 What is the difference between normally-consolidated

and over-consolidated soils? What are the effects of

over consolidation on the physical properties of clay?
What are the causes of over consolidation?
 Normally consolidated clays are these that are currently experiencing
the maximum vertical overburden effective pressure they have ever
experienced in their history.
 Over consolidated clays have experienced a higher overburden stress in
the past.

𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑛 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠

 𝑂𝐶𝑅 =
𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑛 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠

 Over consolidation causes an increase in strength, reduction in

permeability and a reduction in settlement.
 Several causes of over consolidation are:
1- Excavation/corrosion.
2- Glaciers.
3- desiccation of soils
4- Lowering of ground water table.
 Consolidation
 The decrease in soil volume by the squeezing out of the pore water
on account of gradual dissipation of excess hydrostatic pressure
induced by an imposed total stress.
 Degree of consolidation
 The ratio of compression after an elapsed time to the final
compression
 Theoretical and experimental
consolidation curve

 There is a fair degree of convergence

up to a degree of consolidation of
about 80%, but beyond that, the
experimental curve indicates
continued compression at a slow rate.
 Theoretical curve tends to become
asymptotic.
 This delayed compression is ascribed
to secondary compression, which
occurs after almost all excess pore
water pressure has dissipated.
 Assumptions
 Compression and flow are one-dimensional (vertical).

 Darcy’s law is valid.

 The soil is homogeneous.

 The soil is completely saturated.

 The soil grains and water are both incompressible.

 Strains are small; that is, the applied load increment produces
virtually no change in thickness, and 𝑘 and 𝑎𝑣 remain constant.

 There is a unique relationship, independent of time, between void

ratio and effective stress, that is,
Terzaghi ' s One  Dimensional Consolidat ion Equation :

u  2u
 CV (9.12)
t z 2

Where :
k z 1  e0 
Cv  coefficien t of consolidat ion  (9.11)
av  w

Boundary conditions :
(a ) At t  0, u  ui , ui  
(b) As t  , u  0 for all z values
(c) t  0; z  0; u  0
(d ) t  0; z  2 H ; u  0

H  the max imum dis tan ce that water has to travel to reach a drainage face.
If 2  Drainage system  H  half the thickness of the clay layer
If 1  Drainage system  H  the thickness of the clay layer
Terzaghi ' s Solution :

z
Drainage path ratio, Z 
H

Cv t
Time factor Tv  2
H

ui  u z u
Degree of consolidation U z   1 z
ui ui

For t  0, Tv  0 and U z  0 for all values of Z .

For t  , Tv   and U z  1 for all values of Z .

Taylor (1948)

 
For U  60 %, T v  U 2
4

For U  60 %, Tv  1.781  0.933 log (100  U %)

 Computation of Settlement
H e The recompression curve :

H 0 1  e0
H0   
 e S c  Cr log 0
 H  S c  H0 1  e0 0
 1  e0


 e The actual settlement :
 av 
 
S c  recompression curve  virgin sompression curve
 a 
 S c   v  H 0 
 1  e0  (1)recompression curve

e H0 
Cc  S recompression  Cr log c
log( f /  0 )
1  e0 0
where :
(2)virgin sompression curve
 0  the present overburden pressure
H0   
 f   0  additional stress  induced by an imposed load
S virgin  Cc log 0
1  e0 0
( see fig . 9.3(c))

e H0 
 Sc  H 0  Cc log f
1  e0 1  e0 0

H0    H0  H0   
 S c  Cc log 0  Normally Consolidated Soil  S c  Cr log c  Cc log 0
1  e0 0 1  e0 0 1  e0 0
Indirect Determination of theCoefficient of Permeabililty

k (1  e0 ) k
Cv  
av  w mv w

Hence, k  Cv mv w

where :

mv  coefficient of volume compressibility

av e  1 
   
1  e0   1  e0 

 S c  mv H 0 
Example: In a consolidation test, the void ratio of soil sample
decreases from 1.56 to 1.44 when the pressure is increased
from 3447 KN/m2 to 3792 KN/m2. calculate the coefficient of
consolidation in m2/sec. assume the hydraulic conductivity of
the soil is 0.003 cm/sec.
Given :
cm kN
e0  1.56, e1  1.44, k  0.003 ,  w  9.8 3
sec m
kN kN
 0  3447 ,  0  3792
m2 m2

Step1 :
Calculate the coefficien t of consolidat ion :
e1  e0 1.44  1.56 4 m
2
av    3.5 10
 1   0 3792  3447 kN
av 3.5 10  4 4 m
2
mv    1.4 10
1  e0 1  1.56 kN
k 0.003 0.01 m m 2 kN m2
cv       0.02
 w mv 9.8 1.4 10  4 sec kN m 2 s
Example: A 1.27-cm thick soil sample requires 1.32 seconds
to reach 65% consolidation when it is drained from both sides.
How long will the soil layer takes to reach the same degree of
consolidation if the soil stratum is 3.6m thick and the water
can drain from one side only assuming the lab condition is the
same as the field condition?

Given :
tlab  132 sec, H lab  1.27cm, H field  3.6m
Step1 :
Calculate the time required to reach 65% consolidat ion in field :
H lab
H dr.lab   1.27cm, H dr. field  H field  360cm,
2
Cv tlab Cv t field Cv (132) Cv t field
Tv  2
 2
, 2
 2
, t field  122 days
H dr.lab H dr. field 1.27 360
Example: A 6-m-thick layer of brown normally consolidated
clay is saturated between a layer of rock beneath it and a layer
of loose sand above it. The layer undergoes a total settlement
of 2.1 cm under an applied uniform surcharge load of 24
kN/m2. What is the coefficient of consolidation, Cv, of the
brown clay if 120 days were required for 1.9cm.
Given :
St  1.9cm, Su  2.1cm, H dr  6m,
t  120 days
Step1 :
Average deg ree of consolidat ion of the brown clay :
St 1.9
U   0.9  90%  Tv  0.848 ( from table )
Su 2.1
0.848  6 2
2
Tv H dr m2
Cv    0.25
t 120 day
Example: How long will it take for 50% of the total
settlement to occur in laboratory specimen of the clay tested in
a conventional consolidation oedometer, if the specimen is
6.35cm in diameter and 2.54 cm thick? Cv=0.25 m2/day.

Given :
m2
U  50%, H  2.54cm, Cv  0.25
day
Step1 :
Time required for 50% of total settlement to occur
From Table  Tv  0.197
H 2.54
H dr    1.27cm
2 2
0.197 1.27 2
2
Tv H dr
t   5 10  4 day  44 sec
Cv 0.25