consolidation behaviors of clays subjected to thermal cycles are of fundamental importance in the application of energy geostructures. This study aims to numerically investigate the physical mechanisms for the temperature-triggered volume change of saturated clays. A recently developed thermodynamic framework is used to derive the thermo-mechanical constitutive model for clays. Based on the model, a fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) finite element (FE) code is developed. Comparison with experimental observations shows that the proposed FE code can well reproduce the irreversible thermal contraction of normally consolidated and lightly overconsolidated clays, as well as the thermal expansion of heavily overconsolidated clays under drained heating. Simulations reveal that excess pore pressure may accumulate in clay samples under triaxial drained conditions due to low permeability and high heating rate, resulting in thermally induced primary consolidation. Results show that four major mechanisms contribute to the thermal volume change of clays: (i) the principle of thermal expansion, (ii) the decrease of effective stress due to the accumulation of excess pore pressure, (iii) the thermal creep, and (iv) the thermally induced primary consolidation. The former two mechanisms mainly contribute to the thermal expansion of heavily overconsolidated clays, whereas the latter two contribute to the noticeable thermal contraction of normally consolidated and lightly overconsolidated clays. Consideration of the four physical mechanisms is important for the settlement prediction of energy geostructures, especially in soft soils.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.13-24
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• 2012

In this study, the in-situ model test has been conducted and used to estimate and analyze consolidation behavior of the ground by using the miniature test that reconstructs economically geotechnical behavior of in-situ full scale structure. To analogize the relation among effective stress, void ratio and coefficient of permeability at the self-weight consolidation stage, the low stress seepage consolidation test has been conducted and the involution function of constitutive equation had been obtained from the result of the curve fitted seepage consolidation test result. As a result of the numerical analysis that had been conducted on the representative section using a constitute equation, final settlement was similar with those of self-weight consolidation of the centrifugal model test. But, it was more or less smaller. It seems that these trends are caused by the difference between estimated values.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.39-45
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• 2016

In this paper, analyzes the characteristics of self-weight consolidation on the dredged clay according to the fines content and falling height. Research was performed with the dredged clay sampled by Sae-mangeum field site. Classification of fines content was performed by sieve analysis test. After adjusting the fine content, self-weight consolidation tests were carried out focussing on the variation of fines content and falling heights. From the test results of the self-weight consolidation test, samples with high fines content had reached sedimentation completion more later than ones with less fine content samples. In other words, the start of self-weight consolidation was slowing down with increasing of fines content. Also, from the test results of calculating the coefficient of sedimentation consolidation, the coefficient value were increased with the fines content increases. In addition, the change of sedimentation ratio and volume ratio showed more higher changed value as the fine content increases. Thus, it is important to consider the fines content when estimate the settlement time of dredged soil in field dredge work.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.67-74
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• 2015

Unlike the primary consolidation settlement, the settlement of ground water lowering is not considered separately because of relatively small residual settlement. But the allowed residual settlement (30 mm) of the concrete track in the high-speed railway may be exceeded due to unexpected excessive ground water lowering. This study analyzed the effect of the settlement according to the ground water level change using finite element analysis of stress-pore pressure coupling model, and compared the analysis results with the measured data. As a result, the range of elasticity modulus satisfying the allowable settlement was proposed, and it is suggested that settlement due to ground water level changes should be reflected in the design.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2005.03a
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• pp.898-905
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• 2005

The settlement of embankment on soft clay includes shear settlement due to shear deformation. Even though the consolidation settlement is not related to lateral displacement, but shear settlement makes the embankment unstable because it deforms ground and decreases the ground strength. In order to determine the shear deformation behaviour during embankment construction, 3 cases (1B, 2B, and 3B) of rapid undrained loading tests on soft clays were performed. Shear settlement is consist of elastic settlement, plastic settlement and viscous settlement. Elastic settlement isn't considered because the range is small, therefore the first is the range of plastic displacement, and the second is that of viscous displacement in the displacement-time curve for each loading stage. After determining that the change in the inclination of the viscous displacement range is larger than in the plastic displacement range after the ground failure occurs for the loading stage, the stability management methods were suggested considering that it is hard to divide the plastic displacement range and the viscous displacement range. The stability management method was based on the ratio of the plastic displacement range's inclination and the viscous displacement range's inclination. A stability management method based on the ratio of the total inclination for each loading stage compared to the whole inclination in the initial loading stage was also recommended.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.105-114
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• 2004

Consolidation characteristics have been investigated by using Rowe cell consolidation tester for dredged soil, which is more than two times as much as the liquid limit. To examine the effects of variation of water content on consolidation characteristic, tests were carried out varying the initial water content from $100\%\;to\;150\%.$ The results were compared with the consolidation characteristics of remolded clay. The test results showed that the hither the initial water content of dredged clay was, the more noticeable the non-linear behavior of e-log P curves occurred. The variation of the gradient was apparent to load stage 40kPa and became less apparent after load stage 80kPa on the e-log P curves. Ratio of compression index stayed within the range suggested by Mesri and variation of initial water content has hardly influenced the coefficient of consolidation. On the contrary, it was found that the magnitude of consolidation load affects the vertical coefficient of consolidation. The variation of stratum thickness during consolidation processing needs to be taken into consideration since hydraulic fill would go through a much larger scale strain than land soil when it is subject to a load. In this study, the consolidation period considering the variation of stratum thickness was analyzed and the results were compared with those of existing consolidation studies which did not consider the variation of stratum thickness. According to the results of the study, the consolidation period of the ground with a larger strain was calculated more close to observed value in case of Mikasa theory which takes the variation of stratum thickness into consideration.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.219-238
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• 1999

In the present study, laboratory tests including the seepage-induced consolidation test, suction test, and desiccation shrinkage test are performed to investigate characteristics of the desiccation shrinkage in reclaimed hydraulic fills. Soil samples for laboratory tests are obtained from three sites (districts of Haenam, Kogeum and Koheung in Chunnam area). Desiccation shrinkage settlement caused by three dimensional volume change is numerically evaluated using finite difference technique based on the governing equation proposed by Abu-Hejleh & Znidarcic. Also characteristics of the desiccation shrinkage analyzed from the test results are used as input data for numerical evaluations. Further predicted total settlements including the self-weight consolidation settlement are compared with values measured at the site of Haenam district. Finally, effects of parameters related to the desiccation shrinkage on settlements are examined.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.29-36
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• 2009

A series of two-dimensional (2D) finite element analyses have been performed to study the behaviour of single piles in consolidating ground. The analysis was conducted based on coupled analyses by considering changes of pore water pressure in the clay. In the analyses the soil slippage at the pile and the soil interface has been included. The method widely used in practice somewhat overestimates dragload by about 25% compared to the rigorous numerical analysis since partial mobilization of skin friction near neutral plane and reductions in the vertical soil stress is not incorporated. When soil slip develops at most of the pile length at the pile-soil interface during consolidation, further increases in dragload is not significant. Application of coating on the pile surface can reduce dragload and pile settlement substantially, but under an axial load on the pile head very large pile settlement can be developed unless pile tip is located to a stiff bearing layer.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2004.03b
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• pp.706-713
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• 2004

This paper introduced an alternative method called USCP (Unpenetrated Sand Compaction Pile). In USCP, the toe of the sand pile does not reach to the lower supporting layer. Hence it is possible to reduce the amount of sand required. However, the degree of improvement could not be the same as SCP. Effective soil improvement, nevertheless, might be possible by combining both methods. In this paper, an improved method that cross over both SCP and USCP was discussed. And in order to verify applicability to a clay layer, consolidation behaviors with different conditions were analyzed and compared using FEM(Finite Element Method) based on the elasto-viscosity theory. From the results, it is concluded for the characteristic of settlement of USCP that the lower degree of replacement and the smaller ratio of penetration($H_d/H$), the larger is the settlement of the lower part of the clay layer comparing to the layer with no improvement. It is also concluded that the ratios of allotment of stress (m) calculated from the final settlements with 30% of degree of replacement are $1.8{\sim}3.3$ for $H_d/H=lOO%,\;1.8{\sim}4.0\;for\;H_d/H=75%,\;and\;1.8{\sim}3.8\;for\;H_d/H=50%$. Besides, the ratio of allotment of stress decreased as the degree of replacement decreased.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.189-203
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• 2019

Brine leakage is a common phenomenon during construction facilitated by artificial freezing technique, threatening the stability of frozen wall due to the continual thawing of already frozen domain. This paper takes the frequently encountered soft clay in Wujiang District as the study object, and remolded specimens were prepared by mixing calcium chloride solutions at five levels of concentration. Both the deformation and pore water pressure of frozen specimens during thawing were investigated by two-stage loading tests. Three sections were noted from the changes in the strain rate of specimens during thawing at the first-stage load, i.e., instantaneous, attenuated, and quasi-stable sections. During the second-stage loading, the deformation of post-thawed soils is closely correlated with the dissipation of pore water pressure. Two characteristic indexes were obtained including thaw-settlement coefficient and critical water content. The critical water content increases positively with salt content. The higher water content of soil leads to a larger thaw-settlement coefficient, especially at higher salt contents, based on which an empirical equation was proposed and verified. The normalized pore water pressure during thawing was found to dissipate slower at higher salt contents, with a longer duration to stabilize. Three physical indexes were experimentally determined such as freezing point, heat conductivity and water permeability. The freezing point decreases at higher salt contents, especially as more water is involved, like the changes in heat conductivity. The water permeability maintains within the same order at the considered range of salt contents, like the development of the coefficient of consolidation. The variation of the pore volume distribution also accounts for this.