CVNG 2009

SOIL MECHANICS II

Lecture 1
Consolidation

Craig’s Soil Mechanics

by J.A. Knappett & R.F. Craig, 9th ed, Spon Press, 2020
 Consolidation
Main Goals: In this chapter we calculate ground settlements as
a function of time due to consolidation.

Course Outcomes:
- Understand the behavior of soil during consolidation
(drainage of pore water pressure), and determine the
mechanical properties which characterize this behavior
from laboratory testing
- Calculate ground settlements as function of time due to
consolidation both analytically & using computer-based
tools for more complex problems
- Design a remedial scheme of vertical drains to speed-up
consolidation & meet specified performance criteria
 Consolidation
Contents
1. Oedometer Test
2. Consolidation Settlement
3. Degree of Consolidation
4. Terzaghi’s Theory of 1-D Consolidation
5. Determination of Coefficient of Consolidation
6. Vertical Drains
7. Pre-loading
 Introduction
• Consolidation: gradual reduction in volume of a fully saturated soil
of low permeability due to change of effective stress
• Consolidation settlement: vertical displacement of the soil surface
corresponding to the volume change at any stage of the
consolidation process
• Swelling: (reverse of consolidation) gradual increase in volume of
a soil under negative excess pore water pressure
• Heave: upward displacement, ex. Results in the bottom of
excavation due to swelling of the clay

This chapter is concerned with the prediction of both the magnitude

and the rate of consolidation settlement under one-dimensional
conditions (i.e. where the soil deforms only in the vertical direction)
 Oedometer Test
• Oedometer: test apparatus & test arrangement: determine the
characteristics of a soil during one-dimensional consolidation
or swelling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNUuxyBCsT0&list=RD
CMUCyt3w3SogxUSJ7RSxQusXXA&index=6
• Test results: the void ratio at the end of each increment period can
be calculated from the displacement readings & either the
water content or the dry weight of the specimen at the end of
the test

- Method 1:

- Method 2:
• Stress history: the relationship between void ratio & effective
stress depends on the stress history of the soil.
- Normally consolidated: the present effective stress is the
maximum to which the soil has ever been subjected
- Overconsolidated: the effective stress at some time in the past has
been greater that the present value
- Overconsolidation ratio (OCR): the ratio of maximum value of
effective stress in the past to the present value
• Compressibility characteristics

(1) Coefficient of volume compressibility

(2) Constrained modulus

(3) Compression index

• Preconsolidation pressure (σ΄max): Casagrande (1936)
• In-situ e-log σ΄ curve: due to the effects of sampling and test
preparation, the specimen in an oedometer test will be slightly
disturbed.
Example 4.1
Consolidation Settlement
 Consolidation Settlement
• Graphical procedure (sub-layer technique): consider variation of
mv & Δσ΄ with depth
Example 4.2
 Example
• For overconsolidated clay: if , then
(a) (b)

(c)
Example