Assessment of non-uniform deformation during consolidation with lateral drainage using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)

This paper experimentally investigates the lateral deformation characteristic of clay under consolidation with lateral drainage. A transparent consolidation test device was developed to obtain photo images of the soil specimen during lateral drainage consolidation. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was applied to quantify the displacements within the entire clay specimen, and subsequently, the strains and void ratio fields were computed through the moving least square method. The results of the PIV showed complex lateral deformation characteristics depending on the degree of consolidation and the locations. The lateral deformation induced a lower void ratio, and consequently, permeability near the vertical drain compared to the average values of the entire specimen. Additionally, the non-uniformity of the effective stress state, and hence of the soil stiffness, was verified with the total stress measurements.