TITLE- CONSOLIDATION TEST

OBJECTIVES

To determine the coefficient of volume compressibility for the given load increment.

To determine the coefficient of consolidation using the square root time method( Taylors
method) and the log time method (Casagrandes method)
INTRODUCTION
All soils are compressible so deformation will occur whenever stress is applied to
soils. Soil minerals and water are both incompressible. Therefore, when saturated soils are
loaded, the load first acts on the pore water causing pore water pressures that are in excess of
the hydrostatic pressures. The excess pore water pressures are largest near the application of
load and decrease with distance from the loading. The excess pore water pressures dissipate
as water flows from the soil and, to compensate for the applied stress, the stress is
transferred to the soil minerals resulting in higher effective soil stress. The flow of water
from the soil also causes reductions in the soil volume and settlements at the ground surface.
Fine-grained soils have very low permeability so they can require substantial periods of time
before the excess pore water pressures fully dissipate. This process of time-dependent
settlement is referred to as consolidation. In practice, engineers obtain representative soil
samples, conduct consolidation tests to predict the total settlement and time rate of
settlement for embankments, foundations and other civil engineering applications.
APPARATUS

1. Water content tare and oven

2. Consolidometer with porous stone in base, rigid consolidation metal ring and loading cap with
porous stone.
3.

Load device with lever arm

4. Stop watch
5. Dial gage
1

Figure 1; Parts of the Consolidometer

PROCEDURE

Prepared soil sample was placed in the consolidation ring with porous stones at the top and the
bottom of the sample. The pressure pad was centrally placed on the top porous stone.

Wet soil of the same soil sample was used for the water content determination.

The deformation gage was adjusted and an initial reading was obtained.( The load should be
allowed to stand until there is no change in dial gauge readings for two consecutive hours or
for a maximum of 24 hours but at the experiment it was only 10 minutes.)

The consolidation dial readings at the required elapsed times were recorded on the given data
sheet.

After the required time period soil sample was removed carefully and the initial height of the
soil sample was measured up to the mark in the metal ring using a venire caliper.

The height and the diameter of the consolidation ring were also measured.

The dry specimen in the moisture can and the empty can were weighed.
2

REFERENCE

http://www.cti.uconn.edu/cctrp-files/pdfs/jhr70-30_64-3.pdf (Access Date 04.03.2016)

https://books.google.lk/books?
id=aBKqGTXA6kC&pg=PA210&lpg=PA210&dq=consolidation+test+errors&source=bl&ots
=BqwAfTeSV5&sig=5cJRPpL4q7BCef29OGCLPxWhIfQ&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=on
epage&q=consolidation%20test%20errors&f=false (Access Date 04.03.2016)

http://www.wikipedia.org/consolidation (Access Date 05.03.2019)