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Introduction
When loaded with external stresses, pore water pressure (pwp) in saturated cohesive soils will go up.
As the water in the pore spaces of the soil under higher pressure than the surrounding area, water
will drain out and the pwp will dissipate with time resulting reduction in volume of the soil. Time
taken for dissipation of pwp depends on the coefficient of consolidation of the soil and, if it is low (as
in cohesive soils), the dissipation of excess pwp takes place very slowly. Consolidation is defined as
the time dependent reduction of the volume of a soil due to the expulsion of pre water.
Practical example of this situation is loading of a footing on a clay layer. Pore water preassure in the
clay layer will be increased when the footing is loaded and with time water will drain out reducing the
pwp in the clay layer and causing volume reduction of the clay layer. Reduction in the volume of
the clay layer can cause settlement of the footing with time.
Sand
Drainage of water
Reduction in volume
With time the footing will undergo settlement causing cracking and tilting of the structure.
Therefore, it is important to find out:
What is the total settlement of the footing; and
How long will it take to settle or rate of settlement.
To estimate the above, certain consolidation properties of the clay soil is required and laboratory
consolidation test is done to determine those parameters.
Laboratory consolidation test
A cohesive soil sample inside a metal ring of 50mm diameter and 20mm in height having two
porous stones at the top and bottom is loaded in the laboratory consolidation test.
Porous stones
Saturated
clay sample
Cylindrical
metal ring
A conventional consolidation test is conducted over a number of load increments, each time
doubling the previous stress on the soil sample (for example loading increments may be 25kPa,
50kPa, 100 kPa, 200 kPa etc. The number of load increments should cover the stress range from
the initial stress state of the soil to the final stress state the soil layer expected to experience due to
the proposed construction.
Each loading increment is held over a time period of 24 hrs while measuring the settlement of the
soil sample with time. In this laboratory assignment, each group will monitor the sample for one
loading increment for a period of 24hrs. Each student should determine:
The coefficient of volume compressibility, mv; and
The coefficient of consolidation, Cv, for that load increment.
The rate of consolidation settlement is estimated using the Coefficient of consolidation Cv. This
parameter is determined for each load increment in the test. In this laboratory assignment, the
coefficient of consolidation should be estimated using two methods - the square root time method
(Taylor's method) and the log (time) method - Casagrande's method.
2. List the equipment used in the test with a diagram of the equipment used
5. Carry out the computations, draw the necessary graphs in the sheets provided and estimate
6. Discuss the importance and relevance of the test, the parameters obtained, shortcoming and
Assessment
Attendance in the laboratory session and submission of the laboratory report is essential to earn the
marks for the assignment.
Generic Information
Plagiarism: Academic honesty is crucial to a students credibility and self-esteem, and ultimately
reflects the values and morals of the Institute as whole. A student may work together with one or a
group of students discussing assignment content, identifying relevant references, and debating
issues relevant to the subject. Plagiarism occurs when the work of another person, or persons, is
used and presented as ones own.
Laboratory Consolidation Test and Analysis
Data obtained from one increment in a conventiional multi increment Consolidation Test
1.75
= = = 1.86 103 2 /
50 18.79
-3 2
mv is 1.86 x 10 m /kN for this loading increment.
Time factor, v = is uniquely related to the average degree of consolidation, U. Note that
2
the time factor Tv is dimensionless.
H is the length of the longest drainage path. As the sample is covered from top and bottom using
two porous discs, water inside the sample can drain either to top or bottom boundaries. Therefore,
length of the longest drainage path, H for the soil sample is half the thickness of the sample at the
beginning of the load increment.
Table 1 Relationship between degree of consolidation and the time factor of uniform pwp
increment
Thickness of the sample at the beginning of the load increment is 20 - 1.21 = 18.79 mm
Therefore, H = 18.79/2 = 9.40mm
Thickness of the sample at the beginning of the load increment is 20 - 1.21 = 18.79mm
Therefore, H = 18.79/2 = 9.40mm
Depending on the source of its strength, a soil can be divided into two
groups namely, cohesionless and cohesive soil. Cohesionless soils have no
cohesion or attraction between individual particles and cohesive soils
exhibits interaction between individual particles.
The shear strength of soil mass is its property against sliding along internal
planes within itself. The stability of slope in an earth dam or hills and the
foundations of structures built on different types of soil depend upon the
shearing resistance offered by the soil along the possible slipping surface.
Shear parameters are also used in computing the safe bearing capacity of
the foundation soils and the earth pressure behind the retaining walls.
If the area, which is subjected to shear force equals to A, the shear stress
( ) is equal to the shear force divided by A, and the normal stress () is
equal to the normal force divided by A. therefore,
= tan (1)
The shear strength (S) is the shear stress, which is necessary to cause
slippage on a surface through the soil. It can be expressed mathematically
as,
S = tan (2)
THEORY:
= + ( ) tan (3)
S = tan (4)
Therefore can be determined by drawing the graph of shear strength (S)
vs. normal stress ( ) (refer Figure 2).
Shear stress ()
Normal stress ( ) Shear Displacement
APPARATUS:
( ) = 60 (60 ) 2
= /2
( )
DISCUSSION:
Corrected
1. General
The shear strength of soil is expressed by the Mohr Coulomb failure criteria given below:
Where
s shear strength of the soil
n Normal stress on the shearing plane
c, and Soil strength parameters
The above relationship may be expressed in terms of the effective stress or total stress. In the
design of foundations, earth retaining structures, analysis of the stability of earth slopes etc.,
shear strength parameters of the soil are very essential.
There are in-situ testing methods that can be done in the field to determine the in-situ shear
strength parameters. But soil samples from the field can be taken to the laboratory and test to
obtain the shear strength parameters. The samples taken to the lab can be a disturbed sample
or an undisturbed sample. If the field strength parameters are to be determined, undisturbed
samples should be used for the tests.
There are different types of laboratory tests that can be used to determine the shear strength
parameters. Triaxial tests, direct shear test, vane shear test etc. are some of the tests that can
be used to determine the soil shear strength parameters in the laboratory. Out of the above
tests, triaxial test is very popular among geotechnical engineers as the stress condition in the
field can be simulated accurately. Further, possibility of controlling the drainage in and out
of the sample and measurement of pore water pressure (pwp) in the sample are some other
advantages of the triaxial test.
Generally, about 38 mm in diameter and 76 mm high, cylindrical SOIL sample wrapped in a
rubber membrane is used for this test. The specimen is wrapped with an impermeable rubber
membrane, and o-rings are used at the top and bottom to provide a watertight seal.
Therefore, drainage is allowed only from the top and bottom sides of the soil sample, as
shown in the Figure below.
The specimen is first saturated and then subjected to equal all-round confining (cell)
pressure, 3 by the compression of water in the chamber. This cell pressure is usually held
constant during the test. An axial load P is steadily applied to the specimen through a
vertical loading ram until failure occurs.
Two stages of a triaxial test are identified:
Depending on whether drainage is allowed from the sample or not, three types of triaxial
tests are done:
ConsolidatedDrained CD
ConsolidatedUndrained CU
UnconsolidatedUndrained UU
The first letter refers to the consolidation stage (Stage 1).
If drainage is allowed, Consolidated or C;
If drainage is not allowed, Unconsolidated or U;
The second letter refers to the shearing stage (Stage 2).
If drainage is allowed, Drained or D;
If drainage is not allowed, Undrained or U;
It can be shown that the deviator stress at failure is the same irrespective of the confining
pressure. The failure envelope for total stress Mohrs circles become a horizontal line and
hence, this is called = 0 condition.
3. Procedure
2. Whether the test is strain controlled or stress controlled, and rate of strain/ stress used
in the test,
4. Initial dry unit weight and moisture content for all the specimen tested at different cell
pressures,
5. Deviator stress at failure at different cell pressures, and therefore the minor and major
principal stresses,
10. Deviator stress vs. Axial strain information for all the cell pressures together with
the stress strain curves
Discussion
Briefly explain the differences between the three types of triaxial tests, Consolidated -
Drained (CD), Consolidated Undrained (CU) and Unconsolidated Undrained (UU).
What are the other tests that can be used to determine the shear strength parameters of
soil.
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of Triaxial Test over other test methods
which are used to find the shear strength parameters.
Assessment
Attendence in the laboratory session and submission of the laboratory report is essential to earn
the marks for the assignment.
Generic Information
Plagiarism: Academic honesty is crucial to a students credibility and self-esteem, and ultimately
reflects the values and morals of the Institute as whole. A student may work together with one or
a group of students discussing assignment content, identifying relevant references, and debating
issues relevant to the subject. Plagiarism occurs when the work of another person, or persons, is
used and presented as ones own.
Sample Calculation
GROUP ENGINEERING LABORATORIES (PVT) LTD.
UNCONSOLIDATED-UNDRAINED TRIAXIAL COMPRESSION TEST
TEST METHOD - ASTM D 2850 03a
200
190 50 kPa
180 100 kPa
170 150 kPa
160
150 Results
140 (Refer the graph attached in next page)
Deviator Stress (kPa)
130
120 Average Cu = 86 kPa
110
100 u (Deg) = 0
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0
Strain %