Consolidation Lecture
Consolidation Lecture
Consolidation Lecture
1
Consolidation may be due to one or more of the
following factors:
1. Immediate compression,
2. Primary consolidation, and
3. Secondary compression.
• The portion of the settlement of a structure which occurs
more or less simultaneously with the applied loads is
referred to as the initial or immediate settlement. This
settlement is due to the immediate compression of the soil
layer under un-drained condition and is calculated by
assuming the soil mass to behave as an elastic soil.
3
The portion of the settlement that is due to
the primary consolidation is called primary
consolidation settlement or compression.
• Water from the sample also flows into the jacket through the upper
filter stone. The soil sample is kept submerged in a saturated
condition during the test.
• Loads are applied in steps in such a way that the successive
load intensity, p, is twice the preceding one. The load
intensities commonly used being 1/4, 1/2,1, 2,4, 8, and 16
tons/ft2 (25, 50,100,200,400, 800 and 1600 kN/m2).
•The cross-sectional area of the sample A, which is the same as that of the brass ring.
•The specific gravity, Gs, of the solids.
•The dry weight, Ws, of the soil sample.
•The sample thickness, h, at any stage of the test.
The equilibrium void ratio at the end of any load increment may be
determined by the change of void ratio method:
Change of Void-Ratio Method
• In one-dimensional compression the change in height ∆h per unit of original
height h equals the change in volume ∆V per unit of original volume V.
For constant area.
•
14
Determining The Preconsolidation Pressure (Pc)
Cassagrande Graphical Method
Void Ratio
5 6
3
1
4
2
Po Pc Log P
OCR = Pc/Po
OCR = 1 Normally Consolidated
OCR > 1 Over Consolidated
OCR > 4 Heavily Over Consolidated
H clay/2 Dp
p Hclay H clay/2
Dpp Hclay
Clay
eo
Cc
Po Po + Dp
P Log P
Po Po + Dp
P Log P
Po Log P
Cc H log(po +p)
Sultimate = H =
1 + eo Po
2 Hsand 2
Hsand
1
1
H clay/2
Dpp 2
Hclay H clay/2
p2
Dp 2 Hclay
eo
Cs
Cs
Po Po + Dp
P Log P Po Pc Po + Dp
P22 Log P
=
Pc
21
• Problem. A soil sample has a compression index of 0.3. If
the void ratio e at a stress of 2940 Ib/ft2 is 0.5, compute
(i) the void ratio if the stress is increased to 4200 Ib/ft2,
and (ii) the settlement of a soil stratum 13 ft thick.
22
Settlement Causes