MANILA: Room 206, JPD Building, CM Recto Avenue, Manila

CEBU: 4/F J. Martinez Bldg., Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City

Telephone Number: (02) 516 7559 (Manila) E-Mail: buksmarquez1 @yahoo.com
(032) 254-9967 (Cebu)

Review MODULE – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING (Soil Settlement)

STRESSES IN SOIL SITUATION 2. Given the following layers:

VERTICAL STRESSES
Effective Stress, PE
It is the stress resulting from particle-to-particle contact of soil.
PE = PT - Pw
Pore-Water Pressure, Pw
It is the stress induced by water-pressure.
Pw = γw h
Total Stress, PT
PT = PE + Pw

SITUATION 1. A river is 4 m deep having a clay layer at the bottom with

water content of 60% and specific gravity of 2.70. At a depth of 10 m from
the bottom of the river:
1. find the total stress.
2. find the pore-water pressure
3. find the effective stress
3. Determine the value of height “h” after the application of the surface
SITUATION 2. A clay layer 8 m thick rest beneath a deposit of sand layer load 50 kPa.
12 m thick with water table located 4 m below the ground surface. The 4. Determine the degree of consolidation at Point A when h = 3 m?
water content and specific gravity of saturated sand are 30% and 2.65
respectively. 5. Determine the value of “h” if the degree of consolidation at A is 90%.

4. Solve for the effective stress at a depth of 12 m. TIME RATE OF CONSOLIDATION

5. If the specific gravity and void ratio of the clay layer are 2.70 and 0.90 Coefficient of Consolidation, cv
respectively, determine the effective stress at the bottom of the clay It is the parameter used to describe the rate at which saturated clay or
layer. other soil undergoes consolidation, or compaction, when subjected to an
6. If the water level rises by 2 m from the original water level, determine increase in pressure.
𝒌
the decrease in effective stress at the bottom of the soil formation. 𝒄𝒗 =
𝒎𝒗 𝜸𝒘

DEGREE OF CONSOLIDATION Coefficient of Volume Compressibility, mv

It is the volume decrease of a unit volume of soil per unit increase of
The ratio, expressed as a percentage, of the amount of consolidation at effective pressure during compression.
a given time within a soil mass, to the total amount of consolidation 𝒂𝒗
obtainable under a given stress condition. 𝒎𝒗 =
𝟏 + 𝒆𝒐
𝜹𝒕
𝑼=
𝜹𝒎𝒂𝒙 Coefficient of Compressibility, av
It is the slope of the void ratio-pressure curve when both are plotted on
where: δt = settlement at time t an arithmetic scale.
δmax = settlement at the end of primary consolidation 𝒆 𝟏 − 𝒆𝟐
𝒂𝒗 =
𝑷𝟐 − 𝑷𝟏
Another way to solve the degree of consolidation:
𝒖 𝒐 − 𝒖𝒕 Time Factor, Tv
𝑼= It is the parameter used to find the consolidation coefficient with time
𝒖𝒐 taken for consolidation settlement in soil. It is a non-dimensional number.
where: uo = initial excess pore water pressure 𝑪𝒗 𝒕
ut = excess pore water pressure at time t 𝑻𝒗 =
(𝑯𝒅𝒓 )𝟐

𝟐
SITUATION 1. A clay layer is calculated to have a primary settlement of 𝝅 𝑼
𝑻𝒗 = when: 0 < U ≤ 60%
15 mm. The current settlement now is 9 mm, 𝟒 𝟏𝟎𝟎
1. solve for the current degree of consolidation. 𝑻𝒗 = 𝟏. 𝟕𝟖𝟏 − 𝟎. 𝟗𝟑𝟑 𝒍𝒐𝒈(𝟏𝟎𝟎 − 𝑼) when: 60% < U < 100%
2. If at 12 mm settlement, the degree of consolidation is already at 75%, where: k = coefficient of permeability / hydraulic conductivity
what is the expected primary settlement of the clay layer? t = time corresponding to the degree of consolidation
Hdr = thickness of soil sample (one way or two way)
U = degree of consolidation in %
 MANILA: Room 206, JPD Building, CM Recto Avenue, Manila
CEBU: 4/F J. Martinez Bldg., Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City
Telephone Number: (02) 516 7559 (Manila) E-Mail: buksmarquez1 @yahoo.com
(032) 254-9967 (Cebu)

Review MODULE – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING (Soil Settlement)

SITUATION 1. The soil sample tested was 25 mm thick and drained both
sides. The time required for the specimen to reach 50% consolidation
was 4 mins. A similar clay layer in the field 3.0 m thick and drained both
sides is expected to have a primary consolidation settlement of 90 mm.
1. What is the average degree of consolidation of the soil in the field
when it reaches 36 mm settlement?
2. From the data results in the laboratory, what is the coefficient of
consolidation of the clay soil, mm2/min?
3. What is the length of time (in days) required for the settlement in the
field reaches 40 mm?

SITUATION 2. The time required for 50% consolidation of a 20-mm thick

clay layer in the laboratory is 3 min drained one-way.
4. How long, in days, will it take for a 2-m thick clay layer of the same
clay in the field under the same pressure increment to reach 30%
consolidation? An impermeable rock layer is situated at the bottom
of the clay layer.
5. How long (days) will it take in the field for 80% primary consolidation
to occur?

CAPILLARY RISE
The same idea that water moves upwards through a small tube against
the force of gravity, water in soil moves upwards through soil pores or
the spaces between soil particles. The height to which the water rises is
dependent upon the pore size
𝑪
𝒉=
𝒆(𝑫𝟏𝟎 )

where: C = Capillary constant

e = Void ratio
D10 = Effective diameter

Pore-Water Pressure:
Fully Saturated
Pw = - γw h
Partially Saturated
Pw = - γw h S

where: γw = unit weight of water

h = height measured from the water level
S = degree of saturation

SITUATION 1. A dense silt layer has a void ratio of 0.8. The groundwater
level is at 5.0 m depth. (Other soil properties: Effective diameter = 10 μm,
Capillary constant = 0.2 cm2)
1. Determine the height of the capillary rise in the silt?
2. Find the vertical effective stress (kPa) at 2 m depth, 4 m depth, 5 m
depth, and 8 m depth. (Assume unit weight of solids = 26.487 kN/m3
and that the soil above the capillary rise and ground surface is
partially saturated at 40%.)