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Three-dimensional desiccation modeling of very soft soils

Pak, A ; Sharif University of Technology

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  1. Type of Document: Article
  2. DOI: 10.3233/978-1-60750-031-5-421
  3. Abstract:
  4. Self-weight consolidation and desiccation phenomena of ultra soft soils and slurries have important implications in mining, coastal, and environmental engineering. Disposal of mine tailings behind tailings impoundments, transportation of dredged materials and land reclamation, and disposing of sludge in water/wastewater treatment facilities are some of the engineering applications where self-weight consolidation and desiccation of slurries are of concern. Numerical modeling of desiccation phenomenon is a relatively new subject that enables geotechnical engineers to better manage the large volume of mine tailings, dredged materials, and other slurries that are disposed in confined disposal facilities (CDFs). Sedimentation, consolidation, and desiccation are the consecutive processes that take place in CDFs and lead to considerable reduction in the volume of slurries. In this article, a developed finite difference code for modeling the desiccation phenomenon of very soft soils is described. In addition to simulating the volume change due to surface drying, the cracking process and the water loss from crack side-walls during three-dimensional desiccation has been taken into account. To do this, a new concept has been introduced and implemented into Abu-Hejleh and Znidarcic (1995) desiccation theory. By using this concept the need for direct in-situ measurements to obtain the model parameters can be eliminated. The results of the program have been verified against a number of experimental measurements. © 2009 IOS Press
  5. Keywords:
  6. Numerical simulation ; Slurry ; Very soft soils ; Confined disposal facilities ; Cracking process ; Desiccation ; Dredged materials ; Engineering applications ; Experimental measurements ; Finite difference ; Geotechnical engineers ; In-situ measurement ; Mine tailings ; Model parameters ; Self-weight consolidation ; Side walls ; Soft soils ; Surface drying ; Ultra-soft soils ; Volume change ; Water loss ; Computer simulation ; Dredges ; Dredging ; Driers (materials) ; Geotechnical engineering ; Land reclamation ; Sludge disposal ; Slurries ; Soil mechanics ; Tailings ; Tailings disposal ; Three dimensional
  7. Source: Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering: The Academia and Practice of Geotechnical Engineering ; Volume 1 , 2009 , Pages 421-424 ; 9781607500315 (ISBN)
  8. URL: http://ebooks.iospress.nl/publication/29979