Title

Terzaghi's Consolidation Equation Closed Form Solution

By: Murray Fredlund
SoilVision Systems Ltd.
2109 McKinnon Ave. S, Saskatoon, Sask., S7J 1N3
Voice: (306) 477-3324
Fax: (306) 955-4575
Email: info@soilvision.com

Features:
Handles single-drained or doubly drained soil layers
1-Dimensional

Page 1

Title

tion -

Page 2

Help
Help
The following help is provided to aid in the successful operation of the spreadsheet.
Only change cell values marked yellow
Changing non-yellow cells could disrupt normal calculation process
Procedure
Press New Problem button
Enter values for yellow cells
Press the Generate button on the Analytic sheet
Goto Tools...Options...Calculation... on pulldown menus
Set Calculation to Automatic
Select Iteration
Press the OK button
Press F9 to complete calculations
View results on the PWP's sheet

Page 3

Terzaghi's One-Dimensional Consolidation Theory

Closed-Form Solution

258816207.xls

Note: only change cells marked in yellow

Initial Soil Properties
Bulk Unit Weight =
Unit weight water =
Permeability, k =
Coeff. of compressibility, av =
Coeff. of consolidation, cv =
Number of nodes =
Node spacing =
Height of soil layer =
Length Dr. Path, Hdr =
Elapsed time =

Depth
(m)

9.50
9.00
8.50
8.00
7.50
7.00
6.50
6.00
5.50
5.00
4.50
4.00
3.50
3.00
2.50
2.00
1.50
1.00
0.50
0.00

Total
Stress
(kPa)
from Bulk
UW
179.46
189.42
199.38
209.34
219.30
229.26
239.22
249.18
259.14
269.10
279.06
289.02
298.98
308.94
318.90
328.86
338.82
348.78
358.74
368.70

Equation used for solution

19.92
9.81
2.00E-07
3.00E+00
8.00E-08
20
0.50
9.50
4.75
157,784,629

0% Consolidated
PWP
Effective
Stress
(kPa)
(kPa)
static
Tot - uw
head
129.43
134.34
139.24
144.15
149.05
153.96
158.86
163.77
168.67
173.58
178.48
183.39
188.29
193.20
198.10
203.01
207.91
212.82
217.72
222.63

( 2n+1 p Hz ) exp ([ ( 2 n+1)

4

u= Du i
sin
kN/m^3 @ eo
20 : Actual number of nodes
2
n=0 ( 2 n+1 ) p
kN/m^3
OK
m/s
1/kPa
m^2/s
forcing cv will override calculation of cv from basic properties. Clear contents of cell to calculate cv.
minimum of 5 nodes required
m
OK
m
m
(Hdr = H/2 if drained on two sides)
s
1826.2 days
5.00 years

50.03
55.09
60.14
65.20
70.25
75.31
80.36
85.42
90.47
95.53
100.58
105.64
110.69
115.75
120.80
125.86
130.91
135.97
141.02
146.08

eo
input

0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620

Z
(m)
z/Hdr

2.00
1.89
1.79
1.68
1.58
1.47
1.37
1.26
1.16
1.05
0.95
0.84
0.74
0.63
0.53
0.42
0.32
0.21
0.11
0.00

100% Consolidated
Total
Ideal Final Ideal Final
Stress
PWP
Effective
(kPa)
(kPa)
Stress
Load
Hydro
(kPa)
added
static
tot - pwp
179.46
189.42
199.38
209.34
219.30
229.26
239.22
249.18
259.14
269.10
279.06
289.02
298.98
308.94
318.90
328.86
338.82
348.78
358.74
368.70

29.43
34.34
39.24
44.15
49.05
53.96
58.86
63.77
68.67
73.58
78.48
83.39
88.29
93.20
98.10
103.01
107.91
112.82
117.72
122.63

150.03
155.09
160.14
165.20
170.25
175.31
180.36
185.42
190.47
195.53
200.58
205.64
210.69
215.75
220.80
225.86
230.91
235.97
241.02
246.08

cv
(m^2/s)
k * (1+eo)
pw*g * av
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08

Time
Factor
T
cv*t
Hdr^2
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595

p2

Current Soil State

Excess
Actual
Actual
PWP
PWP
Eff. Stress
(kPa)
(kPa)
(kPa)

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k ( 1+e 1 ) t
av w g H 2

Percent
Consol.

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PWP's

Pore-Water Pressures
10.00
9.00
8.00
7.00

Height (m)

6.00
Initial
Final
Current

5.00
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
0.00
0.00

100.00

200.00

300.00

400.00
PWP (kPa)

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500.00

600.00

700.00

800.00

258816207.xls
Calculate PWP
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