Consolidation Settlement

What is Consolidation?

When a saturated soil is loaded externally,

GL

saturated clay

the water is squeezed out of the soil and the soil shrinks, over a long time may be up
to several years depending upon the permeability of the soil this whole phenomena
is called consolidation.
 Concept of Consolidation

As the time passes the water comes out of the soil

voids and so the volume of soil decreases, this is the
cause of the settlement.
The settlement is directly
proportional to the decrease in
volume of soil= The volume of
squeezed out water
Settlement due to consolidation

Settlement is the vertically downward movement of

structure due to the shrinkage in volume of soil due
to consolidation.

e
settlement H
1 eo
 Settlement vs. Time

This leads to settlements occurring over a long time,

Settlement

End of Primary Consolidation

Logarithm of Time

which could be several years, depending upon the permiability of the soil.
 Consolidation Settlement

It occurs due to the process of consolidation.

Clay and Organic soil are most prone to consolidation
settlement.
Consolidation is the process of reduction in volume due to
expulsion of water under an increased load.
It is a time related process occurring in saturated soil by
draining water from void.
It is often confused with Compaction.
Consolidation theory is required to predict both rate and
magnitude of settlement.
Since water flows out in any direction, the process is
three dimensional.
But, soil is confined laterally. Hence, vertical one
dimensional consolidation theory is acceptable.
Spring analogy explains consolidation settlement.
Permeability of soil influences consolidation.
Settlement-Void ratio Relation

Equating the two expressions for average vertical

strain,

consolidation change in void ratio

settlement
H e
Ho 1 eo

initial thickness of initial void ratio

clay layer
 Settlement computations

Two different ways to estimate the

consolidation settlement:
q kPa
(a) using mv
settlement = mv H
=q
H
(b) using e-log v plot

e
settlement H
1 eo
 Settlement by Mv Method
~co-eff of volume change=mv

~volumetric strain in a soil element per

unit increase in stress no units

change in volume
original volume V
i.e.,
mv V
kPa-1 or MPa-1 kPa or MPa
Virgin Consolidation Line
original
state
virgin consolidation line
eo
void ratio

p log v
vo
 Settlement computations
~ computing e using e-log v plot

If the soil is normally consolidated,

the entire loading path is along the virgin
compression line.
initial
eo

vo+
vo
 Settlement computations

If an overconsolidated clay becomes normally

consolidated by the end of consolidation,

initial
eo

VCL

vo p vo+
 Practical Applications

Cross section of PVD

Installation

Prefabricated Vertical Drains to Accelerate Consolidation

 Consolidation Test

settlement Increment of load At any degree of

consolidation, comparison in time taken
dial gauge
for consolidation between laboratory &
Topcap
field with respect to drainage path is

water confining
ring

t = Time taken
d = Drainage path
sample porous stone