Study of the Applicability of a Drum Centrifuge to Model the Process Self-weight Consolidation of a Soft Clay

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This study developed a small drum centrifuge for easy observation of the phenomena of self-weight consolidation of a soft clay and quick evaluation of consolidation parameters. The results of this study may be summarized in the following seven points :1) A small drum centrifuge was designed and constructed. The drum centrifuge has a diameter of 0.2 m, a width of 0.07m, a depth of 0.065m and can be spun up to settlement data with time are obtained by visual readings of surface settlement.2) Four various clays with plasticity indices of 57.8, 42.7, 29.4 and 22.0 were used and 35 tests in total were conducted, confirming the repeatability of the tests.3) Three tests were carried out with different combinations of depth and centrifugal acceleration, modeling the same prototype behavior of a 10 m soft layer. The result reconfirmed that modeling of models is held.4) In order to examine the effect of circumferential strains on the settlement behavior with time, the number of radial slits installed in the drum, dividing the specimens, was changed from 3 to 9. It was found that the number has not a significant influence on the behavior.5) An attempt was made to do a direct comparison between the test results obtained from beam centrifuge tests and those from drum tests. Appreciably differences were noticed in both settlement-time, and e-log p relationships.6) An equation of elastic consolidation was derived based and solved. The analytical results were compared with the experimental data, interpreting the test data from the view of the elastic consolidation theory for a uniform layer.7) Phenomena of self-weight consolidation of multi-layered system were modeled by pouring a clay slurry overlaying another clay slurry being consolidated.