Coupling of electrochemical–temperature–mechanical processes in marine clay during electro-osmotic consolidation

Abstract

Electro-osmotic consolidation has been applied in several geotechnical engineering applications that contain a series of complex processes, including electrochemical processes, temperature changes, and mechanical evolution. To explore the combination of electrochemical–temperature–mechanical processes in marine clay, electro-osmotic consolidation experiments were conducted using a self-made electro-osmotic consolidation system under various durations and voltages. The following findings was obtained: (1) the change in the pH value increased during electro-osmotic consolidation and as the voltage rise; (2) the temperature increased with a rise in voltage in the initial stage of the experiments, which was induced by Joule heating; (3) the temperature rise promoted the electro-osmotic consolidation process, which included a rise in the coefficient of consolidation and a reduction in water content; (4) horizontal shrinkage occurred when the horizontal stress increment was greater than the critical stress condition. In addition, the volume difference reached a constant value, and was proportional to the voltage rise. After the discussion, a coupling analysis was conducted, which can help to better understand the mechanism of electro-osmotic consolidation and can provide reference for engineering applications.