BULACAN STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Civil Engineering Department
2nd Semester, School Year 2019-2020

Geotechnical Engineering 02: Foundation Engineering_________________________________

RATE OF CONSOLIDATION
The total settlement caused by primary
consolidation resulting from an increase in
the stress on a soil layer can be calculated by
the use of one of the three equations given
in “Compressibility of Soil”. However, they
do not provide any information regarding
the rate of primary consolidation.

Terzaghi (1925) proposed the first theory to

consider the rate of one-dimensional
consolidation for saturated clay soils. The
mathematical derivations are based on the
following assumptions:

1. The soil is homogenous.

𝐶𝑆 𝐶𝐶
( , 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑘 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡)
1+𝑒 1+𝑒

2. The soil is saturated.

𝑆 = 100%

3. The settlement is due entirely to change

in void ratio, and these changes occur
on some of the pore water is squeezed
out of the voids. The solid particle and
water is incompressible.
∆ℎ ∆𝑉𝑣 ∆𝑒
(𝜀 = = = )
𝐻 𝑉 1+𝑒

4. Darcy’s law is valid.

𝑄 = 𝑘𝑖𝐴

5. The applied load causes an

instantaneous increase in the vertical
total stress. Afterward, the vertical total
stress at all points remains constant
with time.

6. Immediately after loading, the excess

pore water pressure is constant with
depth and equal to increase in stress.
This is generally true when the load is
due to an extensive fill, but not when it
is from a smaller loaded area such as
from foundation.

7. The coefficient of consolidation is

constant throughout the soil, and
remain constant with time.

8. The consolidation process is one dimensional.

If any of you lacks wisdom, ask our generous God.

He will give it to you and will not rebuke you for asking.—James 1: 5
One Dimensional Consolidation Equation: Terzaghi’s Partial Differential Equation:

𝝏𝒖𝒆 𝝏𝟐 𝒖𝒆
= 𝒄𝒗
𝝏𝒕 𝝏𝒛𝟐
where: 𝑢𝑒 - excess pore water pressure
𝑡 - time
𝑐𝑣 - coefficient of consolidation
𝑧 - vertical distance below the ground surface

Boundary Condition:

The differential equation of Terzaghi’s consolidation

theory can be solved with the following boundary
conditions:
𝑧𝑑𝑟 = 0, 𝑢𝑒 = 0

𝑧𝑑𝑟 = 2𝐻𝑑𝑟 , 𝑢𝑒 = 0

𝑡 = 0, 𝑢𝑒 = ∆𝜎

∞ (𝟐𝑵+𝟏) 𝟐 𝝅𝟐
𝒖𝒆 𝟒 (𝟐𝑵 + 𝟏)𝝅 𝒛𝒅𝒓 −[ 𝟐 𝑻𝒗 ]
= ∑( 𝐬𝐢𝐧 [ ( )] 𝒆 )
∆𝝈 (𝟐𝑵 + 𝟏)𝝅 𝟐 𝑯𝒅𝒓
𝑵=𝟎

Dimensionless Parameter:

𝒖𝒆 It is the excess pore water pressure at a given depth

∆𝝈 relative to the initial induced stress at that point
𝒛𝒅𝒓 It is the depth into the consolidating layer relative to the
𝑯𝒅𝒓 maximum drainage distance

It is a dimensionless measure of time called the time factor

𝑻𝒗
and defined as:

𝒄𝒗 𝒕
𝑻𝑽 =
(𝑯𝑫𝒓 )𝟐

Coefficient of Compressibility:
∆𝒆
𝒂𝑽 =
∆𝝈
Coefficient of Volume Compressibility:
𝒂𝒗
𝒎𝑽 =
𝟏 + 𝒆𝒂𝒗

Coefficient of Consolidation:

𝒌
𝒄𝒗 =
𝒎𝒗 𝜹 𝒘

If any of you lacks wisdom, ask our generous God.

He will give it to you and will not rebuke you for asking.—James 1: 5
Degree of Consolidation

Consolidation is the result of the gradual

dissipation of the excess pore water
pressure from the clay layer. The dissipation
of pore water pressure, in turn, increases
the effective stress, which induces
settlement. To estimate the degree of
consolidation of a clay layer at some time
after the load is applied, the dissipation of
the excess pore water pressure is needed.
The rate of consolidation is the time
required to achieve certain degree of
consolidation.

Based from Settlement:

𝑺𝑷(𝒕)
𝑼= × 𝟏𝟎𝟎%
𝑺𝑷(𝒎𝒂𝒙)

Based from Pore Water Pressure:

𝟐𝑯 𝟐𝑯
∫𝟎 𝒖𝒐 𝒅𝒛 − ∫𝟎 𝒖𝒛 𝒅𝒛
𝑼= 𝟐𝑯
∫𝟎 𝒖𝒐 𝒅𝒛

𝒖𝒐 − 𝒖𝒛
𝑼= × 𝟏𝟎𝟎%
𝒖𝒐

For Approximate Variation of 𝑻𝑽 and 𝑼:

For 𝑈 = 0 𝑡𝑜 60% ∶

𝜋 𝑈% 2
𝑇𝑉 = ( )
4 100
For 𝑈 > 60% ∶

𝑇𝑉 = 1.781 − 0.933 log(100 − 𝑈%)

For 𝑇𝑉 ≤ 0.217:

4𝑇𝑉
𝑈=√ × 100%
𝜋

For 𝑇𝑉 > 0.217:

0.085+𝑇𝑉
𝑈 = [1 − 10−( )
0.933 ] × 100%

If any of you lacks wisdom, ask our generous God.

He will give it to you and will not rebuke you for asking.—James 1: 5
 𝒖𝒆 𝒛𝒅𝒓
Approximate Variation of , and 𝑻𝒗:
∆𝝈 𝑯𝒅𝒓

Approximate Variation of 𝑻𝒗 and 𝑼:

If any of you lacks wisdom, ask our generous God.

He will give it to you and will not rebuke you for asking.—James 1: 5
Problem 01

a. Compute the total and excess pore water pressure at A and B after 10 years.
b. Compute when will excess pore pressure at “A” become 10KPa.

Problem 02

a. What is consolidation settlement 5 years after the fill is placed?

b. How long will it take to reach 95% of consolidation?

Problem 01 Problem 02

OCM
OCM

If any of you lacks wisdom, ask our generous God.

He will give it to you and will not rebuke you for asking.—James 1: 5