The soft soil usually exhibits obvious nonlinear compressibility and permeability characteristics during the consolidation process. At the same time

the clogging effect of vertical drains often causes the well resistance to change with depth and time during the consolidation process. However

the analytical solution for nonlinear consolidation of soils with vertical drain

in which the variation of well resistance over time and depth can be considered

is still rarely reported in the literature. In this study

semi-logarithmic models between the void ratio and the effective stress

and between the void ratio and the permeability coefficient are introduced to describe the nonlinear consolidation characteristics of soils

and a nonlinear consolidation model of soils with vertical drain

which can simultaneously consider the time- and depth-variation of well resistance and the influence of smearing

is developed

then the analytical solution of this consolidation model is obtained by the method of separated variables. The consolidation calculation results derived here under specific parameters are compared with the laboratory tests data

and the existing vertical drains consolidation solutions to verify its reliability. Finally

a large number of calculations and analyses have been carried out on the nonlinear consolidation behavior. The results show that the more obvious the linear decay of the vertical drain permeability coefficient with depth is

the slower the consolidation rate of soils with vertical drain is. Considering the exponential decrement of the vertical drain permeability coefficient with time

the consolidation rate of soils with vertical drain is much slower than that with consideration of the vertical drain permeability coefficient remaining constant over time. When the external load is constant

the consolidation rate of the vertical drain foundation decreases with the ratio of the soft soil compression index (cc) to the permeability index (ck) increases. When the value of cc/ck remains constant

the consolidation rate of the vertical drain foundation increases with the external load increases. Among the three variations related with horizontal permeability in smear zone

the vertical drain consolidation rate is the fastest under the parabolic variation mode

the next is the linear variation mode

and the vertical drain consolidation rate under the constant variation mode is the slowest. The influences of smear zone on consolidation behavior are not affected by the change of well resistance and the nonlinear consolidation characteristics of soils.