Soil Settlement

By

Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE

Fall 2010

Soil Settlement:
Total Soil Settlement = Elastic Settlement + Consolidation Settlement

Stotal = Se + Sc

Elastic Settlement or Immediate Settlement depends on

Elastic Settlement

Load Type (Rigid; Flexible)

Settlement Location (Center or Corner)

Theory of Elasticity

Time Depended Elastic Settlement (Schmertman & Hartman Method (1978)

Elastic settlement occurs in sandy, silty, and clayey soils.

By: Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., P.E.

By: Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., P.E.

Consolidation Settlement (Time Dependent Settlement)

* Consolidation settlement occurs in cohesive soils due to the expulsion of the water from the voids.
* Because of the soil permeability the rate of settlement may varied from soil to another.
* Also the variation in the rate of consolidation settlement depends on the boundary conditions.

SConsolidation = Sprimary + Ssecondary

Primary Consolidation
Secondary Consolidation

Volume change is due to reduction in pore water pressure

Volume change is due to the rearrangement of the soil particles
(No pore water pressure change, u = 0, occurs after the primary consolidation)

Water Table (W.T.)

Expulsion of
the water

Water

Voids
Solids

When the water in the voids

starts to flow out of the soil
matrix due to consolidation of
the clay layer. Consequently,
the excess pore water
pressure (u) will reduce,
and the void ratio (e) of the
soil matrix will reduce too.

Elastic Settlement
Bqo

Se =

Es
Bqo

Se =

Where =

Es

(1 - s)

(1 - s)

(corner of the flexible foundation)

(center of the flexible foundation)

[ ln ( 1 + m2 + m / 1 + m2 - m ) + m. ln ( 1 + m2 + 1 / 1 + m2 - 1 )

m = B/L
B = width of foundation
L = length of foundation

By: Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., P.E.

Se =

Bqo (1 - s)
Es

3.0

2.5

av

, av, r

2.0

1.5
For circular foundation
=1
av = 0.85
r = 0.88

1.0

3.0
1

10

L/B
Values of , av, and r
By: Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., P.E.

Elastic Settlement of Foundation on Saturated Clay

Janbu, Bjerrum, and Kjaernsli (1956) proposed an equation for evaluation of the
average elastic settlement of flexible foundations on saturated clay soils (Poissons
ratio, s = 0.5). Referring to Figure 1 for notations, this equation can be written as
Se = A1 A2 qoB/Es
where A1 is a function H/B and L/B, and is a function of D f/B.
Christian and Carrier (1978) have modified the values of A1 and A2 to some extent, and these are
2.0
presented in Figure 2.
L/B =

1.0

L/B = 10

1.5

A2 0.9

A1 1.0

2
Square
Circle

0.5

0.8

10

Df/B

15

20
0

0.1

10

100

1000

H /B

Values of A1 and A2 for elastic settlement calculation (after Christian and Carrier, 1978)
By: Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., P.E.

Elastic Settlement Using the Strain Influence Factor: [Schmertman & Hartman Method (1978)]
The variation of the strain influence factor with depth
below the foundation is shown in Figure 1.
Note that, for square or circular foundations,

Se = C1 C2 ( q - q) (Iz / Es ) z
where
Is = strain influence factor
C1 = a correction factor for the depth of foundation embedment
= 1 - 0.5 [q / (q - q)]

Iz = 0.1 at z = 0
Iz = 0.5 at z = 0.5B
Iz = 0 at z = 2B

C2 = a correction factor to account for creep in soil

= 1 + 0.2 log (time in years /0.1)
q = stress at the level of the foundation
q = overburden pressure = Df

Similarly, for foundations with L/B 10

Iz = 0.2 at z = 0
Iz = 0.5 at z = B
Iz = 0 at z = 4B

Example:

BxL
q
Df

Iz

q = Df

Es
Z1
Z2

Is3
Average Is

Z3
s3

Z4

Depth, z

Average Es

Elastic Parameters of Various Soils

Youngs Modulus, Es
Type of Soil
Loose sand
Medium dense sand
Dense sand
Silty sand
Sand and Gravel
Soft clay
Medium clay
Stiff clay

MN/m2
10.35 - 24.15
17.25 - 27.60
34.50 - 55.20
10.35 - 17.25
69.00 - 172.50
2.07 - 5.18
5.18 - 10.35
10.35 - 24.15

Lb/in2
1,500 - 3,500
2,500 - 4,000
5,000 - 8,000
1,500 - 2,500
10,000-25,000
300 - 750
750 - 1,500
1,500 - 3,500

E s (kN/m2) = 766N
E s = 2q c
where

N = standard penetration number

qc = static cone penetration resistance

Note: Any consistent set of units can be used

The Youngs modulus of normally consoliadated clays can be estimated as
E s = 250c to 500c
For overconsolidated clays
E s = 750c to 1000c
where c = undrained cohesion of clayey soil

Poissons Ratio, s
0.20 - 0.40
0.25 - 0.40
0.30 - 0.45
0.20 - 0.40
0.15 -0.35
0.20 - 0.50

Depth (m )
0-1
1.0 - 1.5
1.5 - 4
4.0 - 6

Z (m)

E s (kN/m2)

Average Iz

1
0.5
2.5
2

8,000
10,000
10,000
16,000

0.233
0.433
0.361
0.111

(Iz/E s). z (m 3/kN)

0.291
0.217
0.903
0.139
= 1.550

x 10-4
x 10-4
-4
x 10
x 10-4
x 10-4

C 1 = 1 - 0.5 (q / q - q )
= 1 - 0.5 [ 17.68 x 1.5 / 160 - (17.8 x 1.5)]
C 2 = 1 + 0.2 log (5/0.1) = 1.34
Time = 5 years
2B
= C 1 . C 2 (q -q) (Iz/E s) z
0

Hence
Sc

Example:
B x L = 3 m x 3m

= (0.9)(1.34)[160-(17.8x1.5)](1.55x10 -4 )
= 249.2x10-4 m 24.9 mm

q = 160 kN/m2

= 17.8 kN/m3

Es (kN/m2 )

1.5 m
4,000

12,000 20,000

8
Depth, z (m)

Averaged

Actual

0.1 0.2

0.4

0.6

1.5
Iz = 0.5

Iz

Consolidation Settlement

Consolidation Settlement (Primary Consolidation) = S c = (Cc/1+e o) Hc . log [(Po + P)/Po]

Qdesign = Column Load

Normally
Consolidated
Clay

Stressed Zone

Sand
B

Caly
Hc

Hc/2

Overburden
Pressure
Po

2
1

2
1

Stress
Distribution

Sand

By: Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., P.E.

Consolidation Settlement
Loading

Normally
Consolidated Soil

Unloading

p
Sand

Sand
H clay/2

Clay
Sand

Void Ratio

Sand

H sand

2
1

p
p

H clay/2

H clay

Sand

Sand

Void Ratio

Void Ratio

H sand

2
1

pp

H clay

p
P

p
P

eo

Cc

Po

Log P

Po

Po + p
P

Po

Log P

Cc H log(po + p)
Sultimate = H =
CS H1 + eo Po + PP
o
=
log (
P0
1 + eO

Po + p
P Log P

Po = sand . Hsand + ( clay - water ) . Hclay/2

By: Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., P.E.

Re loading
with Heavy Load
p2
H sand

2
1
H clay/2

pp

H clay/2

H clay

The soil become

overconsolidated
soil

Void Ratio

p
P

H sand

pp2

H clay

p
P2 2

Void Ratio

eo
Cs
Cs

Po

Po + p
P
=
Pc

Po

Log P

Pc

Po + p
P2

Log P

H C log
PP + P Cc H log Po + P2
CS H
PC Cs C
H
) +log (co
)
Sultimate = Hlog
= (
+
Po 1 +1e + eO
P
1
+
eo
1 + eO
Pc
C
Po
o

By: Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., P.E.

Re loading
with light Load
p2
H sand

2
1
H clay/2

pp

H clay/2

H clay

The soil become

overconsolidated
soil

Void Ratio

p
P

H sand

2
1

Void Ratio

pp2

H clay

Po + p
P
2 2
p
P22

eo
Cs

Po

Pc

Po

Log P

CS H
1 + eO

Pc

Cs H log
S
=

H
=
ultimate
Po + P
2
1 + eo
log
(
)
Po

Log P

Pc
Po

By: Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., P.E.

Determining The Preconsolidation Pressure (Pc)

Cassagrande Graphical Method

Void Ratio

6
3

1
4
2

Po
OCR = Pc/Po
OCR = 1
OCR > 1
OCR > 4

Pc

Log P

Normally Consolidated
Over Consolidated
Heavily Over Consolidated
By: Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., P.E.

Rate of Consolidation
Settlement at any time = Stime
Stime = Sultimate * U%

Sultimate= (Cc/1+eo) Hc . log [(P o + P)/Po]

U% = f (Tv) ....

Tv = f (cv) ......

Tv =

cv . t
(Hdr)2

Qdesign = Column Load

u =Excess Pore Water Pressure

Sand

Caly

Overburden
Pressure

Po

H dr = H c /2
Stress Distribution
2: 1 method

P
Uo

H c = Layer Thickness

Sand

u =Excess Pore Water Pressure

By: Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., P.E.

Rate of Consolidation

Two way drainage

Hdr = Hclay/2

Settlement at any time = Stime

One way drainage

Hdr = Hclay

Sand

Sand

Clay

Clay

Sand

Rock

Stime = Sultimate * U%
U% = f (Tv) ....

Tv = Time Factor

From Tables

Tv = f (cv) ......

Cv = Coefficient of Consolidation

cv . t
Tv =
(Hdr)2

t = time (month, day, or year)

(Hdr)2= Drainage Path
Hdr = H or H/2

Cv is obtained from laboratory testing

By: Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., P.E.