CE 53006: Soil Mechanics and Geology II

Consolidation settlement

Q1. Using the e vs log ’ graph shown in Figure 1, determine the pre-consolidation
pressure (c’), the compression index (Cc) and the recompression index (Cr)
(Ans: c’ = 100 kPa, Cc = 0.66, Cr = 0.14)

1.300

1.250

1.200
Void Ratio

1.150

1.100

1.050

1.000
10 100 1000

Log( Effective stress kPa)

Q2. Calculate the final voids ratio of a thin clay layer when the vertical stress increases
by 65 kPa under conditions of no lateral strain if the initial void ratio is 1.11, the
initial vertical effective stress is 50 kPa, the initial over-consolidation ratio, OCR = 2,
and the compression and recompression indices are Cc = 0.4 and Cr = 0.08
respectively.
(Ans: 1.062)

Q3. A very long 6m wide embankment is built on a site where the soil profile consists of
3 m of clay overlying rigid impermeable rock, and the water table is 0.5 m below the
soil surface. If the embankment applies a uniform pressure of 75 kPa to the surface
of the soil, and the clay is saturated above the water table, calculate the settlement
of the centre of the embankment using the one dimensional method and a single
soil layer. The soil properties are:
(Ans: 69 mm)
 Void ratio at centre of layer 0.8
Specific Gravity, Gs 2.6
Over Consolidation Ratio, OCR 4
Compression Index, Cc 0.21
Re-compression Index, Cr 0.035

Q4. During an oedometer test on a specimen of saturated clay, the thickness of the
specimen decreased from 19.931 mm to 19.720 mm under an increment of stress
from 200 to 400 kPa which was maintained for 24 hours. The stress was then
removed from the specimen, its thickness was measured as 19.842 mm, and its
water content was determined as 26.8%.
Taking Gs of the particles to be 2.70, calculate the void ratio before and after the
application of the stress increment, and the coefficient of volume decrease (m v) for
2
this stress range. (Ans: e1= 0.731, e2= 0.713, mv = 0.052 m /MN)

Q5. The following results were obtained from an oedometer test on a specimen of
saturated clay:
Pressur 27 54 107 214 429 214 107 54
e
2
[kN/m
Void 1.243 1.217 1.144 1.068 0.994 1.001 1.012 1.024
ratio

A 8 m thick layer of this clay lies below a 4 m depth of sand, the water is at the
3
surface. The saturated unit weight of both soils is 19 kN/m . A 4 m thick fill of unit
3
weight 21 kN/m is placed on the sand over an extensive area. Determine the final
settlement due to consolidation of clay dividing the clay layer into four sublayers. If
the fill was to be removed some time after the completion of consolidation, what
heave would eventually take place due to swelling of clay? (Unit weight of water is
3
9.8 kN/m ) (Ans: 318 mm, 38 mm)

Q6. An oil storage tank 35 m in diameter is located 2 m below the surface of a 32 m

thick deposit of clay. The water table is at the surface and the net foundation
2
pressure is 105 kN/m . A firm stratum underlies the clay. The average value of mv
2
for the clay is 0.14 m /MN and that of pore pressure coefficient A is 0.65. The
2
undrained values of Young’s modulus is estimated to be 40 MN/m . Determine the
total settlement under the centre of the tank:

(i) Considering single clay layer (Ans: 317 mm)

(ii) Dividing the clay layer into 6 sub layers (Ans: 273 mm)

Q7. Answer the following questions.

(i) Tv = cvt / H2 , What is the definition of H in this equation?
(ii) Give typical units of Tv
(iii) Define the average degree of consolidation
 (iv) Mudstone has very low permeability, then why it has reasonably high
coefficient of consolidation?

Q8. A 3 m 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. (Ans: 24.50 min)

Q9. A clay specimen, 15 mm thick, has been tested in an Oedometer apparatus with
two way drainage, and it is observed that 50% of the consolidation settlement
occurs in 1hour. A layer of the same clay is observed to settle 10mm in 10 years
and after many years to settle by 35 mm. Determine the thickness of the clay layer
if it drains only from its upper surface. (Ans: 14.75 m)

Q10. During an Oedometer test on a specimen 20 mm thick with one way drainage the
excess pore pressure was measured at the impermeable horizontal boundary. The
measured relation between excess pore pressure and time is shown in Figure 1 for
an increment in vertical stress of 100 kPa. By considering the excess pore pressure
at a given time, estimate cv. Use Figure 2 to obtain Tv for corresponding degree of
consolidation at the impermeable boundary. (Ans: 1.26 m2/year)

Figure 1
 Figure 2

Q11. At the site of a large scale land reclamation project 10 m of sand overlie a silty clay
layer 50 m thick, which overlies highly fractured permeable rock. The project involved
rapidly placing 20 m of fill over a large area that applied a stress of 200 kPa to the
underlying soil. After 10 years a settlement of 1 m has been recorded at the surface.
Measurements of the water pressures in the clay layer at this time showed an
approximately parabolic distribution of excess water pressure with a maximum at the
centre of the layer of 85 kPa.

(i) Estimate cv (Ans: 26.9 m2/year)

(ii) Estimate the additional settlement expected from the dissipation of the excess pore
pressures (Ans: 0.4 m)

Q12. Compute the coefficient of consolidation for the test result shown in Figure 3. Initial
sample length is 19.7 mm. (Ans: 0.74 m2/year)
 Figure 2

S S

p (corrected ) p (oedo)