Consolidation

Abstract

In the previous chapters it has been assumed that the deformation of a soil is uniquely determined by the stress. This means that a time dependent response has been excluded. In reality the behavior is strongly dependent on time, however, especially for clay soils. In compression of a soil the porosity decreases, and as a result there is less space available for the pore water. This pore water can be expelled from the soil, but in clays this may take a certain time, due to the small permeability. This process is called consolidation. Its basic equations are considered in this chapter.