06a Consolidation and Settlement in Clay

Ref: Principles of Geotechnical Engineering, Braja M. Das, 1994

Coastal Engineering Handbook, J.B. Herbich, 1991
Dr. D. Bloomquist Notes

Topics:
Effective Stress
Consolidation and Compression
Preconsolidation
Settlement (in Clay)
Calculation of Primary Consolidation Settlement
Calculation of Secondary Consolidation Settlement
Summary
Time Rate of Consolidation

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Effective Stress
The effective vertical stress (v') at point A below the soil surface is equal to the stress
carried by the soil solids at their points of contact (i.e. the soil skeleton). It is found by
subtracting the stress carried by the water in the continuous void spaces (i.e. pore water
pressure, u) from the total stress of the weight of the overlying material (v).

v = i z i v = w H + sat H A
u = w z w u = w (H + H A )

w H v ' = v u

v ' = w H + sat H A w (H + H A )
sat HA = ( sat w )H A = ' H A
A
Ws + Ww Ws
where sat = , ' = sat w =
Vtotal Vtotal

Consolidation
The reduction of bulk soil volume under loading due to flow of pore water. For saturated
soils, any increment of loading (, called surcharge) will be initially taken up by the
pore pressure and result in consolidation until a new equilibrium is reached where the soil
solids (or skeleton) takes up the added load.

surcharge: = '+ u
 For cohesive soils: at t = 0, = u ; t=, = '
v

v'

stress

time
For non-cohesive soils: water drains faster and the load is transferred immediately
"consolidation" does not occur in non-cohesive soils; in non-cohesive soils this process is
called "compression"

Preconsolidation Condition
1. normally consolidated - present effective overburden pressure = maximum pressure the
soil has been subjected to in the past (pc)

2. overconsolidated - present effective overburden pressure < maximum pressure the soil
has been subjected to in the past (pc) i.e. a load has been removed

Normally consolidated Overconsolidated

Maximum
past load
e

Non-linear
rebound when
log p load is removed log p pc

Vvoids Vv
recall: e void ratio, e = =
Vsolids Vs
When a soil is loaded, it consolidates over the virgin consolidation curve (lefthand plot).
If the load is removed (or partially removed) it will rebound non-linearly over a less steep
curve (righthand plot). Adding a new load (i.e. due to construction) will cause the soil to
consolidate over the less steep curve until it reaches the maximum pressure load from the
past (pc or c'). Then it will follow the steep curve again. It the new load is less than pc
settlement will be small (following the shallow curve).
 Preconsolidation pressure determination
(Casagrande, 1936)
1. e-log p is established by lab testing
2. determine point a at which e-log p has
b

Void ratio, e
minimum radius of curvature a f
3. Draw horizontal line from a (line ab) d
4. Draw tangent to curve at a (line ac)
c
5. Draw line ad to bisect angle bac g
6. Project the straight-line portion of gh
back to intersect ad at f
7. Abscissa of point f is the
pc h
preconsolidation pressure, pc

log p

Compression/Consolidation of soil layers due to stress increase by construction of foundations or

other loads. Compression is caused by:
1. Deformation of soil particles
2. Relocation of soil particles
3. Expulsion of water or air from void spaces

Settlement ()
i

C = i + c + s

1. Immediate settlement (i) - elastic deformation of dry soil and moist and saturated soils
without change to moisture content
a. due to high permeability, pore pressure in clays support the entire added load and no
immediate settlement occurs
b. generally, due to the construction process, immediate settlement is not important
2. Primary consolidation settlement (c) - volume change in saturated cohesive soils
because of the expulsion of water from void spaces
a. high permeability of sandy, cohesionless soils result in near immediate drainage due
to the increase in pore water pressure and no primary (or secondary) "consolidation"
settlement occurs, only immediate settlement
3. Secondary consolidation settlement (creep) (s) - plastic adjustment of soil fabric in
cohesive soils
Calculation of Primary Consolidation Settlement
Given: Saturated clay soil layer
thickness = H,
cross-sectional area = A,
existing overburden pressure = po,
increase in pressure = p,
Find: resulting primary consolidation settlement c

Change in volume is V = c A , change in volume is equal to the change in volume of

the voids (definition of settlement) and by the definition of the void ratio:

c A = V = Vv = eVS = (e f e 0 )(H vf H v 0 )A

VV0 = HV0 A
initial void ratio:
V H V = HA
e0 = v0 = v 0
Vs Hs VS = HS A

VVF = HVF A
final void ratio:
V H V = HA
e f = vf = vf
Vs Hs
VS = HS A

H vf H v 0
c A = V = Vv = (H vf H v 0 )A = eVS , where e = e f e 0 =
Hs

c = eHS = (H vf H v 0 ) = H

V AH
Using the initial void ratio and total volume (e0 and V) gives VS = = = AHs
1 + e0 1 + e0

e
Combining and rearranging gives c = H = eHS = H
1 + eo
 Normally Consolidated Soil (Clay)
Compression index Cc = slope of the e-log p curve:
(ef e0 ) e e
Cc = = =
log(p f ) log(p f ) log[p f p 0 ] log[(0 '+ v ') 0 ']

e CH '+ v
c = H = c log 0
1 + e0 1 + e0 0 '

For thick clay, it is more accurate to divide n multiple layers

n
C H '+ vi
c = ci i log 0i ,
i =1 1 + e 0 i 0i '
shear stress is computed at center of sub-layers
Consider depth to 2B for square foundation (BxB) or 4B for strip foundations
(BxL), B is the width (below this depth, the load has dissipated and is zero)
Compression index determination
1. Graphically from laboratory e-log p plot, use "virgin compression curve" (i.e.
straight line portion of the curve)
2.38
1 + eo
2. Rendon-Herrero (1983) C c = 0.141G 1.2
s
Gs
LL(% )
3. Nagaraj and Murty (1985) C c = 0.2343 Gs
100

Over-Consolidated Soil (clay)

Good Highly over-consolidated: load is less than maximum past load, 0 '+ v ' c '
condition!
Virgin Curve with Slope CC (= Compression index)
Void
Ratio,
e Initial Insitu State

e
e0 Final State After Load
eF

V Log Vertical Effective

Stress, 'V
'0 'F 'C

Recompression index CR = slope of the e-log p rebound/reloaded curve:

e C H '+ v
c = H = R log 0 , typically CR is 10-20% of Cc
1 + e0 1 + e0 0 '
 Lightly over-consolidated: load is greater than maximum past load,
0 '+ v ' > c '

Virgin Curve with Slope CC (= Compression index)

Void
Ratio,
e Initial Insitu State

Reload with Slope CR (= Recompression index)

e0
e1

e2
Final State After Load Applied
eF
V Log Vertical Effective
Stress, 'V
'0 'C 'F

CR H ' C H '+ v
c = c1 + c1 = log c + c log 0
1 + e0 0 ' 1 + e 0 c '

In general:
For thick clay, divide into n multiple layers & use appropriate equation for each layer (shear
stress is computed at center of sub-layers)
n
c = ci
i =1

Consider depth to 2B for square foundation (BxB) or 4B for strip foundations (BxL), B is the
width (below this depth, the load has dissipated and is zero)
most marine soils are overconsolidated - sedimentation increases the surcharge on the soil,
but subsequent erosion removes much of the load

Calculation of Secondary Consolidation Settlement

Secondary consolidation is the portion of time-dependent settlement that occurs at
essentially constant effective stress.
The rate of secondary consolidation is not dependent on the flow of water or on clay layer
thickness, and is relatively constant for normal engineering stress increases.
Secondary consolidation occurs slowly with a continually decreasing rate.
The secondary consolidation portion of the consolidation curve is approximately linear
on an e-log time plot.
Secondary consolidation usually estimated from a lab consolidation test.
The exact cause of secondary consolidation is unknown, but is possibly a readjustment of
the double water layer surrounding the clay particles.
Secondary consolidation may be more important than primary consolidation for organic
and highly compressible inorganic clays.
 The ratio of secondary to primary consolidation increases as the ratio of stress increment
to initial stress decreases: i.e. watch out for small stress increases in thick clay layers.
s
as v
c 0 '

"Secondary (compression) settlement is more important in organic and highly compressible inorganic soils.
In overconsolidated inorganic clays, the secondary consolidation index is very small and of less practical
importance."
Braja M. Das
Principles of Geotechnical Engineering

Secondary Compression Settlement is generally only a concern for highly organic

material (e.g. peat)

Secondary Compression Index

Void (fit "straight" line after eP)
Ratio, e C = -e / log t
(from dial = -(e2-e1) / log (t2 / t1)
readings) typically 3-4% of CC

eP eP= void ratio at end of

e S primary consolidation

log time, t tP t1 t2 tF

C H t
S = log F
1 + e0 tP
where: tF = time at which magnitude of secondary compression required
tP = time corresponding to end of primary consolidation

Note: C'= [C/(1+eP)] found by Mesri to have correlation with water content, can replace
C/(1+e0) with C' in above equation for S (see Das Fig. 8.19)

Uniform C/Cc ratio (USACE)

Inorganic 0.025 - 0.065
Clay 0.025 - 0.085
Silt 0.030 - 0.075
Peat 0.030 - 0.085
SUMMARY OF SETTLEMENT CALCULATIONS (Clays)
Define Initial Stresses:
o Total Stress, Pore Water Pressure, Effective Stress
o Must define the state of stress prior to loading
o The behavior of soils is governed by effective stress (thank you Karl Terzaghi)
Define Stress Change Due to Load:
o Load is applied at a point or pressure applied over an area
o Model soil as linear-elastic, homogenous and isotropic
o Boussinesq solutions for various shaped loads (influence factor x load)
o FEM solutions possible but require extensive soil property characterization and
knowledge of field variability (i.e. after assumptions may not be any better)
Define Settlement Due to Load, CLAYS:
o Immediate, i
Small movement, occurs quickly
Movement due to distortion (zero volume change)
Uses Boussinesq stress solutions
Model soil as linear-elastic and isotropic
Affected by shape and stiffness of footing, i = influence factor x load
o Consolidation, C
Movement can be large, occurs over time, due to volume (void ratio, e)
change
Analyses assume saturation and are usually 1-D
Calculate total stress change (V) using Boussinesq methods
At t=0: u = V water supports load as excess pore water pressure
'V = 0 effective stress has not changed (yet)
As water seeps out u and e decrease, 'V increases, and settlement
occurs
At t=: u = 0 excess pore pressure decreases to zero
'V = V effective stress now supports load
Rate of load transfer (and settlement) characterized by theoretical equation
(thank you again Karl Terzaghi) which has numerical solution using
dimensionless time factor T, depth factor Z, and coefficient of
consolidation cV
Soil remembers max. past stress to which it has already consolidated
OCR = Over-consolidation Ratio = ('C / 'V)
If NC soil (OCR=1) then virgin compression: use CC to find e & C
If OC soil (OCR>1) then recompression up to 'C: use CR to find e & C,
and virgin compression above 'C: use CC to find e & C
1D (Oedometer) lab measurement of consolidation properties (CR, CC, cV)
o Secondary Consolidation, S
Movement usually small (except for organic & highly compressible clays)
Due to volume (void ratio) change at constant effective stress
Get secondary compression index (CS) from lab, use to find S for any t
after C
Time Rate of Consolidation
Derivation assumptions
1. Homogeneous clay-water system
2. Saturated
3. Water and soil grains are incompressible
4. Flow of water is unidirectional and in the direction of consolidation
5. Darcy's law assumed: v = ik
where v = discharge velocity, k = coeff of permeability, i = hydraulic gradient,
i = h L

p
[vz + (dvz /dz)dz]dxdy h = u/w

sand
d

d H
d
clay
z
vzdxdy
sand

[rate of water outflow] - [rate of water inflow] = [rate of change of volume]

restrict flow to vertical (z) direction (assumption 4)

v V
v z + z dz dxdy v z dxdy =
z t
v z V
dxdydz =
z t
h k u
Darcy's law gives v z = k = since u = w h
z w z

k 2u 1 V
combining gives =
w z 2
dxdydz t
V Vv (VS + eVS ) dxdydz e VS
during settlement = = = , since = 0 and
t t t 1 + e o t t

V dxdydz k 2u 1 e
VS = = =
1 + eo 1 + eo w z 2
1 + eo t
assume that the decrease in void ratio is proportional to the increase in effective stress (or
the decrease in pore pressure) e = a v u , av = coeff. of compressibility
 define the coeff. of volume compressibility (mv)
av k 2u u
mv = = mv ,
1 + eo w z 2
t
define coeff. of consolidation (cv)
k k (1 + e 0 ) 2u u
cv = = = cv (Terzaghi's 1D consolidation theory)
w mv wa v z 2
t
cv t
solving gives a time factor Tv =
(H N )2
1 drainage path:
2 drainage paths: bottom layer
above & below N= H N= is impermeable
N=2 N=1

1 e e +e
estimate mv from e-log p plot at appropriate pressures, m v = , eav = 1 2
1 + e av p 2

degree of
Time
consolidation,
Factor, T
U%
0 0
Variation of Degree of Consolidation with Time Factor
5 0.0020
10 0.0078
0
15 0.0177
0.1 20 0.0314
degree of consolidation, U(%)/100

0.2 25 0.0491
0.3 30 0.0707
0.4 35 0.0962
0.5
40 0.126
45 0.159
0.6
50 0.197
0.7 55 0.239
0.8 60 0.286
0.9 65 0.342
1 70 0.403
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 75 0.477
80 0.567
2
Time Factor, Tv=Cvt/H 85 0.684
90 0.848
95 1.129
100

Sivaram & Swamee (1977) empirical relationship for U (degree of settlement) from 0-100%
0.179 0.357
U% 4Tv 4Tv 2.8 U%
2
U% 5.6
= 1 + and Tv = 1
100 4 100 100