Laboratory Consolidation Test

Test procedure
 Determine specific gravity (𝑮𝒔 ) of the soil specimen and the initial
water content (𝒘𝒐 ), and record the soil sample diameter, height and
weight.
 Set the soil sample in the consolidation cell and apply an initial stress,
𝑷𝟏 = 𝟐𝟓 𝒌𝑷𝒂 and record the dial gauge readings for a period of (24)
hrs. at the times 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 120, 240, 480 and 1440
min from load applicaion.
 At the end of the (24) hrs., double the applied stress (i.e. 𝑷𝟐 = 𝟐𝑷𝟏 =50
kPa) and record the dial gauge readings for (24) hrs. at the similar
times of step 2.
 Repet step 3 by doubling the applied stress and recording the dial
gauge readings. This procedure is repeated till we reach a stress of
(1600) kPa, (sometimes we reach to 3200 kPa). This proceudre takes
(7) days and is called “loading stage”.
Test procedure
 Unload (3/4) the applied stress(i.e. remove 1200 kPa and leave 400

kPa) and record dial gauge readings for (24) hrs.

 After (24) hrs., unload (3/4) the remaining stress (i.e. rmove 300 kPa

nd keep 100 kPa) and record dial gauge readings for (24) hrs., then

rmove all the applied stress and record dial gauge readings.

 Determine the final water content of soil specimen.

Time Dial gauge readings

0.25 95 164 250 366 510 695 904 1038 937

0.5 101 168 255 373 515 704 910 1038 924

1 104 172 262 381 528 725 920 1036 904

2 110 179 268 391 544 739 932 1035 880

4 115 185 278 402 560 763 946 1033 835

8 118 189 284 413 570 783 963 1031 800

15 121 195 291 421 582 802 977 1030 765

30 124 198 300 428 591 805 979 1029 680

60 125.5 204 303 430 596 822 1000 1028 655

120 126 205 306 435 597 831 1012 1028 622

1440 127.5 218 320 443 598 841 1038 1028 597
 Mass of the empty ring =99.18 gm.
 Mass of the ring + wet soil = 266.4 gm. (at the beginning of the test)
 Mas of the ring + dry soil =226.68 gm. (at the end of the test)
 Diameter of the ring = 75 mm.
 Height of ring = 19 mm.
 Dial gauge coefficient = 0.0001” (inches).
 Initial water content = 31.14 %.
 Specific gravity of soil solids 𝐺𝑠 =2.76.
 Initial degree of saturation = 100 %.

Now, Required void ratio at each load increment.

Solution:
 From Initial water content, the initial void ratio (𝑒𝑜 ) is:
𝑆. 𝑒 = 𝐺𝑠 . 𝑤 → 1. 𝑒 = 2.76 ∗ 0.3114
∴ 𝒆𝒐 = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟓𝟗
 Total volume of specimen = 1 + 𝑒𝑜
Every change in volume due to vertical stress occurs only in void ratio (water only), thus,
∆𝒆 = 𝒆𝒐 − 𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍
∆𝑯
Axial or Vertical strain (𝜺𝒂 = ) is:
𝑯
∆𝑯 ∆𝒆
= (this relationship is used to calculate the void ratio at the end of each load
𝑯 𝟏+𝒆𝒐
increment
Applied Final dial Dial change Thickness of Change in void Void ratio
pressure gauge • 0.0001*25.4 sample at the ratio at the end
kPa reading (∆𝑯) end of 24 hrs. ∆𝑯 of 24 hrs.
∆𝒆 = 𝑯 (𝟏 + 𝒆𝒐 )
(mm)
0 0 19 0.859
0.32385 0.0317
25 127.5 18.676 0.8273
0.22987 0.0225
50 218 18.446 0.8048
0.25908 0.0254
100 320 18.187 0.7794
0.31242 0.0306
200 443 17.875 0.7488
0.3937 0.0385
400 598 17.481 0.7103
0.61722 0.0604
800 841 16.864 0.6499
0.5 0.0489
1600 1038 16.364 0.601
-0.0254 -0.0025
400 1028 16.389 0.6035
-1.09474 -0.10714
100 597 17.484 0.7106
-0.4496 -0.044
0 420 17.934 0.755
 From test results:
0.85
0.9
∆𝑒 0.8
0.85
1) 𝑎𝑣 =
∆𝜎′𝑣
0.8 0.75
𝑎𝑣

Void ratio
0.75 2) 𝑚𝑣 =
1 + 𝑒𝑜
Void ratio

0.7
0.7
0.65
0.65

0.6 0.6

0.55
0.55
0.5 10 100 1000 10000
0 500 1000 1500 2000 Log (verticl stress)
Verticl stress

∆𝑒
𝐶𝑐 =
∆ 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝜎′𝑣
∆𝑒
𝐶𝑟 = 𝐶𝑒 =
∆ 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝜎′𝑣