CONSOLIDATION

In saturated cohesive soils the effect of

loading is to squeeze out porewater; this
process is called consolidation.
When a saturated clay is loaded externally,
saturated clay
GL
the water is squeezed out of the clay over a
long time (due to low permeability of the
clay).
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This leads to settlements occurring over a
long time,
which could be several years.
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Granular soils are freely drained, and thus
the settlement is instantaneous.
time
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heres a spring (soil skeleton) housed
in a sealed chamber filled with water
the valve in the seal is closed
an extra load (pressure) is applied to the seal
the water takes on this extra pressure, the
spring (soil skelton) feels nothing
valve opens, water drains out
spring (soil skeleton) starts to
compress as it takes on the extra load
finally, the soil skeleton has taken
on all the extra load
drainage stops
From this analogy, the process of
consolidation involves three main features :

A) Flow of water
B) Compression
C) Displacement pressure
Coefficient of compressibility
Strain per unit volume of added stress. Rates
depend on the compressibility of the soil
reinforcement and change of stress.





Where, P Added stress
H Change in thickness
H thick of sample
Mv = H x 1
H P
Coefficient of permeability






Where, e1 initial of void ratio
e2 @ ef Final void ratio after stress applied
e = e1 e2


Mv = e1 e2 x 1
1 + e1 P
Coefficient of consolidation





Where,
k coefficient of permeability
w unit weight of water
Mv coefficient of compressibility

Cv = k
wMv
Time Factor
Used to calculate the period of time, t
required to settle the land.





Where ; Cv - coefficient of consolidation
t - settlement times
d length of drainage path
= length if 2 way drainage
= length if 1 way drainage
Tv = Cvt
d
Degree of consolidation, Uv





Where;
Ht consolidation settlement at time t
Hc final consolidation settlement

Uv = Ht
Hc
Refers to the vertical downward
displacement at the base of a
foundation or other structure due to
ground movement.
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16
Increment of load
Topcap
porous stone
sample
water
confining
ring
settlement
dial gauge
Find and briefly explain about the oedometer
test (including procedure, picture and data
from oedometer test)
Graph pressure against the thickness of
sample.

Example :
The following readings were obtained from an
oedometer test on a specimen of saturated clay.
The load being held constant for 24 hours before
the addition of the next increment.


Applied stress
(kN/m2)
0 50 100 200 400 800 0
Thickness
(mm)
25.0 24.6 24.4 24.2 23.9 23.7 24.2
At the end of the last load period the load was
removed and the sample allowed to expand
for 24hr, at the end of which time its
thickness was 17.92 mm and its water
content found to be 31.8%. The specific
gravity of the soil was 2.66.

a) Plot the graph of pressure against
thickness, determine the coefficient of
volume compressibilty, Mv for a stress 400
kN/m2.
Graph and result
Graph pressure against the thickness of
sample.

Exercise :
The following readings were obtained from an
oedometer test on a specimen of saturated clay.
The load being held constant for 24 hours before
the addition of the next increment.


Applied stress
(kN/m2)
0 50 100 200 400 800 0
Thickness
(mm)
20.0 19.65 19.52 19.35 19.15 18.95 19.25
At the end of the last load period the load was
removed and the sample allowed to expand
for 24hr, at the end of which time its
thickness was 17.92 mm and its water
content found to be 25%. The specific
gravity of the soil was 2.65.

a) Plot the graph of pressure against
thickness, determine the coefficient of
volume compressibilty, Mv for a stress range
between 250-350 kN/m2.

Example :
A standard consolidation test carried out on a soil
sample initially 20 mm thick, drained on top and
bottom provide the following results over a
pressure range of 100 200 kN/m2. After 24
hours the thickness of sample was reduced to
17.69 mm.


Time (minutes) 0.25 1.00 2.25 4 9 16 25
Thickness of
sample (mm)
19.84 19.66 19.52 19.43 19.29 19.13 18.99




a) Plot the graph of compression (thickness of sample)
against square root of time (Taylor method) and show
which part of the curve represents consolidation
settlement.
b) Estimate the coefficient of consolidation, Cv for this
sample.
c) If the coefficient of compressibility, Mv was 0.000046
kN/m2, estimate the coefficient of permemability, k

Time (minutes) 36 49 64 81 100 121 144
Thickness of
sample (mm)
18.85 18.67 18.57 18.42 18.30 18.20 18.10
Time (minutes) 169 196
Thickness of
sample (mm)
18.04 17.99