Analytical Solution for 2D Electro‐Osmotic Consolidation of Unsaturated Soil With Non‐linear Voltage Distribution

Abstract

Existing solutions for electro‐osmotic consolidation assume a linear voltage distribution, which is inconsistent with the experimental findings. The present study introduces a novel two‐dimensional electro‐osmotic consolidation model for unsaturated soils, which considers the influence of non‐linear voltage distribution. The closed‐form solution is derived by employing the eigenfunction expansion method and the Laplace transform technique. The accuracy of the analytical solutions is validated through the implementation of finite element simulations. The findings from the parametric studies indicate that the excess pore water pressure (EPWP) observed in electro‐osmotic consolidation is influenced by the distribution of voltage. The dissipation rate of EPWP is observed to be higher when subjected to non‐linear voltage conditions compared to linear voltage conditions. Moreover, the impact of non‐linear voltage distribution becomes more pronounced in unsaturated soil characterised by higher electro‐osmosis conductivity and a lower ratio of kx/ky. In contrast, the excess pore air pressure (EPAP) remains unaffected by the voltage distribution.