Compressibility One Dimensional Consolidation 15.

1 Introduction When the compressive load is applied to a soil mass, a decrease in its volume takes place. The decrease in the volume of soil mass under stress is known as compression and the property of a soil mass pertaining to its susceptibility to decrease volume under pressure is known as compressibility.A soil crystalline material, like stell,is deformed,under stress, by a relative distortion of the position of atoms in the molecular structure.However, soils are composed of small solid particles not bonded together, except by the small.Van de Waals forces and absorbed double layer water.When a stress is applied to it , the elastic deformation of soil particles is negligibly small compared to the deformation caused by change is relative position of the discrease particles and the resulting decrease in the volume of voids.When the voids are filled with air alone, compression of soil occurs rapidly, because air is compressible and can escape easily from the voids.In a saturated soil mass having its voids filled with incompressible water is expelled out of the voids.Such a compression resulting from a long term static load and the consequent escape of pore water is termed as consolidation.According to Tezaghi ,every process involving a decrease in the water content of a saturated soil without replacement of the water by the air is called process consolidation.The opposite process is called a process of swelling,which involves an increase in the water content due to an increase in the volume of voids. Compression of soil also takes place by explosion of air from the voids, under short duration ,moving or vibratory loads.Such a compression in usually known as compaction.The compression of partly saturated soil is accompanied by expulision and compression of air and its partial dissolution in water.Depending upon degree of saturation, water may also be expelled out along with air. When a compressive load is applied to a laterally confined layer of sand, rapid vertical deformation occurs.The rate at which this deformation can take place depends upon the permeability of soil and upon the distance the water must travel to reach a drainage surface.The compressibility of clays may also be caused by three factors ; (i) the expulsion of duble layer water from between the grains, (ii) bending of the particles to new positions of greater density, and (iii)bending of particles as elastic sheets.The permeability of clay being very small, time is an important factor in the consolidation of clays. 15.2 The consolidation process : spring analogy The mechanics of consolidation was demonstrated by Terzaghi, by means of the piston and spring analogy. GAMBAR Fig.15.1 shows a spring, with a piston on its top.Let the length of the spring be Z0 under a

preassure of 10 units.If 12 units of pressure are added to its top, the spring will be compressed

immediately to a length Z1 .A further application of load will result in further decrease in the length of the spring.Whitin elastic limit the load deflection curve may be assumed to be straight.If this spring and piston is placed in a cylinder containing water upto the bottom of the piston, and a valve at its bottom, water will be free of stress since the whole load is carried by the spring alone.If the pressure on the piston is increased to 12 units ,and the valve is closed, the spring cannot deform since water is incompressible.Hence the additional pressure of 2 units is entirely borne by water.If denotes the total pressure, the pressure in spring and u as the pressure in water (i.e. pore pressure), the governing equation on Fig. 15-1 d is given by 12 = 10 + 2 or = + u (15.1)

Now, let the valve be opened slightly so that some water escapes and the valve is closed.Due to escape of some water,the piston move down, the spring is compressed and hence somepressure ,out of the pressure of 2 units entirely borne by water, is now transferred to the spring.Thus, at any intermediate stage, the pressure equation becomes : 12 = (10 + ) + (2 - ) (15.2)

Where is the transfer of pressure from water to the spring coresponding to a given amount of expulsion of water.If the valve is fully opened, sufficient water will escape till the length of spring is reduced to a height to Z1 .Thus ,the whole of 2 units of pressure is transferred from water to the spring , the water becomes free of pressure and the spring carries the whole of pressure.The pressure equation at this stage becomes : 12 = 12 + 0 or = + u (15.3)

Thus, we see that when there is a pressure increment, the whole of pressure is first taken by water.As the water escapes out of system, the load transfer takes place from water to the spring till the spring is deformed by the full amount comrresponding to the applied stress increment.This analogy can be applied to the consolidation process of a soil mas consisting of

soil water system.The grain structure represents the spring while the voids filled with water represent the cylinder.The valve opening is represented by the permeability of the soil mass, and the rate of load transfer from water to soil depends ipon the permeability and the boundary conditions (i.e the drainage face available).The pressure that builds up in pore water due to load increment on the soil is termed exess pore pressure or hydrostatic pressure or hydrostatic u, because it is exess of the initial pressure in water under static condition.The excess hydrostatic pressure in water gets gradually dissipated and the pressure increment is shifted as an increase in effective pressure on the soil solid and the soil mass decreases in volume.When the whole of the pressure increment or the consolidation pressure is carried as an increase in the effective pressure on the solids no more water escapes from the voids and a condition of equilibrium is attained.Under different applied pressure ,soil attains different equilibrium or final voids ration, and under each equilibirium condition the whole of the applied pressure is carried by the soil as an effective pressure.The delay caused in consolidation by the slow drainage of water out of a saturated soil mass is called hydronamic lag.the reduction in volume of soil which is due principally to a squeezing out of water from the voids is termed primary consolidation, primary compression or primary time effect.Even after the reduction of all excess hydrostatic pressure to zero ,some compression of soil takes place at a very slow rate.This is known as secondary consolidation, secondary compression or secondary time effect.During the secondary compression, some of the highly viscous water between the points of contact is forced out from between the particles. 15.3 Consolidation of laterally confined soil If a remoulded soil dample is laterally confined in a consolidometer, consisting of a metal ring, and porous stones are placed both at its top and bottom faces,the compression or consolidation of soil sample takes place under a vertical pressure applied on the top of porous stones.The porous stones provide free drainage of water and air from or into the soil sample.Under a given applied pressure ,a final settlement and equilibrium voids ratio is attained after certain time.At the equilibrium stage ,the applied pressure naturally becomes the effective pressure on the soil.The pressure can then be increased and a new equilibrium

voids ratio is attained.Thus, a relationship can be obtained between the effective pressure and the equilibrium voids ratio e (generally called voids ratio only,in the form of a curve shown in Fig. 15.2.If at any intermediate stage at point B, when = 3 kg/cm (say),the pressure is completely removed, the sample expands, as represented by the expansion curve BC.During expansion, the sample never attains the original voids ratio, because of some permanent compression mainly due to some irreversible orientation undergone by the soil particles under compression.If the soil is again put under compression, a recompression curve,such as CD is obtained, the voids ratio at D being always less than that at B at the same pressure of 3 kg/cm.On further pressure increments, the curve DE is obtained.The portion AB of the curve represents the compression of a soil which has not been subjected in the past to pressures greater than those which are being applied for the present compression.Such a curve is called the virgin compression curve.The curve DE is also the virgin curve. GRAFIK If the pressure-voids ratio curve is plotted on a semi-logarithmic plot,with as abscissa on logarithmic scale and voids ratio as ordinate on an arithmetic scale, the virgin curve becomes a straight line as shown in Fig 15.3. The straight line proportion of the virgin compression curve can be expressed by the following empirical relationship given by Terzaghi :

e = e0 Co log10 where e0 = initial voids ratio correspondonding to the initial pressure 0 e = voids ratio at increased pressure Ce = compression index ( dimensionless)

The compression index represent the slope of the linear portion of the pressure voids ratio curve, the remains constant within a fairly range of pressure.Thus, from Eq.15.4, (15.5)

Eq. 15.5 may be written as (15.6)

The expansion curve is also fairly/straight line on the semi log plot, and is expressed by (15.7) Where = expansion or swelling index.It is a measure of the volume increase due to the

removal of pressure. Skempton (1944) conducted consolidation tests on a number of clays from different parts of the world, and gave the following equation for the compression index for a remoulded sample : = 0,007 (wL 10%) (15.8)

For an ordinary clay of medium to low sensitivity the value of Ce corresponding to the field consolidation line is equal 1.3 times the value of Ce corresponding to remoulded sample Hence = 0,009 (wL 10%) (15.9)

Cefficient of compressibility av.The coefficient of compressibility is defined as rthe decrease in voids ratio per unit increase preassure : (15.10)

For given difference in pressure, the value of the coefficient of compresibiliy decrease as the pressure increase. Coefficient of volume change mv.The coefficient of volume change or the coefficient of volume compressibility is defined as the change in volume of a soil per uni of initial volume due to given unit increase in the pressure : (15.11)

Substituting

, we get
(15.12)

When the soil is laterally confined, the change I the volume is propotional to change in the thickness H and the initial volume is propotional to the thickness H 0.Hence (15.13) Thus the change in the thickness, H due to pressure increment is given by =(15.13a)

(the minus sign in the above equation simply denotes that the voids ratio or thickness decrease with the increase in the pressure.) Consolidation settlement.The consolidation settlement of thickness H has fully consolidated under a pressure increment =This is on the assumption that the pressure increment when the soil stratum ,is given by Eq 15.13a : (15.14) is traasmitted uniformly over

the thickness H.However, in practical cases under a finite surface loading, the intensity of decreases with the depth of a later in a non-linear manner.In such circumsatates, the

consolidation settlement effective pressure increment

of an element of thickness dz is calculated under an average By Eq. 15.14: =-

Integrating for the total thickness H of the later : = In which both mv and graphically. The numerical integration may be performed by dividing the total thickness H into a number of thin layer, and at the midheight of each layer may be considered to represent a (15.14a)

are variables.The integration may be performated numerically or

constant average pressure increment for the layers.The settlement for each layer can then be calculated from Eq 15.14.The toal settlement of the layer of thickness H will then be equal to the sum of individual settlement of the various thin layer. The final settlement can also be computed from the following relationship :

= Also substituting the value of = Where 15.4 Consolidation of undisturbed specimen

H in terms of

(15.15a)

(15.15)

Soil deposits may be divided into three classes as regards to the consolidation history : pre-consolidated, normally consolidated and under consolidated.a clay is said to be preconsolidated or overconsolidated if it has ever been subjected to a pressure in excess of its present overburder pressure.The temporary overburder pressure to which a soil has been subjected and under which it got consolidated is known as pre-consolidation pressure.a soil may be have been pre-consolidated during the geogolic past by the weight of an ice sheet or glacier which has melted away, or byother geologic overburden and structural loads which no longor exist now.A normallyconsolidated soil is one which has never been subjected to an effedtive pressure greate than the existing overburden pressure and which is also completely consolidated by the existing overbunden.A soil which is not fully consolidated under the existing overbunden pressure is called an under-consolidated soil. Determination of pre-consolidation pressure, to find the pre- consolidation pressure, an undisturbed sample of clay is consolidated in the laboratory and the pressure vids ratio relationship os plotted on a semi-log plot, as shown in Fig, 154 GAMBAR Pre-consolidation pressure The initial portion of the curve is flat and resembles the recompression curve of remoulded specimen.The lower portionof the curve, which is a straight line, is the laboratory virgin curve.The approximate value of the pre-consolidation pressure v may be determined by the following empirical methodos A.Casagrande (1936):Thepoint A of maximum curvature (minimum radius) is selectedand horizontal line AB is drawn.A tangent AC is drawn to the curve and the bisector AD,besecting angle BAC is drawn.The straightportion of the virgin curve isextende back to met the besectorAD in P.The point : P corresponds to the pre-consolidation pressure v.

15.5 Terzaghis theoryofone dimensional consolidation

Thetheoretical concept of the consolidation process was developed by Terzaghi (1923).In the development of the mathematical ststement of the consolidation process, the following simplifying assumptions are made : (i) The soil is homogeneous and fully saturated .(ii)The deformation of thesoil is due entirely tochance in volume. GAMBAR (iv) Darcys law for the velocity of flow of water throughsoil is perfectly valid.(v)Coefficient of permeability is constant during consolidation.(vi)Load is applied in one direction only and deformation occurs only in the direction the load application only and deformation, i.e.the soil is restrained against lateral deformation.(vii)Excess pore water drains out only in the vertical direction.(viii)The boundary is a freesurface offering no resistance to the flow of water from the soil.(ix)The change in yhicknessof the layer during consolidation is insignificant.(x)The time lag is consolidation isdue entirely to the permeability to soil, andthus , the secondary consolidation is disregarded. Fig. 155, a shows a clay layer, of thickness H, sandwichedbetween two layers of sand which serves as drainage faces.When the layer is subjected toa pressure increment , axess hydrostatic pressure is set up in the clay layer.At the time application,whole of the consolidating pressure initial excess hydrostatic pressure , the instant of pressure

Is carried by the pore water so that the