MATHEMATIC MODELS FOR DETERMINING PRE-CONSOLIDATION PRESSURE AND APPLICATION

Pre-consolidation pressure is an important parameter which can help civil engineers predict foundation settlement, take preventive measures and finally solve the problem. This paper analyzes applicability of exiting five mathematical models and originally used Gauss1 Gauss2models to determine pre-consolidation pressure of silt clay. It examines the difference between the determined pre-consolidation pressure values with those mathematical models and that with the empirical method of standard for test methods of earthworks. It then suggests how to choose optimal mathematical model to determine pre-consolidation pressure through researched CFSPT by Matlab. It is shown that though seven mathematical models all have a high fitting degree, only the pre-consolidation pressure of Gauss1model approaches that of empirical method. Besides, the optimal mathematical model should have such characters that e-lgp curve converges a constant of nonzero at start, zero at end, and the middle of e-lgp curve converges a skew line.