Consolidation analysis of a cross-anisotropic homogeneous elastic soil using a finite layer numerical method

This paper presents a finite layer procedure for Biot's consolidation analysis of layered soils using a cross‐anisotropic elastic constitutive model. The program is first verified using published results. Then, using this program, the influences of cross‐anisotropy on the immediate settlement, the final settlement, and the consolidation behaviour are investigated by changing one model parameter at one time. The results obtained using the cross‐anisotropic elastic model are compared with results using an isotropic elastic model. It is found that the cross‐anisotropy has very large influences on the immediate settlement, the final settlement, and the consolidation behaviour. Curves or tables of the immediate settlement coefficients, the final settlement coefficients, and the average degree of consolidation are obtained and presented in the paper. These curves or tables can be easily used to estimate the immediate settlement, the final settlement, and the consolidation settlement of a cross‐anisotropic soil. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.