Let us consider a sample of volume V and assume that the pore pressure has been

raised sufficiently for it to be fully saturated.

The volume of the pore-fluid within the sample is nV, where n is the porosity, and the
volume of the solid material forming the skeleton is (1 n)V.
Let us apply an equal all-round increment of total stress and let u be the value of
the pore-pressure change under the conditions of closed system pore-water pressure
measurement, i.e. zero flow of fluid across the boundaries of the sample except into
the measuring system and no cavitation.
We may consider the strains and volume changes within the sample to be the sum of
those obtained by imposing, first, a total stress and pore-pressure change equal in
magnitude to u and, second, an additional total stress at constant pore-pressure, of
magnitude u.
For the first stage we may consider the following terms:
a) The decrease in volume of the pore-fluid is given as
(nV)Cu u
b) The decrease in volume of the solid material is given as
(1 n)VCsu
c) The decrease in the overall volume of the sample is
VCsu
Since the components of strain along any continuous path across the solid skeleton
within the sample are equal to those within the solid material of the skeleton.
For the second stage two terms have to be evaluated:
d) A decrease in the overall volume of the sample which is given by
VC( u)
where C is the bulk compressibility measured under drained conditions with u
constant.
e) A decrease in the volume of the solid components of the skeleton due to the
excess of the total stress over the pore-pressure.
Since the pores are assumed to be statistically random in distribution, the area
porosity on a plane intersecting the sample at any level or orientation is equal to the
volumetric porosity n. The average normal stress in the solid material of the skeleton
in any plane intersecting the sample is thus [1/(1 n)]( u). The volume decrease
in the solid component is then

( 1n ) V C s

1
( u ) =V C s ( u )
( 1n )

For zero drainage the decrease in volume of the sample given by summing terms c)
and d) must equal the decrease in volume of the pore-fluid (term a)) and of the solid
material of the skeleton (terms b) and e)). However, system compressibility involves
an additional decrease in volume of the pore-fluid within the sample boundaries equal
to the loss into the measuring system. This loss is made up of three terms:

f) The decrease in volume of water in the system is

VLCw u
g) The increase in volume of the lines and connexions is
CLu
h) The increase in volume of the measuring element is
CMu
Grouping these additional terms for the decrease in volume of the pore-fluid we have
VCsu + VC( u) = [nVCwu + VLCwu + (CL + CM) u] + (1 n)VCsu +
VCs( u)
Rearranging
(C Cs) = u[C Cs + n(Cw Cs) + (VL/V)Cw + (1/V)(CL + CM)]
and thus
u
=

1
1+ n

C w C s V L C w
1 C L+ C M
+
+
CC s
V CC s V CC s