CHAPTER 8

ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
AND SOIL MECHANICS

8.1

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CHAPTER 8

dimensions

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CHAPTER 8

1.
2.
3.

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CHAPTER 8

()

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CHAPTER 8

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CHAPTER 8

skeleton

spaces

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CHAPTER 8

(loosely
compacted soil)

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CHAPTER 8

Refer to Fig. 9.6a

Refer to Fig. 9.6b

Refer to Fig. 9.6c

Refer to Fig. 9.6d

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CHAPTER 8

1.

Drainage

2.

3.

v=ki

4.

5.

6.

7.

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CHAPTER 8
Foundation stress
Ground level

G.W.T.

SAND
Pore
water
CLAY

SAND

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CHAPTER 8

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CHAPTER 8

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0.5649

0.584-0.5649

CHAPTER 8

Time factor, a pre-determined dimensionless number

based on different presumed drainage conditions

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Worked Examples

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CHAPTER 8

Worked Examples

1.

mv
2.

cv

Cc

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Worked Examples

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Worked Examples

CHAPTER 8

e=

Vv
Vs

Vs:unchanged
Initial

Initial

Final

Final

Important assumption

A
A

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Worked Examples

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CHAPTER 8

Worked Examples

h
h0

e0

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Worked Examples

CHAPTER 8

Relative to the
reading at the end of
the test

0.067dh=

We only know
this value

Alternative mehtod of
determination of mv

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Worked Examples

CHAPTER 8

Solution:

Before excavation for and

construction of foundation

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Worked Examples

CHAPTER 8

After excavation for and

construction of foundation

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IVE(TY)

Chapter
Chapter 8_Consolidation
9_Consolidation

Soil Mechanics & Geology

Chapter 8_Consolidation
9_Consolidation
Class Practice
1
A layer of sand 5 metres deep overlies a 6-metre thick clay. The ground water
level is at the ground surface at the top of the sand layer. A 4-metre thick fill is
then placed on the top of the sand layer over a wide area. The properties of the
materials are:
Sand: unit weight, Jsat = 19 kN/m3
Clay: unit weight, Jsat = 20 kN/m3
Coefficient of volume compressibility, mv = 2.3 x 10-4 m2/kN
Fill: unit weight, Jd = 20 kN/m3

(i)

Determine the vertical effective stress at the centre of the clay layer:
75 kN/m2

before the layer of fill is placed

75 kN/m2

immediately after the fill layer is placed

after the fill is placed and all drainage in the clay layer is complete

155 kN/m2

(ii) Calculate the final primary consolidation settlement in the clay layer.
0.11 m

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Soil
Soil Mechanics_Chapter
Mechanics_Chapter 8_Class
9_Class Practice_2011
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Prepared by Jimmy Yan

CHAPTER 8

(Expressed in terms of %)

is related to

so-called time factor Tv, a dimensionless number

LOADING

LOADING

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(Theoretical)

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CHAPTER 8
Take Case 1 as an example as referred to Figure 9.10

(0.197)

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CHAPTER 8
Class Exercise:
Question 1

100 kPa

Ans: 80 mm
Ans: 7.84 months
Ans: 20 mm

Ans: 18.8 months

Ans: 1.54 x 10-10 m/s

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IVE(TY)

Chapter
Chapter 8_Consolidation
9_Consolidation

Soil Mechanics & Geology

Chapter 8_Consolidation
9_Consolidation
Class Practice
2 A uniform vertical stress of 200 kN/m2 is applied on the ground surface of a site with
underground profile as shown in Figure 2. The properties of the clay layer are as below:
Coefficient of volume change, mv = 9.71 x 10-4 m2/kN
Coefficient of consolidation, cv = 2.1 x 10-8 m2/s.
Find:
2.04 x 10-10 m/s
(i)
the permeability of the clay layer in m/s;
2
(ii) the total consolidation settlement of the clay layer due to the 200 kN/m
1.17 m
increase of effective vertical stress;
(iii) the time required (in days) for 90% of the settlement to complete if the time
4206 days
factor, Tv, for 90 % consolidation is 0.848.
(iv) Suggest two methods to speed up the rate of consolidation settlement.

Figure 2

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Soil
Soil Mechanics_Chapter
Mechanics_Chapter 8_Class
9_Class Practice_2011
Practice_2011

Page 2

Prepared by Jimmy Yan

Class Exercise: Question 2

CHAPTER 8

Ans: 250 mm
Ans: 2.21 months
Ans: 57 mm
Ans: 8.9 months

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