MANILA: Room 206, JPD Building, CM Recto Avenue, Manila

CEBU: 4/F J. Martinez Bldg., Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City

Telephone Number: (02) 516 7559 (Manila) E-Mail: buksmarquez1 @yahoo.com
(032) 254-9967 (Cebu)
Review MODULE – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 3

STRESSES IN SOIL SITUATION 1. A surcharge load is applied on the ground surface as

shown in the figure:
~ VERTICAL STRESSES ~
Effective Stress, PE
It is the stress resulting from particle-to-particle contact of soil.
PE = PT - Pw
Pore-Water Pressure, Pw
It is the stress induced by water-pressure.
Pw = γw h
Total Stress, PT
PT = PE + Pw

SITUATION 1. A river is 3.5 m deep with the riverbed consisting of a thick

bed of sand having a specific gravity of 2.65 and a moisture content of
40 percent.
1. What would be the effective vertical stress at 5 m below the riverbed?
2. If the water level rises by 2 m, what would be the new effective
vertical stress at 5 m below the riverbed?
1. How high will the water rise in the piezometer immediately after the
3. If the water level drops by 5 m, what would be the new effective application of the surface load 150 kPa.
vertical stress at 5 m below the riverbed?
2. What is the degree of consolidation at Point D when h = 10 m?
SITUATION 2. Consider the soil profile shown below: 3. Find the value of h when the degree of consolidation at D is 70%.

~ TIME RATE OF CONSOLIDATION ~

Coefficient of Consolidation, cv
It is the parameter used to describe the rate at which saturated clay or
other soil undergoes consolidation, or compaction, when subjected to an
increase in pressure.
𝐤
𝐜𝐯 =
𝐦𝐯 𝛄𝐰

Coefficient of Volume Compressibility, mv

It is the volume decrease of a unit volume of soil per unit increase of
effective pressure during compression.
𝐚𝐯
𝐦𝐯 =
𝟏 + 𝐞𝐨
4. Determine the vertical effective stress at point C.
Coefficient of Compressibility, av
5. How high should the groundwater table rise so that the vertical It is the slope of the void ratio-pressure curve when both are plotted on
effective stress at C is 111 kN/m2? an arithmetic scale.
𝐞𝟏 − 𝐞𝟐
6. If by dewatering, the water level lowered by 2 m from the original 𝐚𝐯 =
water level, determine the stress increase at point C. 𝐏𝟐 − 𝐏𝟏

Time Factor, Tv
~ DEGREE OF CONSOLIDATION ~
It is the parameter used to find the consolidation coefficient with time
The ratio, expressed as a percentage, of the amount of consolidation at taken for consolidation settlement in soil. It is a non-dimensional number.
a given time within a soil mass, to the total amount of consolidation 𝐂𝐯 𝐭
obtainable under a given stress condition. 𝐓𝐯 =
(𝐇𝐝𝐫 )𝟐
𝛅𝐭
𝐔=
𝛅𝐦𝐚𝐱 𝛑 𝐔 𝟐
𝐓𝐯 = ( ) when: 0 < U ≤ 60%
𝟒 𝟏𝟎𝟎
where: δt = settlement at time t
δmax = settlement at the end of primary consolidation 𝐓𝐯 = 𝟏. 𝟕𝟖𝟏 − 𝟎. 𝟗𝟑𝟑 𝐥𝐨𝐠(𝟏𝟎𝟎 − 𝐔) when: 60% < U < 100%

Another way to solve the degree of consolidation:

𝐮𝐨 − 𝐮𝐭 where: k = coefficient of permeability / hydraulic conductivity
𝐔= t = time corresponding to the degree of consolidation
𝐮𝐨 Hdr = thickness of soil sample (one way or two way)
where: uo = initial excess pore water pressure U = degree of consolidation in %
ut = excess pore water pressure at time t
 MANILA: Room 206, JPD Building, CM Recto Avenue, Manila
CEBU: 4/F J. Martinez Bldg., Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City
Telephone Number: (02) 516 7559 (Manila) E-Mail: buksmarquez1 @yahoo.com
(032) 254-9967 (Cebu)
Review MODULE – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 3

SITUATION 1. A raft footing is to be constructed on a 7.5m thick clay SITUATION 2. The groundwater table of a deep sand layer is located 4.0
layer which lies between two sand layers. In order to predict the time rate m below the ground surface. The sand above the water table is fully
of settlement of the building, a 2.5cm thick undisturbed sample of the soil saturated due to capillary action. The saturated unit weight of sand is 20
was tested in the laboratory. The sample was found to have undergone kN/m3.
50% consolidation in 12.5 minutes. 3. What is the vertical effective stress at a depth of 2 m?
1. Determine the coefficient of consolidation. 4. If the soil above the water table is only partially saturated at 90%,
what is the vertical effective stress at a depth of 2 m? (Moist unit
2. Determine the time required for 40% settlement of the building in
weight of sand is 18 kN/m3)?
days.

SITUATION 2. A laboratory consolidation test on a normally consolidated

clay has the following results:
Void ratio, e
Load (kN/m2)
(at the end of consolidation)
180 1.05
250 0.80
The soil sample tested was 30 mm thick and drained both sides. The
time required for the specimen to reach 40 % consolidation was 4 mins.
A similar clay layer in the field 2.5 m thick and drained both sides is
expected to have a primary consolidation settlement of 120 mm.
3. What is the average degree of consolidation of the soil in the field
when it reaches 50 mm settlement?
4. From the data results in the laboratory, what is the coefficient of
consolidation of the clay soil?
5. What is the length of time (in days) required for the settlement in the
field reaches 50 mm?

~ CAPILLARY RISE ~
The same idea that water moves upwards through a small tube against
the force of gravity, water in soil moves upwards through soil pores or
the spaces between soil particles. The height to which the water rises is
dependent upon the pore size
𝐂
𝐡=
𝐞(𝐃𝟏𝟎 )

where: C = Capillary constant

e = Void ratio
D10 = Effective diameter

Pore-Water Pressure:
Fully Saturated
Pw = - γw h
Partially Saturated
Pw = - γw h S

where: γw = unit weight of water

h = height measured from the water level
S = degree of saturation

SITUATION 1. A dense silt layer has a void ratio of 0.50. The

groundwater level is at 6.0 m depth. (Other soil proper ties: Effective
diameter = 10 μm, Capillary constant = 0.15 cm2)
1. Determine the height of the capillary rise in the silt?
2. Find the vertical effective stress (kPa) at 2 m depth, 3 m depth, 5 m
depth, and 8 m depth. (Assume unit weight of solids = 26.5 kN/m3
and that the soil above the capillary rise and ground surface is
partially saturated at 70%.)