GATE CE 2021 Set 2 — Question 40
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Geotechnical Engineering → Consolidation → Consolidation Settlement
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Question
A clay layer of thickness has a preconsolidation pressure and an initial void ratio . The initial effective overburden stress at the mid-height of the layer is . At the same location, the increment in effective stress due to applied external load is . The compression and swelling indices of the clay are and , respectively. If , then the correct expression to estimate the consolidation settlement () of the clay layer is
Correct answer
(B) s_c = (H)/(1+e₀) [ Cₛ log (p_c)/(p₀) + C_c log (p₀ + Δ p)/(p_c) ]
Solution
When the initial effective stress is less than the preconsolidation pressure , the soil is overconsolidated. If the final stress exceeds , the settlement calculation must be split into two parts:
Total settlement . This matches option B.
1.Recompression range (from to ): The settlement is calculated using the swelling index .
2.Virgin compression range (from to ): The settlement is calculated using the compression index .
Total settlement . This matches option B.
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