Semi‐Analytical Study on Thermal Consolidation of Semi‐Infinite Saturated Normally‐Consolidated Soils Under Impeded Boundary

ABSTRACT This paper presents a semi‐analytical investigation into the thermal consolidation behavior of saturated normally‐consolidated (NC) clay within a two‐dimensional semi‐infinite domain, incorporating both thermal contraction and a realistic impeded boundary condition. A novel thermo‐hydro‐mechanical (THM) coupling model is established, building upon a constitutive relationship that decomposes thermal strain into three components to accurately capture the irreversible volumetric contraction of saturated NC clay under drained heating. The corresponding semi‐analytical solutions for the temperature, excess pore water pressure (EPWP), and displacement under a strip‐type thermomechanical load are derived using Laplace‐Fourier transformation and validated against existing analytical results. Parametric studies reveal that heating induces complex EPWP distributions, including transient negative pore pressure zones. Soil deformation exhibits an initial heave followed by consolidation settlement, the magnitude of which is primarily controlled by the ultimate temperature increase. The surface drainage condition significantly influences the response, with poorly permeable boundaries promoting heave‐dominant deformation. Furthermore, both the magnitude and spatial extent of the thermal load are shown to be critical factors governing the evolution of EPWP and the rate of heat transfer.