Prediction of the Coefficient of Consolidation of Soil via the Hyperbolic Fitting Method during Piezocone Dissipation Test

Abstract

The coefficient of consolidation is an important parameter to evaluate the engineering properties of soil. The current piezocone penetration test (CPTU) method to obtain the coefficient of consolidation is time-consuming and places a practical limitation on the application of this technique, especially in low permeability clays. In this study, a modified prediction model to evaluate the coefficient of consolidation is proposed based on the incomplete CPTU results, using the hyperbolic fitting method. Based on the Shanghai clay site, the representative equation coefficients of χ and δ reached 0.9435 and 0.002759, respectively. Further, verification against CPTU field test data shows that the proposed new equation predicts the coefficient of consolidation accurately. The new equation saves field time and facilitates the use of pore-pressure dissipation tests in geotechnical investigation programs.