What is the primary factor affecting the consolidation settlement of saturated c
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the primary factor affecting the consolidation settlement of saturated clay soils?
Soil density
Effective stress
Permeability
Plasticity index
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the primary factor affecting the consolidation settlement of saturated clay soils?
Step 1: Understand what consolidation settlement means. It is the process where soil compresses over time due to the expulsion of water from its pores.
Step 2: Recognize that saturated clay soils are soils that are fully soaked with water.
Step 3: Identify the role of permeability. Permeability is how easily water can flow through the soil.
Step 4: Realize that if the soil has high permeability, water can escape quickly, leading to faster consolidation.
Step 5: Conversely, if the soil has low permeability, water escapes slowly, resulting in slower consolidation.
Step 6: Conclude that the primary factor affecting consolidation settlement in saturated clay soils is permeability.
