Measurement of Coefficient of Consolidation During Reconsolidation of Liquefied Sand

Saturated sands particularly at low relative density commonly exhibit rises in excess pore pressure when subjected to earthquake loading. The excess pore pressure can approach a maximum value, limited by the initial vertical effective stress. After the completion of earthquake shaking, these excess pore pressures dissipate according to the consolidation equation, which can be solved to produce a Fourier series solution. It will be shown by manipulation of this Fourier series that excess pore pressure traces provide a method for back-calculation of coefficient of consolidation C(v). This method is validated against dissipation curves generated using known values of C(v) and seen to be more accurate in the middle of the layer. The method is then applied to data recorded in centrifuge tests to evaluate C(v) throughout the reconsolidation process following liquefaction conditions. C(v) is seen to fit better as a function of excess pore pressure ratio than effective stress for the stress levels considered. For the soil investigated, C(v) is about three times smaller at excess pore pressure ratio of 0.9 compared to excess pore pressure ratio of 0.