Operational Coefficient of Consolidation Around a Pile Group Driven in Clay/Silt

Abstract

Although finite element packages facilitating coupled consolidation analyses are increasingly in use, many practitioners still favour linear uncoupled analysis out of familiarity with the use of coefficients of consolidation. However, coefficients of consolidation measured by any single means tend to exhibit significant variation, with mean results from different laboratory and field tests also varying widely, leaving uncertainty over the correct values to apply to field problems. In this paper, a finite difference approach is used to back-calculate operational coefficients of consolidation from pore pressure measurements pertinent to a pile group driven in clay–silt. The research shows that this method is capable of successfully capturing the process of pore pressure dissipation, and that the operational coefficient of consolidation around the pile group is higher than that derived from piezocone dissipation tests in the same material.