Consolidation Settlement Examples 3

1.

A large (flexible) foundation slab is to be constructed on the surface of a stratum of

dense saturated granular soil 5.0m thick. The sand overlies a 7.0m thick clay layer,
which is resting on fissured sandstone. The bulk unit weight of the sand is 18.5kN/m 3
and the saturated unit weight of the clay is 20kN/m3. Groundwater level may be
assumed to occur at the interface between the granular soil and clay. The increase in
vertical stresses at the centre of the clay layer due to the imposed foundation loads have
been calculated as:
Under slab centre:

80 kN/m2

Directly under slab corner:

35 kN/m2

Consolidation tests were carried out on representative samples of clay and gave the
following results:
Pressure kN/m2

Sample Thickness (mm)

19.05

50

18.78

100

18.62

200

18.42

400

18.18

Estimate the consolidation settlement at the centre and corners of the foundation.
[49mm and 15mm]

2.

A 12m thick layer of normally consolidated clay has its upper surface at ground level.
Originally, the clay was completely saturated with the water-table occurring at the top
of the clay; however, due to nearby pumping operations, the water table fell by 4m and
was maintained at this level. Ground level was subsequently raised by 1.5m using
imported fill with a compacted to a bulk unit weight of 16.7kN/m3.
After some months, the upper surface of the clay was found to have experienced an
average final settlement of 550mm. The specific gravity, G, of the clay particles was
2.65 and its original moisture content was 37.8%. Assuming that the clay remained
saturated after pumping determine an approximate value for the compression index, C c,
of the clay.

Note: Bulk unit weight of a soil = w(G +eSr)/(1+e) where w is the unit weight of water.
g = 9.81m/s2. [Cc = 0.25]
3.

A circular grain silo, which imposes a gross stress of 150kN/m 2, has a diameter of 10m
and is founded at a depth of 2m in a 17m layer of over-consolidated clay. The clay
overlies a deep granular deposit. Water-table is at founding depth and the saturated unit
weight of the clay is 20kN/m3. By sub-dividing the clay layer beneath the silo into three
equal layers, and assuming 1-dimensional consolidation conditions prevail, calculate
the magnitude of the consolidation settlement of the layer beneath the centre of the silo.
The coefficient of volume compressibility, mv , decreases with depth and is
approximated by the equation mv = (0.0650.0025z) m2/MN where z is the depth below
the foundation.
The vertical stress increase below the centre of the silo is given by:

z =

q 1

1 R

where z is the vertical stress increase; R is the radius of the footing and z is the depth
below the footing. [45mm]

SOLUTIONS

Q2

See class example 8

Q3

See class example 10