One-Dimensional Consolidation Considering Viscous Soil Behaviour and Water Compressibility - Viscoconsolidation

The aim of this paper is to draw attention to experimental evidence which may contribute to the understanding of the viscous behaviour of soft soils and, above all, present the equation for primary one-dimensional consolidation including the soil viscous resistance and the compressibility of water, with its analytical solution. Initially, a generic equation is presented, in which any constitutive relationship of viscous resistance vs. strain rate may be incorporated. This study, in particular, considers two constitutive relationships: the first, represented by a two-parameter hyperbola with a horizontal asymptote, and the second, represented by a linear relationship which characterizes the soil behaviour as Newtonian. The hyperbolic constitutive relationship was derived from consolidation test results where the viscous resistance was inferred. For this case, the equation was numerically integrated using the software MAPLE 2017. For the linear relationship (Newtonian behaviour), the equation was integrated analytically and its solution presented. Finally, the results of several analyses are presented and compared with results obtained experimentally as well as with classical results of Taylor (1942) and Terzaghi & Frolich (1936).