Guoping Tang, 400 Snell Engineering Center, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, Tel: 617-373-7267, Fax: 617-373-4419, Email: tanggp@coe.neu.edu
Akram N. Alshawabkeh, PE, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 400 Snell Engineering Center, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, Tel: 617-373-3994, Fax: 617 373 4419, Email: aalsha@coe.neu.edu
Thomas C. Sheahan, Sc.D., P.E., Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 400 Snell Engineering Center, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, Tel: 617-373-3995, Fax: 617-373-4419, Email: tsheahan@coe.neu.edu

This paper presents and analyzes results from twelve consolidation tests for non-reactive solute transport in fine-grained soils under consolidation. Kaolinite specimens, 50 mm in diameter and 70 mm in height, were prepared at 55% water content (above the liquid limit). The initial concentration of bromide (the tracer) was 1000 mg/L and 0 mg/L in the upper half and lower half of the specimen, respectively. The consolidation tests were conducted under constant load of 25 kPa with single drainage on the top in the consolidometer. Samples were collected from the surrounding solution during the test for bromide analysis. To determine the bromide profile across the specimen at the end of tests the specimen was sliced into four parts and centrifuge was used to extract the pore water for bromide analysis. Test results confirmed that with an average coefficient of consolidation of 2 × 10. 4 cm 2 /s(0.7cm 2 /hr) consolidation induced advection is the dominant mechanism for the bromide transport during the consolidation process. Further analysis showed that the ratio between diffusion coefficient and consolidation coefficient determines the relatively role they play in the transport.

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