Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Thermally Induced Effects in Saturated Clay

The finite element program HOT CRISP developed at Cambridge University allows the two dimensional coupled heat conduction and consolidation analysis of soil barriers subjected to temperature gradients. The analysis uses an elasto-plastic soil model based on the critical state principles. This paper presents prediction of temperature and pore water pressure changes in kaolin clay and comparison with experimental data. The experiments undertaken involved triaxial samples subjected to temperature changes at the outer boundary by a temperature controlled water circulation system. Temperature sensors and miniature pore water pressure transducers were used for the monitoring of temperature and pore water pressures at two locations in the soil samples. Tests were performed both under undrained and drained conditions. The comparison of data between experiments and analyses showed very satisfactory results.