MID TERM PRESENTATION

COMPRESSION INDEX FROM

CONSOLIDATION TEST OF CLAY OF YOUR
 AREA
SUBJECT: FOUNDATION ENGINEERING
 SUBMITTED TO: DR. ZAHEER ALMANI
 ROLL NO: F16CE189
 NAME: HAJI MUHAMMAD BAKHSH
 DATE: 21-7-22020
 WHAT IS CONSOLIDATION
 Consolidation is a process by which soils decrease in volume.

 According to Karl Terzaghi "consolidation is any process which

involves decrease in water content of a saturated soil without
replacement of water by air.”

 Reduction in volume takes place by expulsion of water under long

term static loads. It occurs when stress is applied to a soil that
causes the soil particles to pack together more tightly, therefore
reducing its bulk volume.

 When this occurs in a soil that is saturated with water, water will be
squeezed out of the soil.
 Consolidation refers to the compression or settlement that soils undergo as
a response of placing loads onto the ground.
 These loads produce corresponding increases in the vertical effective
stress,  σV .
 Consolidation is a time-dependent process, in some soils it may take long
time (100 years ) to achieve complete settlement
CONSOLIDATION MAY OCCUR DUE TO
FOLLWING REASONS

 Lowering of the ground water table

 External static loads from structures
 Self weight of recently placed soils
 Desiccation
 STAGES OF CONSOLIDATION
The consolidation of a soil deposit can be divided into 3 stages:

1. Initial consolidation

2. Primary consolidation

3. Secondary Consolidation
 INITIAL CONSOLIDATION
 After initial consolidation, further reduction in volume of soil
mass occurs due to expulsion of water from voids. This is
known as primary consolidation.
 In fine grain soils, the primary consolidation occurs, over a
long time.
On the other hand, in coarse grained soils , the primary
consolidation occurs rather quickly due to high permeability .
 PRIMARY CONSOLIDATION
  When a load is applied to a partially saturated soil, a decrease in volume
occurs due to expulsion and compression of air in the voids.

 A small decrease in volume also occurs due to compression of solid

particles.

 The reduction in volume of the soil just after the application of the load is
known as initial consolidation.
SECONDARY COSOLIDATION
 The reduction in volume continues at a very slow rate even after
the excess pore water pressure developed by the applied pressure
is fully dissipated and the primary consolidation is complete.
 This additional reduction in the volume is known as secondary
consolidation.
 Secondary consolidation becomes important for certain types of
soil, such as peats and soft organic clays.
CONSOLIDATION SETTLEMENT
 It occurs due to the process of consolidation.
 Clay and Organic soil are most prone to consolidation settlement.
 Consolidation is the process of reduction in volume due to expulsion of water under
an increased load.
 It is a time related process occurring in saturated soil by draining water from void.
 It is often confused with Compaction.
 Consolidation theory is required to predict both rate and magnitude of settlement.

 Settlement is the vertically downward movement of structure due to the

shrinkage in volume of soil due to consolidation.
 Since water flows out in any direction, the process is three
dimensional.
 But, soil is confined laterally. Hence, vertical one-dimensional
consolidation theory is acceptable.
 Spring analogy explains consolidation settlement.
 Permeability of soil influences consolidation.
Clayey soils undergo consolidation settlement not only under the
action of “external” loads (surcharge loads) but also under its
own weight or weight of soils that exist above the clay (geostatic
loads).
 Clayey soils also undergo settlement when dewatered (e.g.,
ground water pumping) – because the effective stress on the
clay increases
Coarse-grained soils DO NOT undergo consolidation settlement
due to relatively high hydraulic conductivity compared to clayey
soils. Instead, coarse-grained soils undergo IMMEDIATE
settlement.
  1- D Consolidation Test
 The main purpose of consolidation tests is to obtain soil data
which is used in predicting the rate and amount of settlement of
structures founded on clay.
 The four most important soil properties determined by a
consolidation test are:
 The pre-consolidation stress, σp , This is the maximum stress that
the soil has “felt” in the past.
 The compression index, Cc , which indicates the compressibility
of a normally-consolidated soil.
The recompression index, Cr , which indicates the compressibility
of an over-consolidated soil.
 The coefficient of consolidation, Cv , which indicates the rate of
compression under a load increment.
 Consolidation Test
 Two types of consolidometers (odometers) commonly used:
Floating-ring
 Fixed ring
This lab uses the fixed-ring consolidometer
 ASTM D 2435
   Procedure
1. Measure the inner diameter and height of the consolidation cutter/ring
and record its mass
2. Prepare a soil specimen for the test by trimming and placing the soil
in the ring
3. Determine the mass of ring + soil
4. Collect some excess soil for moisture content
5. Assume Gs = 2.7
6. Saturate the lower (larger) porous stone on the base of the
consolidometer
7. Place the specimen and ring and place the upper stone/disk Follow the
rest in your lab manual
8. Place 1.5 kg (1st day), 3kg (2nd day), 6kg (3rd day), 12kg (4th day)
COMPRESSION INDEX
 The compression curve is plotted for
effective stress versus void ratio. The void
ratio is plotted using normal scale and
effective stress is plotted using logarithm
scale.

The slope taken from virgin compression

curve is termed as compression index. This is
denoted by the symbol Cc . The image
representation of the virginal compression
curve and slope for compression index are
shown in the below image.
Compression Index (Cc) for clay is in the range 0.258 to
0.968, while for laterite soil was in the range 0.101 to 0.940.
Value of Compression Index (Cc) is different between each
type of soil.
 Conclusions

Especially in low permeability soils (silts and clays) settlement is

delayed by the need to squeeze the water out of the soil Consolidation
is the process of gradual transfer of an applied load from the pore
water to the soil structure as pore water is squeezed out of the voids.
The amount of water that escapes depends on the size of the load and
compressibility of the soil. The rate at which it escapes depends on the
coefficient of permeability, thickness, and compressibility of the soil.
Consider a clay layer with thickness H subjected to an instantaneous
increase of total stress .