Lecture 4 Notes – Magnitude of Settlement

St = Si + Sc + Ss
Si = instantaneous settlement (elastic)
Sc = consolidation settlement (Rearranging particles), (time)
Ss = secondary settlement (plastic + elastic), (time)

Compressibility of soils – due to

(1) deformation of soil grain (small)
(2) compression of air and water in voids (small)
(3) squeezing out of water and air from the voids (Rearranging the particle packing)

Coarse material (sandy soil) -

deformation takes place in very short time
St = Si + Sc + Ss ( Sc 0, Ss 0 ) (due to high permeability).
Elastic theory can apply to find settlement (

Fine material (low permeability) -

Compression is controlled by the rate at which water and air are squeezed out
(consolidation).
The process can be simulated by the following "spring model".
Consolidation test - (v, t, S (or e))
Objectives: to simulate the compression by loading the in-situ sample in lab
controlled environment
Major Results:
(1) The total amount of settlement (Cc-compression index, Cs-swell index (or
Cr-recompression ratio))
(2) The rate of settlement (Cv - coefficient of consolidation)
By using Cc, Cs & Cv values, we may predict the field condition.

Determination of Cc:
From test, under different loading different e.

av = coefficient of compressibility =
Relationship among v, L and e ----

v =  V / Vo for one-dimensional volumetric strain

 V / Vo =  H Ho) =  H Ho = L
 V / Vo =  e eo)
eo = Vvo / Vs Vvo = eo VsVo = (1+eo) Vs
 e = (Vvo - Vst) / Vs =  V / Vs V = e x Vs

 V / Vo =  e eo)
L =  H / Ho =  e eo)  H = Ho  e eo)

v = L / L0 or H / Ho = Sc / Ho = e / (1+ eo), eo - initial void ratio
Sc = Ho e / (1+ eo), Ho- initial layer thickness

v vs. 'vc is not a straight line. Howeverif plotted in terms of (e vs. log 'vc), then
straight lines can be formed.

The slopes of these two line segments are Cc and Cs (or Cr), and their values can be
found based on the following slope formula.

Cc or Cs (or Cr) = (e1 - e2) / (log'2 - log'1) = e / log('2/ '1)

Preconsolidation Pressure (Soil has memory)

OCR = 'c/ 'O,
Where, 'c = preconsolidation stress (determined by Casagrande's method),
'O = current overburden stress
(1) OCR > 1, over consolidation
(2) OCR = 1, normal consolidation
(3) OCR < 1, under consolidation
Casagrande procedure is as follows:
1. Choose by eye the point of minimum radius (or maximum curvature) on the
consolidation curve (point A in Fig.8.6).
2. Draw a horizontal line from point A.
3. Draw a line tangent to the curve at point A.
4. Bisect the angle made by steps 2 and 3.
5. Extend the straight line portion of the virgin compression curve up to where it
meets the bisector line obtained in step4. The point of intersection of these two
lines is the preconsolidation stress (point B of Fig. 8.6)

Procedure of Computing Primary Consolidation Settlement

Fromlab data, graphically determine Cc, Cs and 'c
Based on given soil data, determine,sat , eo
3. Determine 'o based on  and sat
4. Determine   due to external loading based on influence charts
5. Determine D = 'o +  
Determine OCR = 'c / 'o
7. Based on OCR value, select the proper equation to find the settlement
HO σ
If OCR  SC  C C log D
1  eO σO '
HO σ
If OCR a if 'o <  D < 'c,  SC  CS log D 
1  eO σO
HO σ 'c H σ
SC  C S log '  C C O log D'
1  eO σO 1  eO σc
(b) if 'o < 'c < D , 
HO σ 'c σ
 （CSlog '  C C log D' ）
1  eO σO σc
8. Determine the total settlement Sc