SEDL / STP / STP892-EB / STP34623S

Influence of a Critical Gradient on the Consolidation of Clays

Dubin, B
Elève du C.U.S.T. de Clermont-Ferrand, 1983, Stagiaire Département Génie Civil, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique (E.N.S.M.), Nantes CEDEX,

Moulin, G
Assistant Département Génie Civil, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique (E.N.S.M.), Nantes CEDEX,

Pages: 24    Published: Jan 1986

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Abstract

Several studies in the laboratory have shown the existence of a permeability law which is different from Darcy's law and which defines the flow of the pore water in certain natural clays.

Consolidation tests in the laboratory, including the measurement of permeability at different stages of loading, that were carried out on Saint Herblain clay at the E.N.S.M. Soil Mechanics Laboratory prove the existence of major critical gradients (12 < i⁰ < 20). According to this observation, a consolidation model worked out with a non-Darcian permeability law has been produced by means of a finite-difference computer program.

On the one hand, this model is compared with Terzaghi's consolidation model and, on the other hand, the law that has been established is tested next to the laboratory tests.