Effects of temperature on consolidation and consistency of clayey soils

Abstract

This study focuses on the effects of temperature on the consolidation property and consistency of clay for thermal improvement of soft clay ground. Although it is already known that an increase in temperature can accelerate consolidation of clay, the degree of the temperature effect has not yet been generalized between various clays. In this study, a series of one-dimensional consolidation tests at different temperatures (17, 23, 35, 50, and 65°C) using 2 processed clays and 3 natural clayey soils dredged at ports are presented. To evaluate the temperature effect on soil consistency, which might affect the consolidation behavior, atterberg limits of the clays were also evaluated at different temperatures. As a result, it was confirmed that, although the temperature effect on consistency limits varies depending on the type of clay, the consolidation coefficient increases with increase in temperature in all the clay soils tested.