Abstract: To investigate the nonlinear consolidation behavior of soft soil under varying loads in one dimension, we introduce a novel one-dimensional nonlinear compression model to establish the one-dimensional nonlinear consolidation equation in consideration of non-Darcy flow for saturated soft soil subjected to variable loads. The equation is solved using the finite difference method. The excellent agreement between the obtained results and the analytical solution confirms the validity and reliability of the equation. Based on the solution of the consolidation equation, we thoroughly examine the effects of non-Darcy seepage parameters (represented by m and i₁), the initial compressibility coefficient of the soil, the ratio of compression index to permeability index, as well as the rate and form of external load, on soil consolidation. The results demonstrate that an increase in the non-Darcy parameters (m and i₁) and the ratio of compression index to permeability index leads to a decrease in the consolidation rate of the soil. Moreover, a higher initial compression coefficient or larger loading rate results in a faster consolidation rate. In comparison with existing models, the established model in this study eliminates the need for measuring the initial effective stress of the soil. Consequently, it can be more easily applied to engineering.

Key words: soft soil, non-Darcy flow, one-dimensional nonlinear consolidation, variable load action