Abstract: A new analytical method is presented to study the axisymmetric Biot's consolidation of a finite soil layer. Starting from the governing equations of axisymmetric Biot's consolidation, and based on the property of Laplace transform, the relation of basic variables for a point of a finite soil layer is established between the ground surface (z= 0) and the depth z in the Laplace and Hankel transform domains. Combined with the boundary conditions of the finite soil layer, the analytical solution of any point in the transform domain can be obtained. The actual solution in the physical domain can be obtained by inverse Laplace and Hankel transforms. A numerical analysis for the axisymmetric consolidation of a finite soil layer is carried out.

Key words: xisymmetric Biot's consolidation, finite soil layer, Laplace transform, Hankel transform