A constitutive model for thermal consolidation with vertical drains and its experimental verification

The rule of the point, which represents the relation between effective stress and void ratio of fluid-saturated soils, moving in the e–lgp space under non-isothermal condition is studied according to the effect of temperature on preconsolidation pressure of soils. On the basis of this rule, a nonlinear-elastic constitutive model for thermal consolidation is established. Meanwhile, a FEM program named TSDSS implementing the algorithm of this constitutive model is developed. In order to verify the constitutive model, the relevant model tests are carried out. By comparing the model test results with the numerical simulation ones, it is verified that the constitutive model can simulate the development of thermal consolidation with vertical drains from the mechanism to a certain extent. The results of numerical simulation show that the maximum of excess pore pressure produced during the thermal consolidation process will increase with the increase of thermal conductivity and the decrease of hydraulic conductivity. The thermal consolidation rate will be slower with the increment of the value of hydraulic conductivity and the decrement of the value of thermal conductivity.