Abstract
Over recent years in Hong Kong, engineers have become concerned over the very low cv (coefficient of consolidation) as measured by oedometer for permeable granular soils. The aim of the present paper is therefore to explore the underlying reasons for such low cv values and the validity of an alternative measurement by isotropic consolidation in a triaxial cell (IC). Starting from a hypothetical curve relating consolidation to square root time, it can be seen that, with existing testing standards requiring an accuracy of 1 s only in the time-measuring device, it is impossible for permeable soils with t90 (90% consolidation time) of less than about 1 s to have any consolidation readings recorded for determination of t90. The apparent t90 determined from measurable records will be considerably higher, yielding cv of the same order as those by oedometer. However, cv from a hypothetically low t90 is more realistic, being the same order as those from IC. The validity of measuring cv by IC is justified, as the ratio of cv measured by oedometer to that derived by IC is of the same order of magnitude from both experimental results and theoretical evaluation, for a linear elastic, isotropic and homogeneous soil.
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