Benchmark Problem for Large Strain Self-Weight Consolidation

Abstract

One-dimensional self-weight consolidation of soil and other compressible porous media is important for a variety of engineering applications. This note presents a benchmark problem and numerical solutions for large strain self-weight consolidation of a layer of saturated soil slurry. The solutions provide the values of settlement, excess pore pressure, and void ratio, which can be used to validate other analytical and numerical models. The solutions include effects of vertical strain, soil self-weight, nonlinear constitutive relationships, and changing material properties during the consolidation process.