Analytical solution on vacuum consolidation of dredged slurry considering clogging effects

Abstract

Abstract This paper aims to establish an analytical model on vacuum consolidation of dredged slurry treated by PVD with special considerations on the clogging effects. A series of laboratory tests have been conducted to characterize the temporal/spatial variations of the clogging zone and the vacuum pressure in soil. Based on the nonlinear relationship between the compressibility, the permeability and the void ratio (e-p and e-k curves), an analytical model incorporating the clogging zone was proposed and solved considering the nonlinear attenuation of the vacuum pressure. The solution was verified and validated by comparing with published data and field test results, respectively. Parametric studies reveal that the clogging significantly slows down the consolidation rate, and thus reduces the final degree of consolidation of the dredged slurry.