What is the primary cause of soil settlement in foundations?

What is the primary cause of soil settlement in foundations?

Step 1: Understand what soil settlement means. Soil settlement is when the ground under a building sinks or compresses over time.
Step 2: Learn about saturated soils. Saturated soils are soils that are filled with water in the spaces between the soil particles.
Step 3: Know what consolidation is. Consolidation is the process where soil particles get closer together as water is pushed out from the soil.
Step 4: Recognize the role of load. When a building is built, it puts weight (load) on the soil beneath it.
Step 5: Connect the dots. When the load from the building is applied, it pushes down on the saturated soil, causing the water to be expelled and the soil to compress.
Step 6: Conclude that the primary cause of soil settlement is this process of consolidation of saturated soils under the weight of the building.

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