Inversion and Prediction of Consolidation Settlement Characteristics of the Fluvial Sediments Based on Void Ratio Variation in the Northern Modern Yellow River Subaqueous Delta, China

The modern Yellow River delta is formed near the estuary of the Yellow River with the characteristics of short formation time, efficient sedimentation rate and loose structure which make sediments prone to be compacted and consolidate under the geostatic stress and overburden stress. It is one of the key areas with land subsidence disasters in China, bringing a series of safety hazards to production and living. Based on the data of massive surface cores and ten drill holes ranging from 12 to 40 m obtained from the northern modern Yellow River subaqueous delta, the inversion method suitable for the calculation of consolidation settlement characteristics of the modern Yellow River subaqueous delta is discussed, and the consolidation settlement characteristics of the delta sediments are inversed and predicted in this paper. The actual void ratio of the delta sediments at the depth from 3 to 15 m shows a significant power function relationship with the depth, while the void ratio of the sediments below 15 m changes little with depth. The pre-consolidation settlement(from deposition to sampling) of the delta sediments is between 0.91 and 1.96 m, while the consolidation settlement of unit depth is between 9.6 and 14.0 cm m^(-1). The post-consolidation settlement(from sampling to stable) of the subaqueous delta sediments is between 0.65 and 1.56 m in the later stage, and the consolidation settlement of unit depth is between 7.6 and 13.1 cm m^(-1) under the overburden stress. The delta sediments with a buried depth of 3 to 7 m contribute the most to the possible consolidation settlement in the later stage.

Sediment consolidation settlement of Chengbei Sea area in the northern Huanghe River subaqueous delta,China

One of the most important factors controlling the morphology of the modem Huanghe （Yellow） River delta is consolidation settlement, which is impacted by fast deposition, high water content, and low density of seafloor sediment. Consolidation settlement of the Huanghe River subaqueous delta was studied based on field data, laboratory experiments on 12 drill holes, and the one-dimensional consolidation theory. Results show that vertical sediment characteristics varied greatly in the rapidly forming sedimentary bodies of the modem Huanghe River subaqueous delta. Sediments in the upper parts of drill holes were coarser than those in the deeper parts, and other physical and mechanical properties changed accordingly. On the basis of the one-dimensional consolidation theory and drilling depth, the final consolidation settlement of drill holes was between 0.6 m and 2.8 m, and the mean settlement of unit depth was at 1.5-3.5 cm/m. It takes about 15-20 years for the consolidation degree to reach 90% and the average sedimentation rate within the overlying 50 m strata was at 5 cm/a to 12 cm/a. This study helps to forecast the final consolidation settlement and settlement rate of the modem Huanghe River subaqueous delta, which provides key geotechnical information for marine engineers.

Analysis of nonlinear settlement for an unsaturated soil under stage continuous loading

A new approach was proposed to describe settlement behavior of an unsaturated soil with subgrade filling for high-speed railway. Firstly, based on Terzaghi consolidation theory, equations considering the variation coefficient of consolidation with void ratio and saturation for consolidation of an unsaturated soil under stage continuous loading were derived, and according to analytical solutions of equations, a formula for settlement computation under stage continuous loading was obtained. Then, combined with the width-to-height ratio of subgrade to compute ground reaction, and by means of in-situ plate loading curves, a correctional approach was presented for the analysis of nonlinear settlement of foundation. Also, the comparison between calculated and measured loadsettlement behavior for an unsaturated soil in Qingdao-Ji'nan high-speed railway was given to demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed approach. It can be noted that the presented solution can be used to predict the settlement of an unsaturated soil foundation under stage continuous loading in engineering design.