Section 3.

3
Solution of The One-Dimensional
Consolidation Equation

3.3-1
1.1-1
 Solution of Terzaghi’s One-Dimensional Consolidation Equation

• In this section, we consider the solution of the one-dimensional

consolidation equation as given below:

due  ue 2
= cv 2 (1)
dt z
• We consider the same 
problem as that shown
on Slide 3.2-5, where an
sand
increment of total
vertical stress Δσ is
z
applied as an infinitely
wide surcharge to the clay
2d
soil layer.

• Assume that this total

stress increment is
applied instantaneously. sand
3.3-2
 Solution of Terzaghi’s One-Dimensional Consolidation Equation

• Because the total stress increment  is applied instantaneously,

this means that, at zero time (or just immediately after zero time,
that is, t = 0+), the stress increment will be carried entirely by the
pore water.
• At zero time, therefore, the initial value of the excess pore water
pressure (ui) is equal to . Hence the initial condition is

ue = ui =  for 0  z  2d when t = 0+ (2)

• Referring back to the figure on the previous slide (3.3-2), the upper
and lower boundaries are assumed to be free-draining. That is, the
permeability of the sand adjacent to each boundary being very high
compared to that of the clay.
• Water therefore drains from the centre of the soil element to the
upper and lower boundaries simultaneously so that the drainage
path length is d if the soil is of thickness 2d.
• Thus the boundary conditions at any time t after the application of
 are
ue = 0 for z = 0 and z = 2d when t > 0 (3)
3.3-3
 Solution of Terzaghi’s One-Dimensional Consolidation Equation

• The solution of Eq. 1, for the excess pore pressure ue at depth z

after time t, is given by
n=   1 2d nz  nz   n2  2 c v t 
ue (z, t ) =    ui sin dz  sin  exp −  (4)
n=1  d 0 2d  2d   4d  2

where ui = initial excess pore water pressure, in general a

function of z.
• For the particular case in which ui is constant throughout the clay
layer:
n= 
2ui  nz   n2  2 c v t 
u e (z , t ) =  (1 − cos n ) sin  exp −  (5)
n = 1 n  2d  2
 4d 
When n is even, (1 – cos n) = 0, and when n is odd, (1 – cos n) = 2.
Hence, only odd values of n are relevant, and it is convenient to
make the substitutions

n = 2m + 1 and M = (2m + 1)
2 3.3-4
 Solution of Terzaghi’s One-Dimensional Consolidation Equation

• It is also convenient to substitute

cvt
Tv = 2 (6)
d
where Tv is a dimensionless number called the time factor.

• Eq. 5 then becomes

m= 
 exp(− M Tv )
2ui  Mz 
ue (z, t ) =   sin
2 (7)
m= 0 M  d 

• Hence, for the double-drained clay layer of thickness 2d shown on

Slide 3.3-2 subjected to an instantaneous surcharge loading of 
at time t = 0, the excess pore pressure at any given depth z and any
given time t > 0 can be obtained by substituting the value of t into
Eq. 6 to get Tv and then substituting the values of z and Tv into the
terms of the series expansion defined by Eq. 7.
• The series expansion can be performed using a spreadsheet.
3.3-5
 A Graphical Solution for a 1-D Consolidation Example Problem
• To see what the solution of Eq. 7 looks like, let’s consider the
example below, where the applied stress is  = 100 kPa and the
clay layer thickness is 2d = 10m. The coefficient of consolidation of
the clay is cv = 0.00027 m2/s..
100
kPa

sand

clay
10 m

sand

• At any depth z in the clay layer, how does the excess pore pressure
ue vary with time t > 0? Note that  = 100 kPa is instantaneously
applied at time t = 0+. 3.3-6
 A Graphical Solution for a 1-D Consolidation Example Problem

• At any time t > 0, the vertical distribution of the excess pore

pressure ue can be shown by plotting a curve of excess pore
pressure ue against the depth z.

• At time t = 0+ , that is instantaneously after the application of the

pressure , the vertical distribution of the excess pore pressure
with depth z along the clay layer is given by:
10

6
Depth z (m)

0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Excess Pore Pressure ue (kPa)
3.3-7
 A Graphical Solution for a 1-D Consolidation Example Problem

• How does the vertical distribution of ue look like at different times t

after the application of ?
• For example, at time t = 10s, the excess pore pressure distribution
looks like this:

10

6
Depth z (m)

0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Excess Pore Pressure ue (kPa)
3.3-8
 A Graphical Solution for a 1-D Consolidation Example Problem

• What about at time t = 100s? How does the excess pore pressure
distribution look like?

10

6
Depth z (m)

0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Excess Pore Pressure ue (kPa)
3.3-9
 A Graphical Solution for a 1-D Consolidation Example Problem

• At time t = 1000s, the excess pore pressure distribution looks like

this:

10

6
Depth z (m)

0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Excess Pore Pressure ue (kPa)
3.3-10
 A Graphical Solution for a 1-D Consolidation Example Problem

• At time t = 10,000s, the excess pore pressure distribution looks like

this:

10

6
Depth z (m)

0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Excess Pore Pressure ue (kPa)
3.3-11
 A Graphical Solution for a 1-D Consolidation Example Problem

• At time t = 50,000s, the excess pore pressure distribution looks like

this:

10

6
Depth z (m)

0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Excess Pore Pressure ue (kPa)
3.3-12
 A Graphical Solution for a 1-D Consolidation Example Problem

• At time t = 100,000s, the excess pore pressure distribution looks

like this:

10

6
Depth z (m)

0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Excess Pore Pressure ue (kPa)
3.3-13
 A Graphical Solution for a 1-D Consolidation Example Problem

• At time t = 1,000,000s, the excess pore pressure distribution looks

like this:

10

6
Depth z (m)

0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Excess Pore Pressure ue (kPa)
3.3-14
 Some Discussion on the Shape of Isochrones

• The last few slides, 3.3-7 to 3.3-14, show how the excess
pore pressure ue distribution profile looks like at
different times t.

• Each of these plots, which shows the excess pressure

profile at a particular time t, is called an isochrone.

• The slope of an isochrone at any depth gives the

hydraulic gradient and also indicates the direction of
flow.

• Because the top and bottom boundaries of the clay

layer are located next to a sand layer (which is very
permeable), these boundaries act as drainage
boundaries.
3.3-15
 Some Discussion on the Shape of Isochrones

• Pore water can flow out of the clay layer through the
drainage boundaries, and hence the drainage
boundaries will not build up any excess pore pressure
(except at the instantaneous moment t = 0+ when the
stress  = 100 kPa).
• Hence, at time t > 0, the excess pore pressures at the
two drainage boundaries are always zero.
• The excess pore pressures become greater as we move
further away from the drainage boundaries towards the
centre of the clay layer.
• At any time t>0, the excess pore pressure is highest at
the mid-depth of the clay layer, due to the fact that the
mid-depth of the layer is furthest away from the
drainage boundaries.
3.3-16
 Variation of Excess Pore Pressure with Time at a Selected Point

• Another way to look at the results would be to plot how the excess
pore pressure ue vary with time t at selected points in the clay layer.
• For example, say we are interested to know how the excess pore
pressure ue varies with time at Point A and B below, corresponding
to z = 2.5m and 5m respectively.
100
kPa

sand

2.5m
z A
2.5m
clay
10 m B

sand
3.3-17
 Variation of Excess Pore Pressure with Time at a Selected Point

• At Points A and B, the excess pore pressure ue time histories are as

plotted below.:
• Can you see that the excess pore pressure ue at Point B (d = 5m)
dissipates/reduces more slowly compared to that at Point A (d = 2.5m)?

100
Excess pore pressure ue (kPa)

80
BB(d
(d ==5m)
5 m)
60

40

20

AA(d
(d ==2.5m)
1 m)
0
0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000
time t (sec) 3.3-18
 Consolidation under Different Initial and Boundary Conditions

• Note that, in the real world, the initial and boundary

conditions can be different from what we assume in our
example.
In our example, the initial condition is that, at time t = 0+ , the
excess pore pressure is ue = ui =  at all depths in the clay
layer. (See Eq. 2 on Slide 3.3-3 and graphically on Slide 3.3-
7.)
The boundary condition is that, at time t> 0, the excess
pore pressure at the two drainage boundaries are zero, that
is ue = 0 at z = 0 and z = 2d for all times t > 0. (See Eq. 3 on
Slide 3.3-3 and graphically on Slides 3.3-8 to 3.3-14.) This
type of boundary conditions is called double drainage
boundaries.
• For different initial and boundary conditions from that
considered in the above example, the shape of the
isochrones may be different.
3.3-19
 Consolidation in a Half-Closed Layer

• For instance, a clay layer for which only one boundary is

free-draining is a half-closed layer, or a single drainage layer.
• The example below shows a half-closed layer, where
drainage occurs only at the top boundary but not the bottom
boundary.
100
kPa

sand

2.5m
z A
2.5m
clay
10 m B

sand
impermable rock

3.3-20
 Consolidation in a Half-Closed Layer
• For a half-closed layer with the applied stress  as shown on the
previous slide, the isochrones can be readily extracted or derived
from the solution for the double drainage case (if they are plotted
based on the dimensionless time factor Tv).
• The solution for the half-closed case is actually one half of the
solution for the double drainage case.

2.5m
A
2.5m
B

20 m

3.3-21
Consolidation for a Triangular Initial Excess Pore Pressure Distribution
• In some other cases, the initial condition may be different.
• For example, the initial excess pore pressure at time t = 0+ need
not be uniform over the entire depth of the layer as shown on
Slide 3.3-7.
• Instead, the initial excess pore pressure distribution ue can be a
triangular distribution as shown below.

10

6
Depth z (m)

0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Excess Pore Pressure ue (kPa)
3.3-22
Consolidation for a Triangular Initial Excess Pore Pressure Distribution :
Open Layer (Double Drainage)
• For a triangular excess pore pressure distribution in an open layer
(double drainage), the isochrones at different times look as follows:

3.3-23
Consolidation for a Triangular Initial Excess Pore Pressure Distribution :
Half Closed Layer
• For a triangular excess pore pressure distribution in a half-closed
layer (single drainage), the isochrones at different times look as
follows:

3.3-24