Equation Pad

Equation Pad › Library › Geotechnics › Settlement

Primary consolidation settlement of clay

Settlement of a normally consolidated clay layer from its compression index, void ratio and stress increase. Reference: One-dimensional consolidation theory.

Open this sheet in Equation Pad Browse the Library

Primary consolidation settlement of clay: worked example sheet in Equation Pad with typeset equations and results.

Example only. This sheet shows one way to set out the check. It is not endorsed by the bodies that publish the design codes and does not reproduce them. Check every clause, value and assumption against your own copy of the current edition of your references and the codes that apply before you use it, and have the result checked by a competent person. See the disclaimer.

The calculation, line by line

Every line below is typed into Equation Pad exactly as shown; the app typesets it, works out the value with its units and shows checks as TRUE or FALSE. Change any input and everything below it updates.

# Clay layer
C_c := 0.30
e_0 := 0.90
H_c := 4 m
sigma_0 := 60 kPa
Delta_sigma := 40 kPa

# Settlement
s_c := C_c*H_c/(1 + e_0)*log10((sigma_0 + Delta_sigma)/sigma_0) = mm

How to use this example

  1. Click Open this sheet in Equation Pad. It opens as a new worksheet in your browser; nothing is installed.
  2. Change the inputs at the top to those of your project.
  3. Check the clauses and coefficients against the code, add your own checks, and save the sheet or export a PDF with your title block.

More Geotechnics sheets on settlement