Determining Janbu Modulus Values from Results of Consolidation Tests

Bengt H. Fellenius, Dr.Tech., P.Eng.

January 4, 2001 (Updated January 2014)

The results of settlement calculation using the Janbu Janbu Modulus Number (m) and the
conventional combination of the consolidation coefficient (C-c) and void ratio (e-0) are
mathematically identical. However, the modulus number approach is much to be preferred as
it provides only one value and allows the engineer to develop a mental experience base
for the soils normally encountered. In contrast, the conventional approach requires both C c
and e0 and it is not possible to develop a useful experience reference when two variables have
to be considered. Of course, the MIT Compression Ratio (CR) can serve that same purpose.

Moreover, the Janbu approach works also for silts and sand, even soil exhibiting linear stress-
compression behavior --- soil compressibility, be it mud and peat, or clay, silt, and sand, or
gravel and tills can be expressed in dimensionless modulus numbers ranging from 1
through 1,000.

For reference see Janbu's papers listed below. See also, Chapter 3, Sections 3.5 through
3.7 in the Red Book ( Fellenius 2014), which summarizes the Janbu Tangent modulus method
and gives the mathematical relations for determining the consolidation coefficient (C c), the
void ratio (e0), the Compression ratio (CR), and the Janbu Modulus Number (m).

Computer programs available on the market do not normally produce the Janbu modulus
numbers. Although, the "m" is easily determined from the conventional values, the here
offered template can be of interest to the geotechnical engineer. The two sheets named
"Strain Data" and "Void Ratio Data" are intended for input of results from conventional
consolidation tests, As the name implies, the first sheet is for stress-strain input and the
second sheet is for stress-void ratio input.

The input data is intended to be written in the white background columns. Cells with
blue and green background are for entry of coordinates of certain cells and may have to
be changed to get the plotting right. Cells with yellow background must not be touched.

The sheet named "Casagrande Original" is a copy of a table reproduced by Nilmar Janbu from
an example used by Arthur Casagrande for examination of his graduate students in the
The test itself is from the early 1930's. Janbu quoted the test in his summary of his method
(Janbu 1998), which publication every geotechnical engineer would appreciate reading.

The sheet named Casagrande Data shows the Casagrande original test data entered to
the Strain Data Table. The Casagrande Plot shows the plot of the Casagrande data.

To use the spread sheet for your own work, save it under a changed name, then,
delete the sheets that are redundant. You may want to re-size the diagrams.

The diagrams showing void ratio vs. stress and strain vs. stress do not need explanation.
To benefit from and to understand the purpose of the diagrams showing linear stress-
strain and Tangent Modulus vs. Average Stress, you will need to read Janbu's 1998 paper.
To whet your appetite, the Janbu Tangent Modulus diagram (the one in the fourth quarter position)
offers an alternative method for determining the preconsolidation stress.

Notice, when you have input the lab data, you should check the void ratio and density values
and the degree of saturation per the options provided above the table.

References

Fellenius, B. H., 2014. Basics of foundation design. Revised Electronic Edition.

[www.Fellenius.net], 410 p.

Janbu, N., 1963. Soil compressibility as determined by oedometer and triaxial tests.
European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Wiesbaden,
Vol. 1, pp. 19-25, and Vol. 2, pp. 17-21.

Janbu, N., 1965. Consolidation of clay layers based on non-linear stress-strain.

Proceedings 6th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation
Engineering, Montreal, Vol. 2, pp. 83-87.

Janbu, N., 1967. Settlement calculations based on the tangent modulus concept.
University of Trondheim, Norwegian Institute of Technology, Geotechnical Institution,
Bulletin 2, 57 p.

Janbu, N., 1998. Sediment deformations. University of Trondheim, Norwegian

University of Science and Technology, Geotechnical Institution, Bulletin 35, 86 p.
Example of data given as Stress-Strain
Post glacial clay from a depth of 8 m

2.30

Void Ratio (- -)
Rho-s = 2800 ρw = 1,000
2.20
e0 = 2.220 wn = 80.0 S = 100.0
2.10
wn = 80.0 e0 = 2.240 wn = 79.3
2.00

# p' p-ave d(p-ave) e Strain M 1.90

(kPa) (kPa) (kPa) (- -) % (kPa)
Enter values or cell references in white cells
1.80
2.220
1 10 5 5 2.201 0.60 1,667 1.70
2 20 15 10 2.188 1.00 2,500
1.60
3 40 30 15 2.180 1.23 8,696
4 80 60 30 2.169 1.59 11,111 1.50
5 124 102 42 2.158 1.92 13,333 10 100
6 186 155 53 2.144 2.37 13,778 Stress (kPa
7 277 232 77 2.111 3.38 9,010
8 435 356 125 1.997 6.92 4,463
9 729 582 1.857 11.28 6,743
10 1,430 1,080 1.681 16.73 12,862 20

11 98 764 1.732 15.16

12 30 64 1.762 14.21
13 15

Strain (%)
14
15
16 10

p1 = 277 e1 = 2.111
5
p2 = 1,430 e2 = 1.681 VOID RATIO - STRESS

Cc = 0.60 CC = Cc/(1 + e0) = 0.19 m= 12.3 0

10 100
p1 = 40 e1 = 2.180 Stress (kPa) lo
p2 = 124 e2 = 2.158 VOID RATIO - STRESS

Ccr = 0.045 CR = Ccr/(1 + e0) = 0.014 mr = 163.8

277 3.38
753 STRAIN vs. STRESS 11.50
2,046 19.62
m= 12.3

300 3,000
1200 MODULUS vs. AVERAGE STRESS 14,000
12.2

20 2,500
40 MODULUS vs. STRESS 8,696
80 for reference points 11,111
124 13,333
186 13,778
277 9,010
435 4,463
729 6,743
 2.30 20
Void Ratio (- -)

2.20

Strain ( % )
2.10 15

2.00

1.90 10

1.80

1.70
5

1.60

1.50
0
10 100 1,000 10,000
0 500 1,000 1,500
Stress (kPa) log scale Stress (Kka) linear scale
Modulus (KPa)

20 16,000

14,000

15 12,000
Strain (%)

10,000

10
8,000

6,000
5
4,000

2,000
0
10 100 1,000 10,000 0
Stress (kPa) logarithmic scale 0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400
Average Stress (kPa)
Example of data given using Stress-VOID RATIO
Sample of Champlain Sea Clay from depth of 5 m

Void Ratio (- -)
p'c

Strain ( % )
40
2.40

Rho-s = 2800 ρw = 1,000 2.20 30

e-0 = 2.27 w-n = 77.00 S= 95.5 2.00 CC = 0.46
wn = m=5
w-n = 77 e-0 = 2.16 77.4 1.80 20

1.60
p' p-ave d(p-ave) e Strain M 1.40
10
(KPa) (KPa) (KPa) (- -) % (kPa)
Enter values or cell references in white cells
1.20
2.270 0.00 0
1.00
1 5.0 3 3 2.265 0.15 3,270 10 100 1,000
0 500 1,000
Stress (kPa) linear scale
2 25.0 15 13 2.261 0.28 16,350 Stress (KPa) log scale
3 50.0 38 23 2.245 0.76 5,109

Modulus (kPa)
4 100.0 75 38 2.219 1.56 6,288

Strain (%)
5 200.0 150 75 2.138 4.04 4,037 40
10,000
6 400.0 300 150 1.680 18.04 1,428
7 800.0 600 300 1.228 31.87 2,894 30
8,000
8 200.0 500 1.272 30.52
9 5.0 103 1.427 25.78 20 6,000
m=5
10 3 69.42 m=5 4,000
11 0 69.42 10
12 0 69.42 p'c 2,000

13 0 69.42 0
0
14 10 100 1,000 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
Stress (kPa) logarithmic scale Average Stress (kPa)
15
16

p1 = 200 e1 = 2.138
p2 = 800 e2 = 1.228 VOID RATIO - STRESS

Cc = 1.51 CC = Cc/(1 + eo) = 0.4622 m= 5.0

p1 = 50 e1 = 2.245
p2 = 200 e2 = 2.138 VOID RATIO - STRESS

Ccr = 0.18 CR = Ccr/(1 + eo) = 0.0543 m= 42.3

200 4.0
544 STRAIN vs. STRESS 24.00
1,478 43.96
m= 5.0

200 1,700
800 MODULUS vs. AVERAGE STRESS 4,700
5.0

25 16,350
50 MODULUS vs. STRESS 5,109
100 for reference points 6,288
200 4,037
400 1,428
800 2,894
Janbu-Casagrande 1934 Example --- Original Data Table

2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00 9.00 The data in Columns 4 and 5
and in Columns 8 and 9 are
LOAD DIAL STRESS STRAIN Void Ratio d-stress d-strain M ave-stress intended for the plotting
(kg) (in) (KPa) (%) (KPa) (%) (KPa) (KPa) to the STRAIN sheet
Area = 90.1 cm^2 Original void ratio = 0.810

Calculated using Col.#4 Stress

0 0.000 0 0.00 0.810 and Col.#5 Strain (i.e., #6 and #7)
18 2.07 871 9.00
16 0.031 18 2.07 0.773
18 1.02 1,765 27.00
32 0.046 36 3.09 0.754
35 1.78 1,966 53.50
64 0.073 71 4.87 0.722
71 2.73 2,598 106.50
128 0.114 142 7.60 0.672
142 3.43 4,136 213.00
256 0.166 284 11.03 0.610
283 4.07 6,959 425.50
512 0.227 567 15.10 0.537
568 4.23 13,417 851.00
1,024 0.290 1,135 19.33 0.460
0 0.20 1135.00
1,024 0.293 1,135 19.53 0.456
-568 -0.53 106,500 851.00
512 0.285 567 19.00 0.466
-283 -0.76 37,237 425.50
256 0.274 284 18.24 0.480
-142 -0.89 16,015 213.00
128 0.260 142 17.35 0.496
-106 -1.93 5,502 89.00
32 0.231 36 15.43 0.531
-36 -4.63 772
0 0.162 0 10.80 0.615
-0.3 -10.80
0.145 0
0
Example of data given as Stress-Strain
Post glacial clay from a depth of 8 m

Rho-s = 2800 Rho-w = 1,000

e0 = 0.810 wn = 81.0 S= 100.0
wn = 81.0 e0 = 2.268 wn = 28.9

# p' p-ave d(p-ave) e Strain M Enter values or cell references in white cells
(kPa) (kPa) (kPa) (- -) % (kPa)
0.810
1 18 9 9 0.773 2.070 870
2 36 27 18 0.754 3.090 1,765
3 71 54 27 0.722 4.860 1,977
4 142 107 53 0.672 7.600 2,591
5 284 213 107 0.610 11.040 4,128
6 567 426 213 0.537 15.110 6,953
7 1135 851 426 0.460 19.330 13,460
8 1135 1,135 284 0.456 19.560
9 567 851 0.466 19.010
10 284 426 0.480 18.230
11 142 213 0.496 17.350
12 36 89 0.531 15.410
13 0.3 10.770
14
15
16

p1 = 284 e1 = 0.610
p2 = 1,135 e2 = 0.460 VOID RATIO - STRESS

Cc = 0.2 CR = Cc/(1 + e0) = 0.14 m= 16.7

284 11.04
772 STRAIN vs. STRESS 17.00
2,098 22.96
m= 16.8

500 5,000
1050 MODULUS vs. AVERAGE STRESS 14,200
16.7

36 1,765
71 MODULUS vs. STRESS 1,977
142 for reference points 2,591
284 4,128
567 6,953
1,135 13,460
1,135 0
567 0
Example of data given as Stress-Strain

Void Ratio (- -)

Strain ( % )
20
CR = 0.14
0.80
m = 17
15
0.70

10
0.60

5
0.50

0.40
0
10 100 1,000 10,000 0 500 1,000 1,500
Stress (kPa) linear scale
Stress (kPa) log scale

Modulus (kPa)
Strain (%)

25

20 15,000

15
10,000 m = 17
10
m = 17
5
5,000

0
10 100 1,000 10,000
Stress (kPa) logarithmic scale 0

Average Stress (kPa)