Geotechnical Engineering – I

CE253

Lecture 18: Consolidation

Course instructor
Dr. RAJESWARI J S
Ad-hoc Faculty
NIT ANDHRA PRADESH
 BASIC DEFINITION

Coefficient of Compressibility

Coefficient of volume change

Compression Index
 BASIC DEFINITION

For undisturbed soil

For remoulded soil

From in situ void ratio

For water content

Coefficient of compressibility

Expansion Index

Recompression Index
 Pressure-Void Ratio Relationship for Typical Clay

′
𝜎𝑣0

′
𝜎𝑣0

Maximum stress to which the soil sample was ever subjected is the current over burden
′
pressure 𝜎𝑣0
′
Portion of the curve prior to pressure 𝜎𝑣0 represents a recompression curve, while that at
′
greater pressures than 𝜎𝑣0 represents the virgin compression curve
 Consolidation Settlement Calculation
Soil for which the existing effective stress is the
maximum to which it has ever been subjected in
Normally Consolidated Soil its stress history, is said to be ‘Normally
Consolidated’
e
−∆𝑒
Slope Cc 𝐶𝑐 = ′
𝜎𝑣0 + ∆𝜎𝑣
𝑙𝑜𝑔10 ( ′ )
𝜎𝑣0
Δe ′
𝜎𝑣0 + ∆𝜎𝑣
−∆𝑒 = 𝐶𝑐 𝑙𝑜𝑔10 ( ′ )
𝜎𝑣0
′
𝐶𝑐 𝜎𝑣0 + ∆𝜎𝑣
𝑠𝑓 = 𝐻0 𝑙𝑜𝑔10 ( ′ )
1 + 𝑒0 𝜎𝑣0
′ ′
𝜎𝑣0 𝜎𝑣0 + ∆𝜎𝑣 log𝜎𝑣
 Consolidation Settlement Calculation (Contd..)

Overconsolidated Soil Soil is said to be ‘Overconsolidated’ if

the present effective stress in it has been
Case I: 𝝈′𝒗𝟎 < 𝝈′𝒗𝟎 + ∆𝝈𝒗 < 𝝈′𝒑 exceeded sometime during its stress
e history

Slope Cr −∆𝑒
𝐶𝑟 = ′
𝜎𝑣0 + ∆𝜎𝑣
Δe 𝑙𝑜𝑔10 ( ′ )
𝜎𝑣0
′
𝜎𝑣0 + ∆𝜎𝑣
−∆𝑒 = 𝐶𝑟 𝑙𝑜𝑔10 ( ′ )
𝜎𝑣0

′
𝐶𝑟 𝜎𝑣0 + ∆𝜎𝑣
𝜎𝑝′
𝑠𝑓 = 𝐻0 𝑙𝑜𝑔10 ( ′ )
1 + 𝑒0 𝜎𝑣0
′ ′ log𝜎𝑣
𝜎𝑣0 𝜎𝑣0 + ∆𝜎𝑣
 Consolidation Settlement Calculation (Contd..)

Overconsolidated Soil
Case II: 𝝈′𝒗𝟎 < 𝝈′𝒑 < 𝝈′𝒗𝟎 + ∆𝝈𝒗
e 𝐶𝑟 𝜎𝑝′
Slope Cr 𝑠𝑓 = 𝐻 𝑙𝑜𝑔 +
1 + 𝑒0 0 10 𝜎𝑣0 ′
′
𝐶𝑐 𝜎𝑣0 + ∆𝜎𝑣
Slope Cc 𝐻0 𝑙𝑜𝑔10 ( ′ )
1 + 𝑒0 𝜎𝑝
Δe

𝜎𝑝′
′
′
𝜎𝑣0 𝜎𝑣0 + ∆𝜎𝑣 log𝜎𝑣
 Preconsolidation pressure

Casagrande (1936) – (σc´ or σp)from e-log σ´ plot

The procedure is as follows
 By visual observation, establish point a,
at which the e-log σ´ plot has a minimum
radius of curvature
 Draw a horizontal line ab
 Draw the line ac tangent at a
 Draw the line ad, which is the bisector of
the angle bac.
 Project the straight-line portion gh of the
e-log σ´ plot back to intersect line ad at f.
 The abscissa of point f is the pre- 𝜎𝑝′
consolidation pressure, σc´
Time Rate of Consolidation
 Terzaghi (1925) proposed the first theory to consider the
rate of one-dimensional consolidation for saturated clayey
soils
 The mathematical derivations are based on the following six
assumptions
1. The clay–water system is homogeneous
2. Saturation is complete – fully saturated
3. Compressibility of water is negligible
4. Compressibility of soil grains is negligible (but soil grains rearrange)
5. The flow of water is in one direction only (that is, in the direction of
compression)
6. Darcy’s law is valid
Clay layer undergoing consolidation
Flow of water at A during consolidation
Rate of outflow of water – Rate of inflow of water = Rate of volume change

 v z  V
 vz  dz dxdy  v z dxdy 
 z  t
where V = volume of the soil element
vz = velocity of flow in z direction

v z V
dxdydz  (1)
z t
Using Darcy’s law
u = Ƴwh
𝜕ℎ 𝑘 𝜕𝑢
𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑣𝑧 = 𝑘𝑖 = 𝑘 = (2)
𝜕𝑧 𝛾𝑤 𝜕𝑧
Where u = pore water pressure caused by the increase of stress
 k  2u 1 V
Substitute eq (2) in (1)   (3)
 w z 2
dxdydz t
During consolidation, the rate of change in the volume of the soil element
is equal to the rate of change in the volume of voids
V Vv  Vs  eVs  Vs e Vs
    Vs e (4)
t t t t t t
where Vs = volume of the soil solids
Vv = velocity of voids
But, assuming that soli solids are incompressible
Vs
0 (5)
t
and
V dxdydz
Vs   (6)
1  e0 1  e0
Substitution for and ∂V/∂t and Vs in in above equation which
yields V dxdydz e
Substitute eq (5) & (6) in t  1  e t (7)
0
eq(4)
k  2u 1 e
Substitute eq (3) in eq(7)   (8)
 w z 2
1  e0 t
The change in the void ratio is caused by the increase of
effective stress (i.e., a decrease of excess pore water pressure).
Assuming that they are related linearly, we have
𝜕𝑒 = −𝑎𝑣 𝜕 Δ𝜎 ′ = 𝑎𝑣 𝜕𝑢 (9)

where ∂(Δσ´) = Change in effective stress

av = Co-efficient of compressibility
 𝑘 𝜕2𝑢 𝑎𝑣 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢
Substitute eq (9) in eq(8) = = 𝑚𝑣
𝛾𝑤 𝜕𝑧 2 1 + 𝑒0 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡

av
As we know mv 
1  e0

u k  2u  2u
  Cv 2 1-D Consolidation equation
t  w mv z 2
z
Cv = coefficient of consolidation
k k 𝐶𝑣 𝑡
Cv   𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 = 𝑇𝑣 = 2
 w mv  av  𝑑
 w  
 1  e0 
Degree of consolidation (Uz)
During the consolidation progresses by the dissipation of
excess pore water pressure, the degree of consolidation at a
distance z at any time t is
u0  u z uz
Uz   1 uz = excess pore water pressure at t
u0 u0

Degree of Consolidation
The values of the time factor and their corresponding
average degrees of consolidation

 U % 
2

For U = 0 to 60% Tv   
4  100 

For U > 60% Tv  1.782  0.933 log100  U % 

3D – Consolidation equation
u  2u  2u  2u
 Cvx 2  Cvy 2  Cvz 2
t x y z
Determination of Coefficient of Consolidation
(Cv)
For a given load increment on a specimen, two graphical
methods commonly are used for determining Cv from
laboratory one-dimensional consolidation tests
 Logarithm-of-Time Method - Casagrande and Fadum (1940)
 Square-Root-of-Time Method - Taylor (1942)
Square-Root-of-Time Method - Taylor (1942)
Square-Root-of-Time Method - Taylor (1942)
Step-1: Draw a line AB through the
early portion of the curve
Step-2: Draw a line AC such that OC
=1.15×OB. The abscissa of point D,
which is the intersection of AC and
the consolidation curve, gives the
square root of time for 90%
consolidation (√(t90) )
Step-3: For 90% consolidation, T90 =
0.848 0.848𝑑2
𝐶𝑣 =
𝑡90
Logarithm-of-Time Method - Casagrande and Fadum (1940)
Step-1: Extend the straight-line
portions of primary and secondary
consolidations to intersect at A. The
ordinate of A is represented by d100
Step-2: In initial curved portion, Select
times 4t1 = t2 & deformation at (t2-t1) =
x
Step-3: Draw a horizontal line DE such
that the vertical distance BD is equal
to x, DE ordinate is d0
Step-4: The ordinate of point F on the
consolidation curve represents the
deformation at 50% primary
consolidation
Step-5: For 50% average degree of
consolidation, Tv = 0.197
𝑇50
𝐶𝑣 𝑡50
= 2
0.197𝑑2
𝑑 𝐶𝑣 =
𝑡50
Secondary Consolidation Settlement (Ss)

e e C
C   C 
log t 2  log t1 logt 2 / t1  1 ep

where
C = secondary compression index
Δe = change of void ratio
t1, t2 = time

 t2 
S s  C H log 
 t1 
Consolidation Settlement (ST) Calculation

ST  S e  S c  S s
where S
ST = total settlement
Se = elastic settlement
Sc = primary consolidation settlement
SS = secondary consolidation settlement

 When foundations are constructed on very compressible

clays, the consolidation settlement can be several times
greater than the elastic settlement
Relations for Elastic Settlement (Se) Calculation
1   s2
Se   B IsI f
Es
 Due to the nonhomogeneous
nature of soil deposits, the
magnitude of Es may vary with
depth
 For that reason, Bowles (1987)
recommended using a weighted
average value of Es

Es 
 E  z
s i

Z
Es(i) = soil modulus of elasticity within
a depth Δz
Z = H or 5B, whichever is smaller