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ENCE 361
Soil Mechanics

Settlement and Volume Expansion:


Overview
Settlement of Cohesionless Soils
Settlement of Cohesive Soils (Part I)
Field Trip

Date: 17 October 2001


Place:
Qore Property Sciences
3903 Volunteer Drive Suite 400
Chattanooga, TN 37416
(423) 499-0957
Overview
Soil is a Soil deformation may
nonhomogeneous occur by change in:
porous material  Stress
consisting of three
phases  Water content
 Solids  Soil mass

 Fluid(normally  Temperature
water)
 Air
Type of Settlement
Elastic deformation (volume distortion)
Consolidation
Secondary compression and creep

S t S vd S pc S sc
Dynamic forces
Expansive soil
Collapsible soil
Settlements in Cohesionless
Soils
Elastic or immediate deformation caused by
static loads is usually small, and it occurs
essentially at the same time these loads are
applied to the soil.
Consolidation occurs quickly in coarse-
grained soils such as sands and gravels, and
it is usually not distinguishable from elastic
deformation. This is due to their high
permeability
Settlement in Cohesive Soils
Elastic or immediate deformation caused by
static loads is usually small, and it occurs
essentially at the same time these loads are
applied to the soil.
Consolidation in fine-grained soils such as
clays and organic materials can be significant
and take considerable time to complete.
Secondary compression and creep are
associated with the compression and distortion
at constant water content of compressible soils
such as clays, silts, organic materials, and
peat.
Settlement of Cohesionless Soils
Schmertmann's Method
Method for estimating the settlement of
foundations in sand
Especially useful when CPT data is available
This procedure provides settlement
compatible with field measurements in many
different areas
The analysis assumes that the distribution of
vertical strain is compatible with a linear
elastic half space subjected to a uniform
pressure
Schmertmann's Method
Required Data Soil Type Es/N
 A profile of standard Silts, sands silts, slightly
penetration resistance N cohesive silt-sand
mixtures 4
(blows/ft) versus depth,
Clean, fine to med,
from the proposed sands & slightly silty
foundation level to a sands 7
depth of 2B, or to Coarse sands & sands
boundary of an with little gravel
Sandy gravels and
10
incompressible layer, gravel 12
whichever occurs first.
Schmertmann's Data
Required Data
 Least width of foundation = B
 Depth of embedment = D
 Proposed average contact pressure = P
 Approximate unit weights of surcharge soils, and
position of water table if within D
 If the static cone bearing value qc, measured
compute Es, based on Es, = 2 qc.
Schmertmann's Method
Analysis Procedure
 Divide the subsurface soil profile into a
convenient number of layers of any thickness,
each with constant N over the depth interval 0 to
2B below the foundation.
 Prepare a table using the indicated column
headings. Fill in columns 1, 2, 3 and 4 with the
layering assigned above.
 Multiply N values in column 3 by the appropriate
factor Es/N (col. 4) to obtain values of Es; place
values in column 5.
Schmertmann's Method
Schmertmann's
Method
 Draw an assumed 2B-0.6
triangular distribution for the
strain influence factor Iz, along a
scaled depth of 0 to 2B below
the foundation. Locate the depth
of the mid-height of each of the
layers assumed in Step 2, and
place in column 6. From this
construction, determine the Iz
value at the mid-height of each
layer, and place in column 7.
Schmertmann's Method
Schmertmann's Method Example

(in 10 years)
Schmertmann's Method Example
Schmertmann's Method
Example
Notes on Schmertmann Method
Generally applies to normally loaded sand
deposits
Will overestimate foundation settlement if
sand has been previously compressed or
densified (such as with compaction)
When precompressed sands are present, the
settlement should be estimated as roughly half
of the computed settlement
Methods of Computing
Settlement in Cohesive Soils
Volume distortion (immediate settlement)
 Perloff's Method
Primary Consolidation
 Terzaghi Consolidation Theory
Secondary Consolidation
 C Method

S t S vd S pc S sc
Perloff's Method
Computes volume distortion according to the
formula
2
1
S vd C s q B  
Eu
 Cs = shape and foundation rigidity factor
 q = equivalent distributed load on foundation
 B = plan width or diameter of the foundation
 Eu = undrained elastic modulus of clay
  = Poisson's Ratio
Notes on Variables
Values of Cs will vary with shape of
foundation, rigidity of foundation, and
proximity of rigid substratum
Values of Es can be estimated from soil
consistency/undrained shear strength
Assume ½ for Poisson's ratio for saturated
clays, slightly less for unsaturated
Perloff Method Example
Perloff Method Example
Solution
Homework Set 5
Textbook Reading
 Chapter 10 (pp. 347-391)
Laboratory Soils Testing
 Appendix VIII (Consolidation Test)
Homework
 10-7, 10-9, 10-19, 10-27, 10-34, 10-39, 10-40, 10-
44, 10-47, 10-49
Questions

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