STUDENT CODE OF ETHIC

(SCE)
DEPT.OF CIVIL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

I, hereby confess that I have prepared this report on my own effort. I also admit not
to receive or give any help during the preparation of this report and pledge
that everything mentioned in the report is true.

_________________
Student Signature

Name

Matric No. :
Date

1.0 OBJECTIVE
TO DETERMINE THE CONSOLIDATION CHARACTERISTICS OF SOILS OF LOW
PERMEABILITY.

2.0 LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of this experiment, students are able to:

Conduct one dimensional consolidation test

Identify the factors causes soil consolidation

Determine the consolidation parameters (cv, mv, Cc and Pc)

3.0 INTRODUCTION

When a fully saturated soil is subjected to a compressive stress, its volume tends to decrease.
The decreasing of its volume is due to compression of the solid grains and escape of water
from the voids. In a free drainage soil such as saturated sand the escape of water can take
place rapidly. But in clay, due to low permeability, the movement of water occurs very much
slowly and therefore, considerable time may be required for excess water to be squeezed out
to permeable boundaries.

Settlement is the direct result of the decrease in soil volume and consolidation is the rate of
volume decrease with time. The consolidation test is use to estimate the amount of settlement
and time of consolidation. From this test some consolidation parameters such as coefficient of
consolidation (cv), coefficient of volume compressibility (mv), compression index (Cc),
preconsolidation pressure (Pc) can be determined.

There are two methods for determining the coefficient of consolidation:

(i)

Casagrande or log (time) or 50% consolidation

(ii)

Taylor or time or 90% consolidation

The coefficient of consolidation can be determined by this equation,

cv

Where,

Tv H 2
t

cv = coefficient of consolidation (m2/year)

Tv = Time factor
H = Maximum length of drainage path (m)
t = Time to achieve 50% or 90% consolidation (year or minute)

Figure 3.1: Settlement versus log Time

(3.1)

Figure 3.2: Settlement versus square root time

4.0 APPARATUS

1. Consolidation apparatus
- Consolidation ring
- Corrossion-resistant porous plate
- Consolidation cell
- Dial Gauge
- Loading device

2. Balance readable to 0.1g

3. Vernier caliper
4. Stop-clock readable to 1 s

5.0 METHODOLOGY

1.

Measure the internal diameter (D) and the height of the ring, using internal
vernier calipers.

2.

Weight the ring to the nearest 0.01g (mR).

3.

Cutting the specimen and trimming into ring.

4.

Determine the initial moisture content from trimming soil.

5.

Determine the weight of ring and specimen (m1)

6.

Determine the mass of bulk specimen (m) to the nearest 0.01g using this
equation

m = m1 mR

7.

Place the consolidation ring and specimen (cutting edge uppermost) centrally
on the porous disc.

8.

Fit the ring retainer and cell body and then place the upper porous disc
centrally on top of the specimen.

9.

Place the consolidation cell centrally in position on the platform of the machine
base.

10.

Lift the end of the beam to allow the loading yoke to be raised to the vertical
position and adjust the loading stem by screwing it downwards until the end engages
closely in the recess on the top of the loading cap

11.

Attach the compression dial gauge to the arm on the support post.

12.

Add weight (2.5 kg) carefully to the load hanger

13.

Add water at room temperature to the cell and make sure that the specimen and
upper porous disc are completely submerged.

14.

Wind down the beam support and at the same time start the clock.

15.

Observe the compression gauge readings and the clock, and record the readings
on a consolidation test form at the selected time intervals.

16.

Plot the readings of the compression against time to a logarithmic scale and
against square-root-time.

6.0 RESULTS

Clock
Time

Elapsed Time

(min)

time

Gauge

Cumulative

Reading

Compression

time
(pm)

Hr

Min

Sec
0

2.50

10

0.17

0.41

75

0.150

20

0.33

0.57

80

0.160

30

0.50

0.71

85

0.170

40

0.67

0.82

88

0.176

50

0.83

0.91

91

0.182

2.51

94

0.187

1.41

2.52

106

0.211

2.54

125

0.250

2.83

2.58

155

0.309

15

15

3.87

3.13

173

0.345

30

30

5.48

3.43

233

0.465

60

7.75

4.13

294

0.587

120

10.95

5.13

356

0.709

7.0 CALCULATIONS
Weight of sample = Weight of sample + ring - Weight of ring

= 253.43g 108.18g
= 145.25g

Weight of initial moisture = Weight of sample - Weight of dry sample

= 144g 101.5 g
= 42.5g

Initial moisture contents = Weight of initial moisture / Weight of dry sample

= 42.5/101.5
= 0.4187 x 100%
= 41.87%
Area of ring = D2/4
= (75.01) 2/4
= 4419.04 mm2

Volume of ring = Area of ring x Thickness of ring

= 4419.04x 20.1
= 88822.76 mm3

Density, = Weight of sample (ring)

Volume of ring
= 145.25x 10 -6(Mg)
88822.76 x 10 -9(m3)

= 1.64 (Mg/m3)

Dry density, d

= Weight of dry sample

Volume of ring
=

101.5 x 10 -6(Mg)
88822.76 x 10 -9 (m3)

= 1.143 (Mg/m3)

8.0 GRAPH
9.0 ANALYSIS

10.0 DISCUSSIONS
This test is important because building foundations may not be deep enough to reach
bedrock, or rock layers may not be present where construction will take place. Architects and
building engineers need to understand how the soil will respond to compression, or the
weight of the building structure pressing down. The experiment that we have conducted is
about the consolidation characteristic of soil of low permeability. In clay, the movement of
water happens very slow and therefore time is required for the excess water to be squeezed
out to permeable boundaries.
From our experiment, we have achieved the objective which is to determine the
consolidation characteristic of soils of low permeability. We used only 1 sample, its weight is
101.5g and the moisture content is 42.5g.

Errors

Parallax error.
The time is not punctual when the reading was taken. Some date maybe
incorrect due to the changes of time and the clumsiness of people taking the

reading
The specimen and the upper porous disc were not completely submerged.

Suggestions

Avoid parallax error, make sure those eyes are in the correct position when

taking the reading

Take the reading in punctual time. Avoid clumsiness when taking the reading
Make sure that the specimen and the upper porous disc are completely
submerge to get a good result.

11.0 CONCLUSIONS
12.0 QUESTIONS

1. From your experimental data, determine the coefficient of consolidation, cv (m2/year)

using Casagrande Method. Please comment your answer.

2. Clay samples collected from 5 metres deep in Batu Pahat has a unit weight () of 18
kN/m3. The following data were recorded during an oedometer test.

Effective Stress

25

50

100

200

400

(kN/m2)
Void ratio (e)

0.85

0.82

0.71

0.5

0.43

80

20

0.3

0.4

50
0.5

(i) Plot the graph of void ratio against effective stress on semi-log graph and
determine the
compression index (Cc), Preconsolidation pressure (Pc) and coefficient of volume
compressibility (mv).

(ii) Define whether the soil is normally consolidated or over consolidated.

QUESTIONS 2

1. From the experimental data , determine the coefficient of consolidation, cv (m2/year)

using Taylor Method. Please comment your answer.

2. Clay samples collected from 10 metres deep in Parit Raja has a unit weight () of 20
kN/m3. The following data were recorded during an oedometer test.

Effective Stress
(kN/m2)

50

100

200

400

800

1600

400

100

Void ratio (e)

0.95

0.92

0.81

0.6

0.53

0.4

0.5

0.6

(i) Plot the graph of void ratio against effective stress on semi-log graph and
determine the
compression index (Cc), Preconsolidation pressure (Pc) and coefficient of volume
compressibility (mv).

(ii) Define whether the soil is normally consolidated or over consolidated.