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TEST NO. 10
CONSOLIDATION TEST
Introduction:
Definition: Consolidation can be defined as that plastic deformation and void-ratio
reduction of a soil mass which are function of time and excess pore pressure.
When fine grained soils are subjected to changes in load due to construction, they deform
in a way different from that of coarse grained materials. Their deformation takes place not
only at the time of the load application, but also continues for very long time period
which may last several years.
The long term settlement of fine-grained soil layers is primarily controlled by
consolidation.

Consolidation depends on:

1-The degree of saturation
2-The coefficient of permeability of the soil.
3- The properties of the pore fluid.
4-The length of the path expelled pore fluid must take to find equilibrium.

The apparatus may be of the fixed ring or floating-ring type

The fixing-ring: Device can be used to measure the coefficient of permeability of the
sample as it is being tested.
Floating-ring: Device is that it reduces the friction loss a long the sides of the sample
between the soil and ring

Purpose:
The consolidation test is used to determine the compression index Cc, which indicates the
compressibility of the specimen, swelling index Cs, and preconsolidation pressure ,

which define the soil compressibility , the coefficient of consolidation Cv, which
characterize the rate of primary compression; and the secondary compression coefficient
Ca , which define the creep properties .
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Apparatus:
1-Consolidation loading device.
2-Floating ring consolidation (consolidation cell)
3- Specimen trimmer and accessories.
4- Balance, Drying oven, Timer, Moisture content cans
5- Dial indicator

Procedure:
1- Measure the weight Wring and diameter D of consolidation ring.
2- Place the test specimen in the consolidation cell. Take approximately 10 to 15 g of
representative specimens for water content determination.
3- Measure the initial height Hi and the weight of the initial specimen and ring
4- Balance the consolidometer; mount the consolidation cell in the consolidometer.
Set the vertical displacement dial so that its full range is available during
compression.
5- Apply the first increment of load to give a pressure intensity of 1/2 Kg/cm2 on the
soil specimen ( the applied load are 1/4 , 1/2 , 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 , 16 Kg ) take dial reading at
exactly 0,0.25,0.5,1,2,4,8,16,30,and 60 min and 2,4,8 and 24 hr of elapsed time .
6- After 24 hr change the load to the next value and take readings at the same elapsed
time intervals as those give in step 5
7- Repeat step 6 until all loading steps are completed.
8- The load is decreased to 4 Kg ( 2Kg/cm2 ) and then to 1/4 Kg ( 1/2 Kg /cm2 )
rebound loads ; no time readings are normally taken during the rebound ( unloading )
9- Quickly dismantle the consolidometer cell and weigh the wet sample.
10-Dry the specimen in the oven and measure its weigh of solids Ws
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Data Sheet
Consolidation Test:
H0 = initial height of the sample =20 mm
D = diameter of the sample = 50 mm
G = specific gravity of the soil =2.70
Date: Time Dial gage reading (mm)
Clock Elapsed
(min) 25Kpa 50Kpa 100Kpa 200Kpa 400Kpa 800Kpa 1600Kpa 3200Kpa 25Kpa
3/5/200 0 0.00 0.085 0.265 0.53 0.942 1.63 2.518 3.500 4.485
5 0.5 . . 0.270 . . . 2.59 3.65 .
2:15 pm 1.0 . . 0.280 . . . 2.67 3.68 .
2.0 . . 0.30 . . . 2.70 3.74 .
4.0 . . 0.335 . . . 2.75 3.85 .
10 . . 0.40 . . . 2.87 4.01 .
15 . . 0.425 . . . 3.00 4.10 .
25 . . 0.455 . . . 3.10 4.20 .
40 . . 0.475 . . . 3.18 4.27 .
50 . . 0.480 . . . 3.21 4.30 .
60 . . 0.487 . . . 3.24 4.32 .
80 . . 0.495 . . . 3.27 4.34 .
100 . . 0.50 . . . 3.30 4.36 .
150 . . 0.505 . . . 3.35 4.38 .
200 . .. 0.510 . . . 3.37 4.39 .
400 . . 0.520 . . . 3.40 4.43 .
1000 . . 0.525 . . . 3.470 4.47 .
1440 0.085 0.265 0.530 0.942 1.63 2.518 3.50 4.485 3.702
(24hr)

At end of last stress = 25 Kpa

Wt. of can = gm Wt . of can +wet sample = gm
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Wt. of can +dry sample = gm Water content = …………….

Calculation:
1- Finding Compression Index Cc :
Step 1: Find wf final water content
wf= % ; G=2.7
step 2: find ef void ratio at end .
ef =wf.G = * 2.7 =
step 3: find void ratio at end of each stress ei

Hi=height of sample at end of each stress (mm)

= 2H0-( ∆Hi)e
( ∆Hi)e =dial gage reading at end of each stress
Hs = height of soil solids mm

Hs = Hf / (1+ ef ) = / = m
Hf = H0 –( ∆H )f = = mm

Kpa ( ∆H i) * Hi Hs ei
mm mm
0 0 e0
1 25 e1
2 50 e2
3 100 e3
4 200 e4
5 400 e5
6 800 e6
7 1600 e7
8 3200 e8
9 25 e9
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( ∆H i) * = final reading at end of each stress

step 4:
Draw a relation between e-log is semi-log paper
Step 5 :
Find Cc
Cc=slop of straight portion = -∆e / ∆ log
2- Finding Coefficient of Consolidation Cv
the value is not constant and Cv has specified value at each level .
step 1:
Find Hi vs. time
Hi=H0-∆Hi
For = Kpa
Time min Dial reading ∆Hi (mm) Hi (mm)
0
0.5
2
4
10
15
25
40
50
60
80
100
150
200
400
1000
1440

Step 2:
Draw relation between (Hi) vs. log time
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Step 3:
Find t 50
T50 =time for consolidation 50 %
Step 4:
Find Cv by

mm2 / min

t 50 : from step 3
d: length of drainage
=1/2 H50 ---- if drainage two way .
=H50 ---- if drainage one way .
H50 from graph step 3
The above steps are applied for each stress to find Cv for each stress
Stress value of Cv
--------- -----------------
0 25
25 50
50 100
100 200
200 400
400 800
800 1600
1600 3200
3200 25
Dr. Rizgar Ali Hummadi Yousif Ismail Mauloud
20/4/2006 20/4/2006