What is the effect of over-consolidation on the compressibility of clay soils?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the effect of over-consolidation on the compressibility of clay soils?
Increases compressibility
Decreases compressibility
No effect on compressibility
Increases permeability
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the effect of over-consolidation on the compressibility of clay soils?
Step 1: Understand what over-consolidation means. It refers to a condition where clay soil has been subjected to higher pressure in the past than it currently experiences.
Step 2: Recognize that compressibility is the ability of soil to decrease in volume under pressure.
Step 3: Realize that when clay soils are over-consolidated, they have already been compressed more than they are currently being loaded.
Step 4: Note that this previous compression makes the soil denser and less likely to compress further.
Step 5: Conclude that over-consolidation decreases the compressibility of clay soils, meaning they are less likely to settle or change volume under new loads.
