University of Benghazi

Faculty of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department

Soil Mechanics Lab (CE331)

Lab11 – Consolidation Test

Standards | ASTM D 2435 - 03

Date of test | 29/9/2012
Teacher | Ghassan Gehani

‫ ميالد عادل حويو‬: ‫االس ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ــم‬ 

1 : ‫املج ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ــموع ــة‬ 
17935 : ‫الرقم الدراسي‬ 
Consolidation Test

1) Abstract :
These test covers determining of the magnitude and rate of consolidation of
soil when it is restrained laterally and drained axially while subjected to
incrementally applied controlled-stress loading.

2) Introduction :
Consolidation is the process of time-dependent settlement of saturated
clayey soil when subjected to an increased loading. In this chapter, the
procedure of a one-dimensional laboratory consolidation test will be
described, and the methods of calculation to obtain the void ratio pressure
curve (e vs. log(P )), the preconsolidation pressure (pc), and coefficient of
consolidation (cv) will be outlined

3) Theory :
When a foundation pressure q is suddenly applied to a saturated soil deposit,
the water in the voids takes the added load, and the pore water pressure rapidly
increases while the effective stress
remains constant. The increase in
the pore water pressure is known
as excess pore water pressure (ue ).
However, water does not have
shear stiffness, and over time it is
squeezed out of the voids and the
excess pore water pressure
reduces. The added pressure q is Figure 1 | Consolidation
transferred to the soil Skelton, and
effective stress increases, the soil responds to this process by deforming,
which causes the foundation to settle.
The rate of soil deformation and the magnitude of the foundation settlement
depend on the hydraulic conductivity of the soil and the compressibility of the
soil Skelton.
In the case of soils with large hydraulic conductivity (ex., silt and sand), the
typical loading rate is much longer than the time it takes the soil to squeeze the
water out reduce the excess pore pressure. Therefore, in most cases, the time
effects are negligible. However, in the case of low hydraulic conductivity soils
(e.g., clayey soils), the rate of loading is much faster than the rate of excess
pore pressure dissipation. In these types of soils, the deformation and
foundation settlement may take long periods of time.
The time scale and magnitude of the deformation and settlement in soil may
be determined using parameters such as compression and swelling (for
unloading) indexes and consolidation coefficient.

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 These parameters are determined by running the consolidation coefficient.
There parameters are determined by running the consolidation or odometer
test. K.Terzaghi first suggested this test and it permits determining stress-
strain and strain-time properties of a soil specimen by applying a series of
vertical loads and measuring the vertical deformation.

Consolidation Test:
The test is performed in an apparatus called the consolidometer or odometer
(figure 2) in the consolidometer, the soil specimen is placed in the metal ring
with two porous stones, one at the top of the specimen and another at the
bottom. The diameter/height ratio of the specimen is generally greater than
2.5. The specimen is always kept under water to maintain saturation. A load is
applied to the specimen through a lever arm, and a dial gauge or linear
variable displacement transducer (LVDT) measures the vertical deformation.
From the result of this test, the following parameters will be determined:
1) Coefficient of consolidation, Cv .
2) Compression index, Cc .
3) Swell index, Cs .
4) Pre-consolidation pressure, ’c .
5) Over consolidation ratio, OCR .
Figure 2 | Consolidometer

These parameters are then used in engineering design to evaluate the

magnitude of settlement of foundation and earth structures, to estimate the
factor of safety for the stability of embankments during and after construction,
and to calculate the effect of seepage in the overall behavior of geomaterial
structures.

4) Apparatus :
1) Load Device :
A suitable device for applying vertical
loads or total stresses to the specimen. The
device shall be capable of maintaining
specified loads for long periods of time
with a precision of ±0.5 % of the applied
load and shall permit quick application of
a given load increment without significant
impact.

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 Figure 3 | Load Device - Consolidometer

2) Consolidometer
A device to hold the specimen in a ring that is either fixed to the base
or floating (supported by friction on periphery of specimen) with porous
disks on each face of the specimen.
The inside diameter of the ring shall be determined to a tolerance of
0.075 mm (0.003 in.). The consolidometer shall also provide a means of
submerging the specimen, for transmitting the concentric vertical load to
the porous disks, and for measuring the change in height of specimen.
3) Deformation Indicator :
The deformation indicator shall be a dial indicator graduated to 0.03
mm (0.001 in.) or better and having a travel range of at least 20 % of the
length of the test specimen, or some other measuring device, such as an
electronic deformation measuring device, meeting these requirements.
4) Miscellaneous Apparatus:
Trimming and carving tools, remolding apparatus, remove the water
content cans, and data sheets.

5) Procedures :

1) Prepare a soil specimen for the test. THe specimen is prepared by

trimming an undistrubed natural sample obtained in shlby tubes. THe
shelby tube sample should be about (6.35 mm to 12.7 mm) larger in
diameter than the specimen diameter to be prepared for the test.
2) Collect some excess soil that has been trimmed in a moisture can for
moisture content determination.
3) Collect some of the excess soil trimmed in Step 1 for determination of the
the specific gravity of soil solids, Gs.
4) Place the soil specimen in the ring over the lower porous stone , Place the
upper porous stone on the specimen in the ring.
5) Attach the top ring to the base of the consolidometer.
6) Add water to the consolidometer to submerge the soil and keep it
saturated. In the case of the fixed ring consolidometer, the outside ring
(which is attached to the top of the base) and the stand pipe connection
attached to the base should be kept full with water. This needs to be done
for the entire period of the test.
7) Place the consolidometer in the loading device.
8) Apply load to the specimen such that the magnitude of pressure, p, on the
specimen is (1/2 ton/ft2). Take the vertical defflection dial gauge reading
at the follwoing times, t, counted from the time of load application (0.25,
0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 120, 1440) min.
9) The next day, add ore load to the specimen such that the toatl magnitude
of pressure of the spcimen becomes 1 ton/ft2. Take the vertical dial gauge
reading at similar time intervals as stated in step 8, Note: Here we have ∆

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 p/p = 1 (where ∆ p = increase in pressure and p=the pressure before the
increase).

6) Readings and Calculations :

Table 1 | Specimen Readings

Data Value
Ring Diameter 50 mm
Initial height of ring (and specimen) 20 mm
Area of specimen 19.63 cm2
Mass of ring + specimen at beginning
127.6 g
of test
Final wet mass + ring 124 g
Final dry mass + ring 112.7 g
Mass of ring 60 g
Dry mass of specimen (Ms) 52.7 g
Specific gravity 2.65

Time vs. Vertical Dial Reading :

1) 50 kPa load:

Table 1 | Time vs. Vertical Dial Reading (50

kPa Load)
Time Dial readings
(min) (mm)
0 0
0.1 0.46
0.25 0.53
0.5 0.59
1 0.664
2 0.72
4 0.86
8 0.93
15 0.966
30 0.9876
60 1.516
120 1.562
2565 1.58
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 2) 100 kPa load:

Table 2 | Time vs. Vertical Dial Reading

(100 kPa Load)
Time Dial readings
(min) (mm)
0 1.58
0.1 1.608
0.25 1.612
0.5 1.618
1 1.624
2 1.634
4 1.642
8 1.65
15 1.658
30 1.668
60 1.668
120 1.68
240 1.694
1440 1.712

3) 200 kPa load:

Table 3 | Time vs. Vertical Dial Reading (200

kPa Load)
Time Dial readings
(min) (mm)
0 1.712
0.1 1.78
0.25 1.8
0.5 1.814
1 1.838
2 1.86
4 1.874
8 1.874
15 1.941
30 1.962
60 1.9788
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120 2.01
240 2.02
1440 2.038
 4) 400 kPa load:

Table 4 | Time vs. Vertical Dial Reading (400

kPa Load)
Time Dial readings
(min) (mm)
0 2.038
0.1 2.15
0.25 2.18
0.5 2.21
1 2.24
2 2.27
4 2.322
8 2.36
15 2.388
30 2.414
60 2.436
120 2.452
240 2.47
1440 2.5

Determination of (Cv - coefficient of consolidation) For 100 kPa readings:

1) Using root time method :

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
1.49 Root Time (min)0.5

1.54
Deformation (mm)

1.59

1.64

1.69

1.74

6|Page Graph 1 | Root time versus Deformation – Root time method

From Graph 1 we have that t90 = 5.29 min

H f + H 0 1 8 .288 +18.42
H dr = = = 9.177 mm
4 4
2
0.848 Hdr 2
Cv = =13.50 mm / min
t 90

2) Using log time method :

0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000 10000
1.5

1.55 d0
Deformation (mm)

1.6
d50

1.65

d 100
1.7

1.75
Time (min) Log scale
t1 4t1 t50

Graph 2 | Time versus Deformation

From Graph 2 we have that t50 = 6.9 min

Hdr = 9.177 mm
2
0.197 HDr 2
Cv =
=2.404 mm / min
t 50
And using the same procedure the value of Cv is being calculated for other loadings
and these are the calculated value of Cv for each load:

Vertical Load (kPa) 50 kPa 100 kPa 200 kPa 400 kPa
Cv – Root Time (mm2/min) 13.5 3.13 1.21
Rejected
Cv Log Time (mm2/min) 2.40 4.34 2.35

Cv Average – Root Time = 5.90 mm2/min

Cv Average – Log Time = 3.03 mm2/min

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Determination of compression index Cc , swell index Cs and pre-consolidation
pressure c’:

Calculating Hs (Height of solids):

ws
Hs = =10.1359 mm
Aspecimen Gs ρ w

Calculating Hf (Final Height at each load) , Hv (Height of Voids):

Hf Hv
Load
(mm) (mm)
0 20 9.864
50 kN 18.42 8.284
100 kN 18.288 8.152
200 kN 17.962 7.826
400 kN 17.5 7.364

Calculating e (final void ratio after each loading) :

Hv
e =
Hs

Load e
0 0.973
50 kN 0.817
100 kN 0.804
200 kN 0.772
400 kN 0.727

Plotting e versus Vertical Pressure we have :

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 058.0

008.0

057.0

007.0
e

056.0

006.0
05 005
)P( eruserP
Graph 3 | Pressure versus e

From Graph (3) σ pre= 170 kPa

 Compression index, Cc (Slope of normal consolidation line) :

∆e
Cc = =0.1494
log ⁡( σ 2 / σ1 )

 Swell index, Cs (Slope of over consolidation line) :

∆e
Cs = =0.0431
log ⁡( σ 2 / σ1 )

7) DISCUSSION:
1) The value obtained for c v was quite reasonable, except for 50 kPa
readings, and the shift at that load is due to an impact to the device.
2) Most of the readings taken after 15 min are not very accurate and
sometimes very close to the previous reading due to a stick in gage’s
gears.
3) It’s so obvious that Root time method and Log time method for
determination c v gives a very different values , but I guess it’s due to
the inaccurate readings and drawings.
4) The values of (Cc) and (Cv) is very good and matches the normal used
values.

8) Conclusion :
In this test we’ve done Consolidation test for a clayey saturated soil and
we have determined the following parameters:
 Cv – Root Time = 5.90 mm2/min
 Cv – Log Time = 3.03 mm2/min
 σ pre= 170 kPa
 Cc = 0.1494
 Cs = 0.0431
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 9) References :
 Manual of soil laboratory testing - K.H.head (CRC press).
 Das Principles Geotechnical Engineering 7th.

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