DISCUSSION OF CONSOLIDATION UNDER ELECTRICAL - PRESSURE GRADIENTS

THE WRITER CRITICIZES THE AUTHORS' USE OF AN EMPIRICAL CURVE FITTING TECHNIQUE THAT IS MORE COMPLICATED THAN IS NECESSARY FOR COMBINED HYDRAULIC AND ELECTRICAL RADIAL FLOW. THE WRITER SHOWS MATHEMATICALLY THAT THE RATE OF CONSOLIDATION IS GOVERNED ALMOST COMPLETELY BY THE HYDRAULIC PERMEABILITY OF THE SOIL. IT IS CONTENDED THAT THE RATE OF SOIL CONSOLIDATION IN AN ELECTRIC FIELD IS GOVERNED BY THE HYDRAULIC PERMEABILITY OF THE SOIL. EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS THE CONCLUSION THAT THE RATE OF CONSOLIDATION IS PREDICTABLE, WITHIN ENGINEERING LIMITS, USING EXISTING THEORIES OF CONSOLIDATION, AND THAT ELECTRICAL CONSOLIDATION CAN NOW BE USED., WITH SOME CONFIDENCE, FOR FIELD INSTALLATIONS. REFERENCES: CONSOLIDATION UNDER ELECTRICAL-PRESSURE GRADIENTS, ROBERT L. NICHOLS, RENE L. HERBST, JR., PROC. PAPER 5438 OF JOURNAL OF THE SOIL MECHANICS AND FOUNDATIONS DIVISION, PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS, SEPTEMBER, 1967.