# An Investigation into the Influence of Sample Height on the Consolidation Behaviour of Dredged Silt
Several researchers have examined the consolidation behaviour of dredged silt through tests and have yielded insightful findings. For instance, [PERSON] [13] employed the GJZ-2 dual-medium pressure consolidometer to study two varieties of ultra-soft dredged fill in Shanghai, subsequently establishing a linear model correlating the logarithm of the permeability coefficient with the void ratio. Similarly, [PERSON] [14] conducted tests on various dredged fills in Tianjin Binhai New Area using the GDS consolidation apparatus. His research delineated a nonlinear compression and permeability relationship suited for the dredged fills of that region. Additionally, [PERSON] et al. [15; 16] undertook comprehensive analyses, highlighting the variations in consolidation coefficients for dredged silt in Shenzhen Bay, China, revealing that post-preloading treatment allowed dredged silt to attain a drainage consolidation rate on par with undisturbed silt. Typically, the standard sample utilised in consolidation tests has a cross-sectional area of either 30 cm\({}^{2}\) or 50 cm\({}^{2}\) and stands at 2 cm in height. In real-world applications, the depth of the dredged fill can exceed 5 m. Representing such extensive depths with a 2 cm sample might lead to discrepancies in the consolidation, compression, and permeability characteristics, a phenomenon coined as the'size effect'. The size of soil samples undeniably impacts test outcomes during consolidation tests. Such size effects, previously observed in rock, concrete, and other solid materials, have been the subject of extensive research [17; 18; 19; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24]. These effects have also been noted to influence the strength and deformation properties across various soil types, including soft clay soil, residual granite soil, coarse-grained soil, and expansive soil. To elaborate, [PERSON] [25] probed the sample height on the consolidation deformation properties of soft clay using an automatic air pressure consolidometer. He investigated how the height of the sample swayed attributes like the consolidation deformation rate, consolidation coefficient, and compression properties. Similarly, [PERSON] et al. [26] experimented with dredged fill soft soil samples of different sizes, analysing variations in stress-strain relationships and consolidation characteristics among these samples. [PERSON] et al. [27], on the other hand, designed consolidation simulation tests for large-size soft clay samples. Their study shed light on the consolidation deformation patterns and the size effect on these clays under varying pressures, culminating in a quantitative relation between size effect and sample settlement. Furthermore, research [28] compared the effects of specimen size on consolidation properties of soft Bangkok clays using two differently sized samples. Lastly, [PERSON] and [PERSON] [29] delved into how the size effect influenced the resilient modulus of red clay samples, employing both laboratory tests and numerical simulations. Prior research has delved into the impact of the size effect on the strength and deformation properties of residual granite soil. For instance, [PERSON] et al. [30] executed conventional triaxial consolidation undrained shear tests on coastal residual granite soil samples of 39.1 mm, 61.8 mm, and 101 mm diameters. Their research centred on how the sample size influenced the soil's stress-strain attributes and strength. A few years prior, similar triaxial tests were conducted on both undisturbed and remoulded granite residual soil samples of varying diameters, emphasizing the correlation between particle size, sample size, stress-strain characteristics, and shear strength [31; 32]. [PERSON] and [PERSON] [33] undertook K\({}_{0}\) triaxial consolidation undrained tests on several sizes of seabed-undisturbed, strongly weathered granite samples. Their focus was in discerning how sample size impacted the stress-strain dynamics and shear strength indices of the weathered granite.