ABSTRACT
Consolidation of soil is controlled not only by the physico-mechanical properties of soil but also by the size of a consolidating area, as the dissipation of pore pressure depends on the length of seepage paths. The following factors must be considered in consolidation analysis: temporal variation of the settlement of structure and its foundation, linked to gradual dissipation of pore pressure due to external load; stability of cohesive slopes; bearing capacity of foundation in unstabilized condition. Hence the construction of cohesive dams and foundations requires a proper consolidation forecast. The seepage theory of consolidation is a simplified version of the general theory of volumetric forces, in which the primary rheological equation of soil state is expressed through a compression curve, and the interaction of soil phases is reduced to the simplest equation of equilibrium, by which the specific load applied to soil consists of effective and neutral pressures.
