What is the primary factor affecting the consolidation settlement of a saturated

What is the primary factor affecting the consolidation settlement of a saturated clay layer?

What is the primary factor affecting the consolidation settlement of a saturated clay layer?

Step 1: Understand what consolidation means. It is the process where soil compresses over time due to the weight above it.
Step 2: Know that saturated clay means the clay is fully soaked with water.
Step 3: Realize that when weight is added to the clay, the water inside needs to escape for the clay to settle.
Step 4: Learn that permeability is a measure of how easily water can flow through the soil.
Step 5: Recognize that if the clay has high permeability, water can escape quickly, leading to faster consolidation.
Step 6: Conversely, if the clay has low permeability, water escapes slowly, resulting in slower consolidation.

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