Self Paced Learning Material

Geotechnical Engineering II (CE 424)

Lesson I
COMPRESSIBILITY OF SOIL

The design of foundations of structures such as buildings, bridges, and dams generally requires a knowledge of
such factors as:
(a) the load that will be transmitted by the superstructure to the foundation system,
(b) the requirements of the local building code,
(c) the behavior and stress-related deformability of soils that will support the foundation system, and
(d) the geological conditions of the soil under consideration.

Categories of Soil Settlement

a. Elastic Settlement (Immediate Settlement) - which is caused by the elastic deformation of dry soil and of
moist and saturated soils without any change in the moisture content.

b. Consolidation Settlement – occurs over time; pore water is extruded from the void spaces of saturated
clayey soils submerged in water.

Phases of Consolidation Settlement

1. Primary Consolidation Settlement - which is the result of a volume change in saturated cohesive
soils because of expulsion of the water that occupies the void spaces.

2. Secondary Consolidation Settlement - occurs after the completion of primary consolidation caused
by slippage and reorientation of soil particles under a sustained load.

Total Settlement
H T  H I  H P  H S

where: ∆HI - elastic/immediate settlement

∆HP - primary consolidation settlement
∆HS - secondary consolidation settlement

a. Elastic Settlement/Immediate Settlement

pB (1   2 )
H I  If
E

where: p - net pressure applied

B - width or diameter of footing
µ - Poissons’ ratio
E - modulus of elasticity of soil
If - influence factor (dimensionless)
Influence factor for the corner of a flexible rectangular footing given as:

where: m1 - length of foundation/width of foundation

 1 1 m 2  
1
If  m1 ln 1   ln(m  1  m 2 )
  m1  1 1

   
Self Paced Learning Material
Geotechnical Engineering II (CE 424)

Sample Problem 1
A rigid column footing 1.2m diameter is constructed on unsaturated clay layer. The load on the footing is
170kN. Estimate the immediate settlement. Assume the clay has E = 6900kPa and µ = 0.2.

Solution:

pB (1   2 ) If = 0.79 (from the table)

H I  If If
E Shape m1 Flexible Rigid
170 Center Corner
pQ A
  2 Circle - 1.00 0.64 0.79
 (1.2) 1 1.12 0.56 0.88
4
  1.5 1.36 0.68 1.07
p  150.31kPa 2 1.53 0.77 1.21
B  1 .2 m 3 1.78 0.89 1.42
Rectangle 5 2.10 1.05 1.70
150.31(1.2)(1  0.2 2 ) 10 2.54 1.27 2.10
H I  (0.79) 20 2.99 1.49 2.46
6,900
50 3.57 1.8 3.00
H I  0.0198mm 100 4.01 2.0 3.43
H I  19.8mm

b. Primary Consolidation Settlement

b.0 Basic Settlement Formula

H (e0  e ' ) H (e)

H P  
1  e0 1  e0

where: H = thickness of stratum

e0 - void ratio before the vertical load is applied
e1 - void ratio after the vertical is applied

b.1 Normally consolidated soils

Cc pf
H P  H log
1  e0 p0

where: H - thickness of stratum

Cc - compression index
e0 - initial void ratio
p0 - initial vertical effective stress
pf - final vertical effective stress
pf - p0 + ∆p

b.2 Over-consolidated fine-grained soils

when pf < pc
Cs pf
H P  H log
1  e0 p0
Self Paced Learning Material
Geotechnical Engineering II (CE 424)

when pf > pc

Cs p Cc pf
H P  H log c  H log
1  e0 p0 1  e0 pc

where: Cs - swell index

pc - preconsolidation pressure
OCR (over-consolidation ratio) - pc/p0
pc - pre-consolidation pressure (past maximum vertical effective stress)
p0 - overburden effective stress (current vertical effective stress)
If OCR = 1, the soil is normally consolidated soil

Compression Index (Cc)

Skempton:
For remolded clay: Cc = 0.007(LL - 7%)
For undisturbed clay: Cc = 0.009(LL - 10%)

Swell Index (Cs)

Cs ≅ Cc/5 to Cc/10

Sample Problem 2
A soil profile shown. A uniformly distributed load of 50kPa, is applied
at the ground surface. Assume Cs= Cc/5. Determine the settlement of
the clay layer by primary consolidation if:
(a) The clay is normally consolidated.
(b) The pre-consolidation pressure is 210kPa
(c) The pre-consolidation pressure is 150kPa

Solution:
a. Normally consolidated clay

Cc pf
H P  H log
1  e0 p0

Assume soil to be undisturbed:

Cc  0.009( LL  10)
C  0.009(50  10)  0.36
Compute the initial and final effective stress at the mid-height of the consolidating clay layer:

p0  ( b )h clay  ( b )h sat .sand  ( b )h dry .sand 
p0  (19  9.81)(4)  (18.5  9.81)(6)  16(3)
p0  136.9kPa

p f  p 0  p
p f  136.9  50
p f  186.9kPa
Self Paced Learning Material
Geotechnical Engineering II (CE 424)

0.36 186.9
H P  8 x log
1  0.95 136.9
 H P  0 .2 m
H P  200mm

b. Overconsolidated with pc = 210kPa

pf = 186.9kPa < pc

Cs pf
H P  H log
1  e0 p0
C s  0.36 / 5
C s  0.072

0.072 186.9
H P  8 x log
1  0.95 136.9
 H P  0 .4 m
H P  40mm

c. Overconsolidated with pc = 150kPa

pf = 186.9kPa > pc

Cs p Cc pf
H P  H log c  H log
1  e0 p0 1  e0 pc
0.072 150 0.072 186.9
H P  8 x log  8x log
1  0.95 136.9 1  0.95 150
H P  0.01172  0.1411
H P  0.1528m
H P  152.8mm

Sample Problem 3
Given in the figure is a borehole log in a project site. The proposed building
will exert a net stress of 12 Newton per square centimeter.
(a) Determine the buoyant unit weight of the clay
(b) Determine the effective vertical stress at the mid-height of the clay
layer.
(c) Determine the average settlement of the normally consolidated clay
layer. Use compression index Cc=0.009(LL-10)
Self Paced Learning Material
Geotechnical Engineering II (CE 424)

Solution: G 1
a. b  w
1 e
 27.3
Gs  s 
 w 9.81
Gs  2.783
Gs w  eS , where, S  1
2.783(0.40)  e
e  1.113
2.783  1
b  (9.81)
1  1.113
 b  8.278kN / m 3

b. pc  8.278(4.1)  10.4(7.2)  17.9(4)

pc  180.42kPa

c. Clay is normally consolidated

Cc pf
H P  H log
1  e0 p0
Cc  0.009( LL  10)
Cc  0.009(40  10)
Cc  0.27
e0  1.113
p0  180.42kPa
p f  p 0  p
p f  180.42  12 N (100 cm ) 2
cm 2 m
p f  300.42kPa
0.27 300.42
 H P  8 .2 x log
1  1.113 180.42
H P  0.232m
H P  23.2cm