Boundary element analysis of Biot consolidation in layered elastic soils

Abstract

Abstract Biot's linear consolidation analysis of three‐dimensional fluid saturated layered soils is investigated. The time marching method, uncoupled boundary element method, and successive stiffness method are applied for the numerical modelling of this study. Settlement induced by surface loading and land subsidence due to pumping is studied. The results show that settlement induced by surface loading is mainly influenced by the properties of the soil layer, and that the settlement is larger for soil layers with smaller stiffness and greater thicknesses. The land subsidence induced by pumping is influenced by the properties of the soil layer as well as by the permeability of the pumped layer and the conditions at the top and bottom boundaries. The land subsidence is larger for soil layers with a smaller stiffness, lower permeability of the pumped layer, deeper pumping depth, larger pumping rate and an impervious top surface.