Mathematical model of electro-osmotic consolidation for soft ground improvement

Abstract

Electro-osmotic consolidation is an attractive, soft ground improvement technique. In this paper a theoretical model is proposed for electro-osmotic consolidation by coupling the seepage field, electric field, and the stress and strain field. The soil mass deformation, pore-water pressure and the electrical voltage are the basic variables in the governing equations. A three-dimensional numerical model based on the finite-element method was developed to simulate the electro-osmotic consolidation process, predicting the tempo-spatial variation of soil mass displacement. The numerical model is compared with previous analytical solutions. Three common electrode installation patterns are illustrated and analysed with the numerical model, and the results indicate that the triangular pattern can achieve the largest average surface settlement and the smallest differential settlement. The effect of the penetrating depth of the electrodes on the ground settlement is also investigated. An engineering field application is simulated to validate the developed numerical formulation.