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DUET
CE-3301
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING -I
NOTE NO. 07
CONSOLIDATION
PREPARED BY:
Dr. Md. Mokhlesur Rahman
Professor
Civil Engineering Department
Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology (DUET), Gazipur
Prepared by: Dr. Mokhlesur Rahman, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering,
DUET, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Consolidation
Definition and general features:
1)
2)
3)
4)
Due to desiccation.
2)
3)
The model indicates that the springs represent the mineral skeleton in
the actual soil mass and the water below the piston is the pore water
under saturated condition in the soil mass.
When a load per unit area is placed on the piston, this load is fully
transferred to water (water is assumed to be incompressible) and the
water pressure increases.
If the whole model is leak-proof without any holes in the piston, there
is no chance for the water to escape.
If a few holes are made in the piston, the water will immediately
escape through the holes.
With the escape of water through the holes a part of the load carried
by the water is transferred to the springs.
The time required to attain this condition depend upon the number
and size of the hole made in the piston.
After the spring water system attains equilibrium condition under the
imposed load the settlement of the piston is analogous to the
compression of the clay-water system by consolidation under external
pressures.
Fig.-3a:- Consolidometer
The soil sample is contained in the brass ring between two porous
stones about 1.25 cm thick. By means of the porous stones water has
free access to and from both surface of the specimen.
Loads are applied in steps in such a way that the successive load
intensity, P is twice the proceeding one.
The dial readings are taken at elapsed times , , 1,2,4,8, 15, 30, 60,
120, 240 and 1440 minutes from the time the new increment of load
is put on the sample.
i.
Moisture content and weight of the soil sample before the commencement
of the test.
ii.
Moisture content and weight of the sample after the completion of test.
The pressure-void ratio curve can be obtained if the void ratio of the
sample at the end of each increment of load is determined.
Calculate the height of solids in the soil sample = Hs, where Ws = dry wet
of the sample, A = area of the sample, Gs = specific gravity of soil solids
and
= unit wt of water.
Hv
Hs
H
Hs
For the first increment loading P1 (total load/unit area of sample ) causing a
deformation H1, calculate the change of void ratio e1,
e1 = ( H1/Hs)
The quantity e1 is obtained from the initial and final dial readings from the
loading.
For the next loading P2 (the cumulative load per unit area of sample)
causing additional deformation of H2 , the void ratio e2 at the area of
consolidation can be calculated as e2 = e1 - ( H2/Hs)
Proceeding similarly, the void ratio e1, e2, e3, e4 and e5 at the end of
consolidation for each load increment P1, P2, P3, P4 and P5 respectively can be
obtained and can be plotted as is figure:
The maximum pressure to which a soil (clay) was subjected in the past is
called the Preconsolidation Pressure (Pc or c).
Numerically, Cc is equal to the change in void ratio for one log cycle of
pressure change.
Normally consolidated (NC) clay, Over consolidated (OC) clay and Over
consolidation ratio (OCR) :OC clay
e
NC clay
Poc
logP Pc
PNC
Pc
Pc
OCR: The ratio of the preconsolidation pressure (Pc ) to the present effective
overburden pressure (Po) is called over consolidated ratio (OCR) .
So OCR =
Thus OCR >1 , indicates an OC clay and OCR
1 indicates an NC clay.
CO-efficient of compressibility
incremental pressure,
e f e0
i ,e
Where
and
under the pressure increment. The negative sign indicates that e decreases as
increases.
The co-efficient of volume compressibility or modulus of volume change
is defined as the volume change per unit volume per unit increase in pressurre .
The volume change may be expressed in terms of either void ratio or specimen
height .
e f e0
1 e0
Or
.
Terzaghis Theory of one dimensional consolidation :The assumptions made in the theory are:
(1) The soil is homogeneous .
(2) The soil is fully saturated .
(3) The soil particles and water are in compressible .
(4) Compression and flow are one dimensional (vertical).
(5) Strains are small.
Prepared by: Dr. Mokhlesur Rahman, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering,
DUET, Gazipur, Bangladesh
= constant.
Figure (a) shows a layer of clay of thickness, 2H that is located between two
highly permeable sand layer. If the clay layer is subjected to an increased
pressure of
, the pore water pressure at any point A in the clay layer will
increase. For one dimensional consolidation water will be squeezed out in the
vertical direction toward the sand layers.
Figure (b) shows the flow of water through a prismatic element at A with
velocity in z-direction is Vz and having total volume is V = dx.dy.dz.
For the soil element,
(the rate of out flow) - (rate of in flow of water) = rate of volume change.
-
dxdydz
_ _ _ _ _ _(1)
Darcys Law
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (2)
h
z
and h
( ) dxdydz =
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _(3)
Since the grains and water are in compressible for all practical purpose and for
the pressure involved the change in soil volume must be due to a change in the
volume of soil voids.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _(4)
h=
sand
2
H
clay
dz
dz
z
sand
dx
(a)
dy
(b)
v
v
From definition of void ratio, e v or
=e ,
So,
----------------- (5)
=
The change in void ratio is due to the increase of effective stress and assuming
that they are linearly related.
Prepared by: Dr. Mokhlesur Rahman, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering,
DUET, Gazipur, Bangladesh
=>
Where
pressure and
= co-efficient of compressibility.
pore water
volume compressibility ,
So
=>
=>
.
,
: co-efficient of consolidation,
is a constant where
t.
100
: Time factor,
and
is a constant where
= drainage path.
Drainage Path d:
The drainage path may be loosely defined as the longest distance that the
water would have to travel to exit from the soil.
If the soil can drain at one face only, then d equals the full thickness of the
stratum, d = H .
If drainage is at both faces of the soil then d equals half the thickness of the
stratum, d =
t. The solution must satisfy the hydraulic boundary conditions of the problem.
These conditions are:
I.
time.
II.
III.
H
2H
IV.
i
i=o
The solution for the preceding boundary conditions may be expressed by the
following relationship:
=
Where
= co-efficient of consolidation
t = time corresponding to
d= the thickness of layer.
Only t and H vary and
is constant.
,d=H
H
Impervious stratum
=>
For a particular type of soil having same degree of consolidation from both side
drainage layer .
=
, d=
=>
from deformation vs
logt curve.
Prepared by: Dr. Mokhlesur Rahman, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering,
DUET, Gazipur, Bangladesh
I.
II.
consolidation for the entire load increment has taken place. Locate the
corresponding point C on the curve and then establish point d
corresponding to a time
IV.
RO R100
2
t50 is the required time for 50% primary consolidation and we have
0.197
or
= 0.197
III.
or
).
= 0.848
IV.
i. =
II.
, = water content ,
= specific gravity of
Void ratio
e
c
log P
iii. The field consolidation curve,
compression index,
From the above
curve,
_ _ _ _ __ _ _ _(1)
Hs
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _(2)
=V-
=H-
(1+
)-
(1+
)=
Therefore ,
=
Substituting for
in Eq. (2)
Impervious layer
=H
We have,
If the thickness of the clay strata is too large, the strata may be divided into
smaller thickness not exceeding 3m. The net change in pressure
at the middle
of each layer will have to be calculated. The equation for the total consolidation
settlement may be written as
sub-division.
Settlement calculation from
From above equation (3) , we have ,
= H
- - - - - -(3)
From the field e-log p curves , the corresponding void ratio decreases
hence for the range in pressure from
to
to e ,
).
we may write ,
Or
So ,
Where
=
Now,
So,
= H
. Where
in equation (3)
= 1.781 - 0.933
(100 - U%)
0
20
U%
40
50
60
80
0.003 0.01
0.03
0.1
0.3
1.0
3.0
10
Tv (log scale )
Empirical formula for
calculation
= 0.009(
-10), Where
= liquid limit
a building that will be constructed on the sand above the clay stratum. Estimate
the expected settlement of the structure.
: Determination of e and .
=1
= 43% =0.43
Prepared by: Dr. Mokhlesur Rahman, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering,
DUET, Gazipur, Bangladesh
=>
W=
=0.43
=2.76+1.19=3.95
h3
Sand
h2
Clay
h1
Gs =0.43
=
=1.8gm/
= 1.8 T/
0.8gm/
=0.8
(3)Compression index,
= 0.009(
-10) = 0.009
=48%
) Change in pressure = 12 T/
III.
Total settlement
=
= 22.6 cm
Estimated settlement = 22.6cm.
Ex -2: A 2.5cm thick sample of the clay was taken from field for predicting the
time of settlement for a proposed building which exerts a uniform pressure of
10 tones/
and paper
drainage was allowed from top and bottom. It was seen that 50percent of the
total settlement occurred in 3 minutes. Find the time required for 50% of total
settlement of the building if it is to stand on 6m thick layer of clay which
extends from ground surface and is underlain by sand.
:
U =50% ,
=0.197
= 0.197
= 10.25
The data applied to field ,
U = 50% ,
=0.197 ,
= 10.25
t=
=125
80% consolidation.
: Total compression,
=
Where,
= 125
= 9.4 cm
= 125
/kg, H = 3m = 300cm,
= 25 T/
= 2.5kg/
= 0.0314
(100-U%)
(100-80%)
=0.57
The co-efficient of consolidation is
=
Where, k =
= 410-3 cm2/sec
=
and
/gm
, t20 =
Where,
, t80 =
=2.04day,
=1.5m =150cm
= 39 days
MORE PRACTICAL Example
Exercise
1.
2.
=2.70
. When the
= 1.83g/ c
, G = 2.7 , average
= 2.5 m
calculate the settlement 2 years after the start of lowering the WT.
4.
A 2.5cm thick sample of clay was taken from field for predicting the time
of settlement for a proposed building which exerts a uniform pressure of 10
T/
over the clay stratum. The sample was loaded to 100 kN/
and
proper drainage was allowed form top to bottom. It was seen that 50% of
the total settlement occurred in 3 months. Find the time required for 50%
of the total settlement of the building it is to stand on 6m thick layer of clay
which extends form ground and is underlain by sand.
5.
drainage conditions? How long would it take the layer to reach 30%
consolidation? (Ans: 962 days, 347 days .)
6.
The average natural water content of the NC deposit is 40%, unit weight is
2.8 gm/cc and compression index is 0.36. If the co-efficient of
consolidation is 6
. (Ans:
=2.39
inch)