Title

Terzaghi's Consolidation Equation Closed Form Solution

By: Murray Fredlund
SoilVision Systems Ltd.
2109 McKinnon Ave. S, Saskatoon, Sask., S7J 1N3
Voice: (306) 477-3324
Fax: (306) 955-4575
Email: info@soilvision.com

Features:
Handles single-drained or doubly drained soil layers
1-Dimensional

Page 1

Title

Page 2

Help

Help
The following help is provided to aid in the successful operation of the spreadsheet.
Only change cell values marked yellow
Changing non-yellow cells could disrupt normal calculation process
Procedure
Press New Problem button
Enter values for yellow cells
Press the Generate button on the Analytic sheet
Goto Tools...Options...Calculation... on pulldown menus
Set Calculation to Automatic
Select Iteration
Press the OK button
Press F9 to complete calculations
View results on the PWP's sheet

Page 3

Terzaghi's One-Dimensional Consolidation Theory

Closed-Form Solution

153346462.xls.ms_office

Note: only change cells marked in yellow

Equation used for solution

Initial Soil Properties

Bulk Unit W eight =
Unit weight water =
Permeability, k =
Coeff. of compressibility, av =
Coeff. of consolidation, cv =
Number of nodes =
Node spacing =
Height of soil layer =
Length Dr. Path, Hdr =
Elapsed time =

u = Du i

Depth
(m)

9.50
9.00
8.50
8.00
7.50
7.00
6.50
6.00
5.50
5.00
4.50
4.00
3.50
3.00
2.50
2.00
1.50
1.00
0.50
0.00

Total
Stress
(kPa)
from Bulk
UW
179.46
189.42
199.38
209.34
219.30
229.26
239.22
249.18
259.14
269.10
279.06
289.02
298.98
308.94
318.90
328.86
338.82
348.78
358.74
368.70

19.92
9.81
2.00E-07
3.00E+00
8.00E-08
20
0.50
9.50
4.75
157,784,629

0% Consolidated
PW P
Effective
Stress
(kPa)
(kPa)
static
Tot - uw
head
129.43
134.34
139.24
144.15
149.05
153.96
158.86
163.77
168.67
173.58
178.48
183.39
188.29
193.20
198.10
203.01
207.91
212.82
217.72
222.63

(2 n + 1) 2 2 k (1 + e1 ) t
2n + 1 z
sin
p exp-
p

H
4
a v rw g H 2

kN/m^3 @ eo
20 : Actual number of nodes
2
n = 0 (2 n + 1)p
kN/m^3
OK
m/s
1/kPa
m^2/s
forcing cv will override calculation of cv from basic properties. Clear contents of cell to calculate cv.
minimum of 5 nodes required
m
OK
m
m
(Hdr = H/2 if drained on two sides)
s
1826.2 days
5.00 years

50.03
55.09
60.14
65.20
70.25
75.31
80.36
85.42
90.47
95.53
100.58
105.64
110.69
115.75
120.80
125.86
130.91
135.97
141.02
146.08

eo
input

0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620
0.620

Z
(m)
z/Hdr

2.00
1.89
1.79
1.68
1.58
1.47
1.37
1.26
1.16
1.05
0.95
0.84
0.74
0.63
0.53
0.42
0.32
0.21
0.11
0.00

100% Consolidated
Total
Ideal Final Ideal Final
Stress
PW P
Effective
(kPa)
(kPa)
Stress
Load
Hydro
(kPa)
added
static
tot - pwp
179.46
189.42
199.38
209.34
219.30
229.26
239.22
249.18
259.14
269.10
279.06
289.02
298.98
308.94
318.90
328.86
338.82
348.78
358.74
368.70

29.43
34.34
39.24
44.15
49.05
53.96
58.86
63.77
68.67
73.58
78.48
83.39
88.29
93.20
98.10
103.01
107.91
112.82
117.72
122.63

150.03
155.09
160.14
165.20
170.25
175.31
180.36
185.42
190.47
195.53
200.58
205.64
210.69
215.75
220.80
225.86
230.91
235.97
241.02
246.08

cv
(m^2/s)
k * (1+eo)
pw*g * av
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08
8.00E-08

Time
Factor
T
cv*t
Hdr^2
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595
0.5595

Current Soil State

Excess
Actual
Actual
PW P
PW P
Eff. Stress
(kPa)
(kPa)
(kPa)

0.00
5.27
10.40
15.24
19.67
23.56
26.81
29.32
31.04
31.91
31.91
31.04
29.32
26.81
23.56
19.67
15.24
10.40
5.27
0.00

29.43
39.61
49.64
59.38
68.72
77.51
85.67
93.09
99.71
105.48
110.39
114.42
117.61
120.00
121.66
122.67
123.15
123.21
122.99
122.63

Page 4

150.03
149.82
149.74
149.96
150.58
151.75
153.56
156.09
159.43
163.62
168.67
174.60
181.37
188.94
197.24
206.19
215.67
225.57
235.75
246.08

Percent
Consol.

100.0%
94.7%
89.6%
84.8%
80.3%
76.4%
73.2%
70.7%
69.0%
68.1%
68.1%
69.0%
70.7%
73.2%
76.4%
80.3%
84.8%
89.6%
94.7%
100.0%
53.8%

PWP's

Pore-Water Pressures
10.00

9.00

8.00

7.00

Height (m)

6.00
Initial

5.00

Final
Current

4.00

3.00

2.00

1.00

0.00
0.00

50.00

100.00

150.00
PWP (kPa)

Page 5

200.00

250.00

153346462.xls.ms_office

Calculate PWP
=RESULT(1)
=ARGUMENT("Load1",1)
=ARGUMENT("Z",1)
=ARGUMENT("T",1)
=SET.NAME("Total",0)
=FOR("n",0,8)
= SET.NAME("Total",Total+4/((2*n+1)*PI())*SIN((2*n+1)/2*PI()*Z)*EXP(-((2*n+1)^2/4*(PI())^2*T)))
=NEXT()
=SET.NAME("Total",Total*Load1)
=IF(Total>Load1,RETURN(Load1))
=RETURN(Total)

Page 6