1

Soil Mechanics (ECIV 3351)

Discussion of chapter 11
Compressibility of soil

1- Types of settlement:
1-1 Elastic (immediate) settlement (Se).
1-2 Primary consolidation settlement (Sc).
1-3 Secondary consolidation settlement (Ss).

 Calculation of elastic settlement:

B '
Se  
Es
 
1   s2 Is . If

 s : Poison’s ratio.
Es: average modulus of elasticity of the soil under the foundation
 : Applied pressure = Load / area.
 B @ corner


B ' 

 B @ center
 2
 2

 1 @ corner


  

 4 @ center

1 - 2 s
Is  F 1  F2
1  s
The variations of F1 and F2 with m' and n' given in Tables 11.1 and 11.2.
Also the variation of If with Df/B and  s is given in Table 11.3. Note that when
Df = 0, If = 1 for all cases

L
m’ =
B
 H
 @ corner
B


n ' 

 H
@ center
 B
 2
 3

Es(i) : soil modulus of elasticity within a depth  Z

Z : H or 5B, whichever is smaller
 4

Problem 1 : For a square rigid foundation measuring 8 X 8 ft in plan , Df = 4 ft ,

a rock layer is located at z = 36 ft ,  s =0.3 ,  = 3500 psf . Estimate the elastic
settlement of the foundation
Z (ft) Es (Ib/ft2)

0-8 140,000

8-21 222,000

21-36 280,000

Solution:

From Tables 11.1 and 11.2, F1 = 0.491 and = 0.071

 5

 Calculation of primary consolidation settlement:

In general,
e
SC  H
1  eo
.‫ ﺳﻣﺎﻛﺔ اﻟطﺑﻘﺔ اﻟﻣراد ﺣﺳﺎب اﻟﮭﺑوط ﻟﮭﺎ‬:H
.‫ ﻧﺳﺑﺔ اﻟﻔراﻏﺎت اﻷوﻟﯾﺔ‬:eo
.(e – ) ‫ ﯾﺗم اﻟﺣﺻول ﻋﻠﯾﮭﺎ ﻣن اﻟﻣﻧﺣﻧﻰ اﻟذي ﯾرﺑط ﺑﯾن ﻧﺳﺑﺔ اﻟﻔراﻏﺎت و اﻹﺟﮭﺎد‬.‫ اﻟﺗﻐﯾر ﻓﻲ ﻧﺳﺑﺔ اﻟﻔراﻏﺎت‬:e
- For normal consolidated clay:
Cc H   o'   ' 
SC  log 

1  eo   '
o 
Cc : Compressibility index.
 o' :Present effective pressure at the middle of the layer under consideration.
 ' :Increase in stress at the mid of the layer.
.  ' ‫إذا أﻋطﺎﻧﺎ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺳؤال أن ھﻧﺎك إﺟﮭﺎد ﻣﺗوزع ﻋﻠﻰ ﻛﺎﻣل اﻟﺗرﺑﺔ ﻓﻧﻌﺗﺑره ﻣﺑﺎﺷرة ھو‬ 
‫ اﻟﻣﺗوﺳطﺔ ﺧﻼل اﻟطﺑﻘﺔ‬ ‫ ﻓﯾﺟب ﺣﺳﺎب‬، ‫إذا أﻋطﺎﻧﺎ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺳؤال وﺟود ﺣﻣل ﻋﻠﻰ ﻗﺎﻋدة ﻣﺣددة اﻟﻣﺳﺎﺣﺔ‬
'

:‫اﻟﻣراد ﺣﺳﺎب اﻟﮭﺑوط ﻟﮭﺎ ﻛﻣﺎ ﯾﻠﻲ‬
 Top
'
 4 mid
'
  bottom
'

 '

6
- For over consolidated clay:
 If  c'   o'   '
CS H   '   ' 
SC  log o ' 

1  eo  o 
 If  o'   c'   o'   '
CS H  '  C H   '   ' 
SC  log c'   C log o ' 

1  eo 
 o 1  e o   c 
CS : Swell index or called recompression index (Cr).
 c' : Pre-consolidation pressure.
 c'
OCR 
'
 6

The most famous relation for Cc is:

Cc = 0.009 (LL - 10)

1 1
C S    C c
5 10 

Problem 2
A soil profile as shown, the pre-consolidation Dry sand:

10ft
of the clay is 3400 psf. Estimate the primary Gs = 2.65, e=0.6
consolidation settlement that will take place as
the result of surcharge equal 2200 psf. Saturated Sand
10ft
Gs = 2.65, e=0.6
1
Assume Cs = Cc .
5 Saturated Clay
10ft

Gs = 2.70, w=30%, LL=35

Solution
 Find the unit weights of the soil layers:
- For dry sand:
Gs  w 2.65  62.4
 dry    103.35 pcf
1 e 1  0.6
- For saturated sand:
Gs  e w 2.65  0.6  62.4  126.75 pcf
 sat  
1 e 1  0.6
- For saturated clay:
e = 2.7 x 0.3 = 0.81
Gs  e w 2.65  0.81  62.4  121 pcf
 sat  
1 e 1  0.81
 Find the present effective pressure:

 o'  10  103.35  10  126.75  62.4    121  62.4   1970 psf

10
2
 o'   '  1970  2200  4170 psf
 c'  3400 psf
 o' (1970)   c' (3400)   o'   ' ( 4170)
 7

 Find Cc and Cs:

Cc = 0.009 ( 35 – 10 ) = 0.225
Cs = Cc / 5 = 0.225 / 5 = 0.045
CS H  '  C H   '   ' 
SC  log c'   C log o ' 

1  eo 
 o 1  e o   c 
0.045  10  3400  0.225  10  4170 
SC  log  log   0.169 ft  2.03in
1  0.81  1970  1  0.81  3400 

Problem 3:
Calculate the final voids ratio of a thin clay layer when the vertical stress increases by
65 kPa if the initial void ratio is 1.11, the initial vertical effective stress is 50 kPa, OCR
= 2, and the compression and recompression indexes are Cc = 0.4 and Cs = 0.08
respectively.
Solution
e e e
SC  H H H
1  eo 1  1.11 2.11
 c'  c'
OCR   2    c'  100 Kpa
 '
50
 o    50  65  115kpa
' '

 o'  50kpa
  o' (50)   c' (100)   o'   ' (115)

CS H   c'  C C H   o'   ' 

SC  
log '   log 
1  eo    ' 
 o 1 e o  c 
0.08  H  100  0.4  H  115 
SC  log  log   0.0229 H
1  1.11  50  1  1.11  100 
e
 0.0229 H  H  e  2.11  0.0229  0.04836  1.11  e2  0.04836
2.11
 e2  1.11  0.04836  e2  1.0616
 8

Problem 4

For the shown rectangular footing, calculate the

primary consolidation pressure given that:
B = 1.5 m
L = 2.5 m Sand

1.5m
Q = 120kN. =15kN/m3

Z Sand
1.5m

sat=18kN/m3

Top
2.5m

Clay (NC)
Gs=2.7,w=35%
Middle LL = 38

Bottom

Solution
120
q  32kpa.
1.5  2.5
  qI 4

‫ وﺣﯾث أن اﻟﻘﺎﻋدة ﻣﺳﺗطﯾﻠﺔ و‬،‫ﺳﻧﻘوم ﺑﺣﺳﺎب اﻟزﯾﺎدة اﻟﻣﺗوﺳطﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻹﺟﮭﺎدات ﻓﻲ اﻟطﺑﻘﺔ اﻟطﯾﻧﯾﺔ أﺳﻔل ﻣﻧﺗﺻف اﻟﻘﺎﻋدة‬
.249 ‫ ﺻﻔﺣﺔ‬9.8 ‫ ﻧذھب إﻟﻰ ﺟدول‬Influence factor ‫اﻟﻧﻘطﺔ اﻟﻣدروﺳﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻣﻧﺗﺻف اﻟﻣﺳﺗطﯾل ﻓﻠﻣﻌرﻓﺔ ﻗﯾﻣﺔ‬

 Top
'
 4 mid
'
  bottom
'

 ' 
6
Layer Z(m) m1(L/B) n1(2Z/B) I 
=32xI(kpa)
Top 1.5 1.67 2 0.4058 13
Middle 2.75 1.67 3.67 0.1925 6.16
Bottom 4 1.67 5.33 0.09 2.88
13  4  6.16  2.88
 '   6.75 Kpa
6
 9

For clay layer, e = Gs w = 2.7*0.35=0.945

Gs  e w 2.7  0.945  9.81  18.38kN / m 3 .
 sat  
1 e 1  0.945
 o'  1.5  15  1.518  9.81  18.38  9.81  45.5Kpa
2 .5
2
Cc = 0.009 (38 – 10) = 0.252
It is normal consolidated clay:
Cc H   o'   ' 
SC  log 

1  eo   '
o 
0.252  2.5  45.4  6.75 
SC  log   0.02m  20mm
1  0.945  45.5 
 10

 Time rate of consolidation:

Tv H dr2
Cv 
t
t: The required time to reach a specific degree of consolidation.
Hdr: Height of drainage.
Cv: Coefficient of consolidation.

To find Cv:
k
CV 
 w mv
K: Permeability coefficient.

mv: Coefficient of volume compressibility.

 e0  e1 
 
   e e
mv   1 0 
, eavg  0 1
1  eavg 2

To find Tv: Look Table 11.8 P335

Or from equations:
  U %  2
    U  0  60%
 4  100 
TV  


1.781  0.933 log100  U %   U  60%
 11

Problem 5
The coordinates of two points in the virgin compression curve are as follow:
e1  1.82   1  200kN / m 2
e2  1.54   2  400kN / m 2
1- Determine the coefficient of volume compressibility for the pressure range stated
above.
2- Given that Cv = 0.003 cm2/sec, Determine (k) in cm/sec corresponding to average
void ratio.
3- What would be the effective pressure' corresponding to e=1.7
4- What would be the void ratio corresponding to effective pressure ' = 500kN/m2.

Solution
1- Find mv:

e1  e2 e
1.82  1.54
 2  1 1.82
mv   400  200  5.2238  10  4 m 2 / kN
1  eavg 1.82  1.54
1
2

1.54

2- Find K:
200 400 
k
CV  log scale
 w mv
k
0.003  10  4 
9.81  5.2238  10  4
 K  1.537  10 9 m / sec  1.537  10 7 cm / sec
3- Find ' corresponding to e=1.7:
e1  e2 1.82  1.54
Slope of the virgin line =   0.93
log  2  log  1 log 400  log 200
At e = 1.7:
1.82  1.7
0.93    3  269.19kpa.
log  3  log 200
4- Find e corresponds to ' = 500kN/m2:
1.82  e3
0.93   e3  1.45
log 500  log 200
 12

Problem 6
For normally consolidated clay, the following results were obtained:
 o'  2tsf  e  eo  1.21
 o'   o'  4tsf  e  0.96
k  1.8  10  4 ft / day
1- How long will it take in days for 9 ft thick clay (Drained in one side) to reach 60%
consolidation.
2- What is the settlement at that time.
Solution
1- Find t60:
e1  e2 1.21  0.96
 2  1 42
mv    0.06 ft 2 / ton  0.06 / 2000  3  10 5 ft 2 / Ib
1  eavg 1 .21  0.96
1
2
4
k 1.8  10
cv   5
 0.096 ft 2 / day
 w mv 62.4  3  10
U  60%  T60  0.286
Tv H dr2 0.286  9 2
cv   0.096   t 60  240.8days.
t 60 t 60
2- Sc =? At 60% rate of consolidation:
1.21  0.96
CC   0.8304
log 4  log 2
Cc H   '   ' 
SC  log o ' 
1  eo  o 
0.8304  9  4 
SC  log   1.018 ft
1  1.21 2
U  60%  S c  0.6  1.018  0.61 ft  7.33in
 13

Problem 7
 For laboratory sample:
H = 25mm (One way drainage).
t50 = 11 min.
 For field:
H = 4m (Two way drainage):
In the field, find t50 and t70.
Solution
2
Tv H
Cv  dr

t
At the lab:
U = 50% → T50 = 0.197
0.197  0.025 2
Cv   1.119  10 5 m 2 / min
11
At the field:
0.197  2 2
1.119  10 5   t 50  70420 min  49days
t 50
5 0.403  2 2
1.119  10   t 70  144057 min  100days
t 70
 14

Problem 8
A 3m thick clay layer is able to drain from both its upper and lower surface and after 3
years a settlement of 32 mm is observed. After many years a settlement of 40 mm is
measured. If a specimen of this soil, 20 mm thick, was to be tested in an oedometer
apparatus with two-way drainage what would be the time for 50% consolidation.
Solution

At 100 % consolidation → Sc = 40mm

At U %? Consolidation → Sc = 32 mm
32  100
U  80%
40
Tv H dr2
Cv 
t
U  80%  T80  0.567
H dr  3 / 2  1.5m
t  3 years  1095days
0.567  1.5 2
CV   1.165  10 3 m 2 / days
1095
In the lab.:
Tv H dr2
Cv 
t
0.197  0.012
1.165  10 3   0.0169days  24.34 min
t 50