Discussion of “Compressibility Behavior of Soils: A Statistical Approach” by Syed Iftekhar Ahmed and Sumi Siddiqua [Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, doi: 10.1007/s10706-016-9996-7]

Ahmed and Siddiqua (2016) introduced a new regression-based relationship in the form of a three-parameter Weibull function, herein referred to as the 3P-W model, for modeling the compressibility behavior (i.e. the void ratio-effective stress relationship) of soils. In this discussion, important drawbacks associated with the newly proposed 3P-W model were outlined. In addition, an attempt was made to extend the practicality of the proposed model by introducing a simple analytical solution to derive regression-based equations for determining the compressibility curve variables (i.e. the recompression index, pre-consolidation pressure and compression index). The proposed analytical concept is primarily intended to replace the current conventional graphical method by providing consistent-error free results. The proposed equations in this discussion accompanied by the original 3P-W model construct a unique regression aided-analytical framework which can be employed for advance numerical simulations.