Influence of structure on secondary consolidation characteristics of soft clay
[Purposes]This study aims to investigate the evolution laws of secondary consolidation coefficients of undisturbed and reconstituted specimens under different consolidation pressures,compare the void ratios and pore size distributions(PSDs)of different specimens,and explore the intrinsic mechanism of structure affecting secondary consolidation characteristics.[Methods]For undisturbed and reconstituted specimens from Shanghai and Wenzhou cities in China,secondary consolidation tests were conducted under different consolidation pressures and mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP)tests were carried out at the same void ratio.The secondary consolidation coefficients and the PSDs were obtained from specimens under the corresponding consolidation pressures.[Findings]As the consolidation pressure increases,the secondary consolidation coefficient of undisturbed specimen initially increases and then decreases,while that of the reconstituted specimen is basically not affected.There is a significant difference in the PSDs of undisturbed and reconstituted specimens with the same void ratio,but their secondary consolidation coefficients are basically the same.However,for undisturbed and reconstituted specimens under the same pressure,a good linear relationship exists in the differences in secondary consolidation coefficients and void ratios.[Conclusions]The consolidation pressure has a great influence on the secondary consolidation coefficient of the undisturbed specimen,but a negligible influence on that of the reconstituted specimen.Moreover,the difference in secondary consolidation coefficients between undisturbed and reconstituted specimens under the same pressure is mainly caused by the difference in void ratios of the two different specimens due to the structural factors,and the influence of the PSDs on the secondary consolidation coefficient can be ignored.
soft claystructuresecondary consolidation coefficientpore size distributionvoid ratio
万方数据
维普
