CEE 4800

CASAGRANDE PROCEDURE FOR FINDING PRECONSOLIDATION STRESS

e

Laboratory consolidation
curve

Line 1

Line 3
Pt. A

Line 4

Line 2

'p

'v (log)

Steps to the Casagrande Method

1) Plot laboratory consolidation curve preferably connecting the data points by hand.
2) Draw Line 1 tangent to the final linear virgin portion of the laboratory curve.
3) Find the point of maximum curvature, Point A. This does not have to be a lab data point.
4) Draw Line 2 tangent to the laboratory curve at Point A.
5) Draw Line 3 horizontally from Point A.
6) Draw Line 4 bisecting the angle between Lines 2 and 3.
7) The effective normal stress at the intersection of Lines 1 and 4 is the preconsolidation
stress, p.
This procedure can be sensitive to the selection of Point A. It is sometimes necessary to try
a few different points for Point A and obtain a range of values for p.
The preconsolidation stress, p, is an estimate of the maximum past vertical effective stress
to which the soil has been consolidated.

CEE 4800

FIELD CONSOLIDATION CURVE PROCEDURE

e

Line 1
Pt. B

e0

Laboratory consolidation
curve

Cr
Line 5

Pt. C
Calculate compression and
recompression indices by:

Pt. A
Cc

eB

Cr

Cr

'C

log
Laboratory
rebound curves

eC

Cc
log

eD =
0.42e0

eC
'B

eD
'D

'C

Pt. D
'v0

'p

'v (log)

Steps to Plotting Field Curve

1) Find p from Casagrande Procedure.
2) Find the recompression index, Cr, from laboratory rebound curves. This should be an
average value based on the available data. Usually is fit to the curves by eye.
3) Calculate the initial void ratio, e0, from lab measurements and vertical effective stress, v0,
at the sample elevation from the subsurface profile.
4) Extend Line 1 beyond 0.42e0. The empirical value of 0.42 is based on reconstruction from
many high quality laboratory tests.
5) Plot Point D at the intersection of Line 1 and eD = 0.42e0.
6) Plot Point B at ( v0, e0).
7) Draw Line 5 with slope Cr from Point B past p.
8) Plot Point C on Line 5 at p.
9) Connect Points C and D. The slope of Line CD is the compression index, Cc.
10) Line BCD is the Field Consolidation Curve used for settlement calculations.