.

SETTLEMENT DUE TO SECONDARY CONSOLIDATION 387

●
For organic clays and silts:
C yCc < 0.05 6 0.01
●
For peats:

C yCc < 0.075 6 0.01

Secondary consolidation settlement is more important in the case of all organic
and highly compressible inorganic soil. In overconsolidated inorganic clays, the sec-
ondary compression index is very small and of less practical significance.
There are several factors that might affect the magnitude of secondary consoli-
dation, some of which are not yet very clearly understood (Mesri, 1973). The ratio of
secondary to primary compression for a given thickness of soil layer is dependent on
the ratio of the stress increment, D 9, to the initial effective overburden stress, 9o . For
small D 9y 9o ratios, the secondary-to-primary compression ratio is larger.

EXAMPLE 9.15
Refer to Example 9.14. Given for the clay layer: C 5 0.02. Estimate the total consoli-
dation settlement five years after the completion of the primary consolidation settle-
ment. (Note: Time for completion of primary consolidation settlement is 1.3 years.)

SOLUTION
From Eq. (2.53),
e1 2 e2
Cc 5
1 2
92
log
91
For this problem, e1 2 e2 5 De. Referring to Example 9.14, we have

29 5 o9 1 D 9 5 52.84 1 14.38 5 67.22 kN/m2

2
19 5 o9 5 52.84 kN/m
Cc 5 0.32
Hence,

1 o9
2 5 0.32 log 167.22
52.84 2
1D
De 5 Cc log 5 0.0335
9o

Given: eo 5 0.8. Hence,

ep 5 eo 2 e 5 0.8 2 0.0335 5 0.7665

From Eq. (9.92),
C 0.02
C9 5 5 5 0.0113
1 1 ep 1 1 0.7665
From Eq. (9.91),

1t 2
t2
Scssd 5 C9 Hc log
1

Note: t1 5 1.3 years; t2 5 1.3 1 5 5 6.3 years.

Thus,

Scssd 5 s0.0113ds2.5 md log 16.3

1.3 2
5 0.0194 m 5 19.4 mm