Mathematica Eterna
Open Access

Abstract

Consolidation of a clay layer overlying a smooth-rigid base due to surface loads

MANOJ PURI and SUNITA RANI

The solution of coupled system of equations governing the diffusion-deformation of a poroelastic media for the plane strain case is used to obtain the settlement of a clay layer overlying a smooth-rigid permeable or impermeable base. Both the fluid as well as solid constituents are compressible and the permeability is taken to be anisotropic. The solution is obtained in the Laplace-Fourier transform domain. Explicit expressions for the displacements, stresses and the pore pressure have been obtained for the normal strip and normal line loading. For numerical computations, we assume the poroelastic layer is of Indiana Limestone. The consolidation of the layer is computed in the space time domain for the normal strip loading. Numerical results reveal that permeability of the base has a significant effect on the surface settlement for a thin layer. Contour maps showing the diffusion of pore pressure in the layer have been plotted for the normal strip and normal line loading. The pore pressure vanishes more rapidly for the permeable base as compared to the impermeable base.