The characteristics of consolidation of compacted soils wet of optimum moisture content are changed with the thickness of sample H and the duration of consolidation T_c.
The coefficient of volume compressibility m_v of compacted soils greatly increases with the decrease of consolidation pressure p and with a decrease in the sample thickness H. The duration of consolidationT_c also affects m_v, but the effect of T_c is remarkably smaller than those of p and H.
The rate of secondary consolidation dε/d log t also increases with the increase of p and with a decrease in H.
The increases of m_v and dε/d log t with a decrease in H are especially remarkable when the thickness H is smaller than2.0cm. According to this fact, the characteristics of consolidation of samples smaller than 2.0cm thickness may be different from those of samples greater than 2.0cm thickness.
The relation between H and the ratio of initial compression R_i and the relation between H and the ratio of first compression R_1 are slightly affected by the change of the dulation of consolidation T_c, but the relation between the ratio of secondary comp ression R_2 is changed greatly when T_c is taken as one day or H^2/4day. This is due to the change of duration of secondary compression.