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Lecture 6 - Compaction & Consolidation

Compaction involves densifying soils through external effort to reduce voids. It has several purposes: reducing settlements under loads; increasing strength for foundations and slopes; and making water flow through soil more difficult. The maximum dry density occurs at the optimum moisture content. Factors affecting compaction include moisture content, soil type, and compactive effort. Field compaction requires proper equipment and techniques. Consolidation is the decrease in volume of saturated fine-grained soils due to applied loads that squeeze out pore water over time. It can cause significant settlements and is evaluated using laboratory consolidation tests.

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254 views42 pages

Lecture 6 - Compaction & Consolidation

Compaction involves densifying soils through external effort to reduce voids. It has several purposes: reducing settlements under loads; increasing strength for foundations and slopes; and making water flow through soil more difficult. The maximum dry density occurs at the optimum moisture content. Factors affecting compaction include moisture content, soil type, and compactive effort. Field compaction requires proper equipment and techniques. Consolidation is the decrease in volume of saturated fine-grained soils due to applied loads that squeeze out pore water over time. It can cause significant settlements and is evaluated using laboratory consolidation tests.

Uploaded by

elias assefa
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Compaction

Compressibility

(Consolidation)
COMPACTION
What is compaction?
A simple ground improvement technique, where the soil is densified
through external compactive effort.

Compaction is the application of energy to soil to reduce the void


ratio
This is usually required for fill materials, and is sometimes used
for natural soils
Purposes of Compaction
 Compaction reduces settlements under working loads
 decreases the amount of undesirable settlement of structures
 Compaction increases the strength characteristics of soils
 increase the bearing capacity of foundations constructed over them
 increases the stability of slopes of embankments
 Compaction makes water flow through soil more difficult
 Compaction can prevent liquefaction during earthquakes
at w = 0,

at w = w1

When the moisture content is gradually increased and the same compactive effort is
used for compaction, the weight of the soil solids in a unit volume gradually increases.
For example, at w = w1,

The moisture content at which the maximum dry unit weight is


attained is generally referred to as the optimum moisture content.
(a) mold; (b) hammer
Oven Dried
to determine
Water
Content.
Factors affecting Compaction

The main factors affecting compaction are:

 Moisture content

 •Soil type

 •Compactive effort
Soil type
-grain-size distribution,
-shape of the soil grains,
-specific gravity of soil
solids, and
-amount and type of
clay minerals present
Compactive effort

There is no unique curve.


Increasing compactive
effort results in:
•Higher maximum dry
density
• Lower optimum water
content
Field Compaction
Compressibility of soils

One-dimensional consolidation settlement of fine-grained


soils
Deformation of soil grains
Expulsion of water
Relocation of soil particles

Soil deformation may occur by change in:


a) Stress
b) Water content
c) Soil mass
d) Temperature
A stress increase caused by the construction of foundations or
other loads compresses soil layers.
The compression is caused by
(a) deformation of soil particles,
(b) relocations of soil particles, and
(c) expulsion of water or air from the void spaces.

In general, the soil settlement caused by loads may be divided


into three broad categories:
These are
I. Elastic settlement (or 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.
II. 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.
III. Secondary consolidation settlement, which is observed in saturated
cohesive soils and organic soil and is the result of the plastic
adjustment of soil fabrics.
The total settlement of a foundation can then be given as

Note: When foundations are constructed on very compressible clays, the consolidation
settlement can be several times greater than the elastic settlement.
Contact Pressure and Settlement Profile

( Flexible foundation

Rigid foundation

Elastic settlement profile and contact pressure in clay:


The sand at the edge of a flexible foundation is pushed outward, and the deflection
curve of the foundation takes a concave downward shape.

flexible foundation

rigid foundation

Elastic settlement profile and contact pressure in sand


Consolidation Settlement (Primary Consolidation)
Fundamentals of Consolidation
Deformation of saturated soil occurs by reduction of pore space & the squeezing out of
pore water. The water can only escape through the pores which for fine-grained soils
are very small, while for coarse-grained soils are large enough for the process to occur
immediately after the application of load.
1D- Laboratory Consolidation Test
(oedometer test)

Purpose of the test


-to obtain soil data which is used in predicting the rate
and amount of settlement of structures founded on clay

- an apparatus known as an oedometer


The maximum effective past pressure is called the pre-consolidation
pressure.
lecture 7-introduction to rock mechanics.pptx

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