An analytical model for 3D consolidation and creep process of layered fractional viscoelastic soils considering temperature effect

The behavior of long-term deformation of saturated soil under external loads has been one of the research focuses in geological engineering and geotechnical engineering. The temperature change, especially in the fields of geological radioactive waste disposal and geothermal system, usually significantly influence the consolidation and creep process of soils. This paper presents an analytical three-dimensional (3D) model for investigating the consolidation and creep behavior of layered soils considering temperature effect. Based on the analytical layer element elastic solution, fractional calculus theory and elastic-viscoelastic correspondence principle, an analytical 3D model is built by introducing the coefficients of thermal expansion and viscosity varying with temperature into the fractional Merchant model (FMM). Verifications against published analytical and numerical results are provided, followed by extensive parametric studies to investigate the effects of type of viscoelastic model, temperature change, fractional order and viscosity of FMM, layered characteristic of soils on consolidation and creep process. It’s evident that the present model predicts long-term behavior of layered viscoelastic soils well and can be used to evaluate the effect of temperature change on consolidation and creep process in geological engineering and geotechnical engineering.