Non-homogeneous mud structure at consolidation : drainage system behaviour

Deals with the modeling of drainage systems that form during mud-consolidation processes in combination with the production and release of gas. The detailed description of the drainage systems allows for a step forward in the modelling of mud consolidation processes and in particular in the assessment of the water discharges and of the timing of the consolidation process. Since both the gas forming within the mud layer and the consolidation water escape through the same drainage system. The drainage system that forms during mud-consolidation processes consists of a network of conduits which drain the water and the gas retained within the mud, discharging them to the top of the mud surface. Both water and gas contribute to the shaping of the drainage systems. However the effects of gas have been here assessed only in a simplified way. The derived equations have been tested in the period October 1996 - February 1997.