Settlement FAQs

how to calculate soil settlement

by Keanu Dickens Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
image

The calculation method proceeds as follows:

  • Divide the soil into sublayers of thickness Zf (0.1m is what I used)
  • Assign a modulus value to each sublayer
  • Calculate the change in effective stress at the center of each sublayer
  • Calculate the compression of each sub-layer using the equation above
  • Sum the compression of all the sub-layers to determine the settlement

Total settlement for cohesive soils are generally estimated by the sum of immediate settlement, primary consolidation and secondary compression, where immediate settlement usually constitutes a significant portion of the total settlement.

Full Answer

How do you calculate settlement of cohesive soil?

Settlement of Cohesive Soils for Static Loads. Total settlement for cohesive soils are generally estimated by the sum of immediate settlement, primary consolidation and secondary compression, where immediate settlement usually constitutes a significant portion of the total settlement.

How to calculate settlement for shallow foundation on sandy soil?

Schmertmann's (1970) proposed a procedure for calculating the settlement for shallow foundation on sandy soils be dividing the soil beneath the foundation into separate layers and then calculating the settlement of each layer, the summation of the settlements of all layer represent the total settlement of the soil.

How to calculate settlement in construction?

•For settlement calculation, the pressure increase s z can be approximated as : q z where s m represent the increase in the effective pressure in the middle of the layer. Compressible Layer s z under the center of foundation Approach 1: Middle of layer (midpoint rule) s z = s

What is soil settlement?

Settlement of these soil types primarily occur from the re-arrangement of soil particles due to the immediate compression from the applied load.

image

How do you calculate immediate settlement of soil?

1:3251:58Mod-01 Lec-11 Shallow Foundation - Settlement Calculation - I - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipInto I F. Using this expression we can calculate the immediate settlement of the soil. Where Q isMoreInto I F. Using this expression we can calculate the immediate settlement of the soil. Where Q is equal to net foundation pressure so this is Q is the net foundation. Pressure. So this is the net.

How do you calculate total settlement?

5:489:18Consolidation Settlement Equations - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTimes the log of our final stress which is Sigma prime Z naught plus Delta Sigma minus the log ofMoreTimes the log of our final stress which is Sigma prime Z naught plus Delta Sigma minus the log of the initial vertical effective stress. That's the change in void ratio.

What is settlement of soil?

What is Settlement? Settlement is the downward movement of the ground (soil) when a load is applied to it. The load increases the vertical effective stress exerted onto the soil. This stress, in turn, increases the vertical strain in the soil. This increase in vertical strain causes the ground to move downward.

What is rate of settlement of soil?

The rate of settlement of a saturated soil is expressed by the coefficient of consolidation (cv). The rate of settlement of a soil, and hence the value of cv, is governed by two factors: the amount of water to be squeezed out of the soil; and the rate at which that water can flow out.

What is the total settlement?

Total settlement refers to the overall change in vertical distance. Differential settlement involves an expected amount that the total settlement will vary between points over a horizontal distance, which can be caused by variations in the foundation soil profile and wall height over a certain distance.

What is settlement analysis?

Soils consolidate under the application of loads from buildings. All foundations settle as the soil around and beneath the foundation adjust to the loading. Buildings with light loads or built on rock may experience negligible settlement.

How do I calculate my foundation settlement?

Worked Example Calculation of Settlement of Shallow Foundations at the CenterData. Dimensions of foundation 1.5m x 2m. ... A1 = 0.934. A2 = m' / [ n' (m'2 +n'2 + 1)0.5 ] ... F1 = (1/π)[A0 + A1] = (1/π)[0.760 + 0.934] = 0.539. F2 = (n'/2π) tan-1A2 ... If = 0.755. Foundation Settlement.

How long is soil settlement?

If left dry, clay and silt will settle rather quickly, i.e., 1-2 years. If they come in contact with water, they can settle in just a few months. However, we don't recommend using these soils around your foundation for structures or your lawn.

What is normal settlement?

Settlement is the process of paying the remaining sale price and becoming the legal owner of a home. At settlement, your lender will disburse funds for your home loan and you'll receive the keys to your home. Generally, settlement takes place around 6 weeks after contracts are exchanged.

How do you calculate settlement time?

7:5111:50Settlement and Time Calculations for Double Drainage ConsolidationYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI'm going to put that in as a decimal zero. Point four three times my two inches. And that's goingMoreI'm going to put that in as a decimal zero. Point four three times my two inches. And that's going to be my settlement over time which in this case is one year.

What are the types of settlement?

The four main types of settlements are urban, rural, compact, and dispersed. Urban settlements are densely populated and are mostly non-agricultural. They are known as cities or metropolises and are the most populated type of settlement. These settlements take up the most land, resources, and services.

What is initial settlement?

Initial Settlement Statement means the first iteration of a Settlement Statement issued for a particular Operating Day. Initial Settlement Statement means the first iteration of a settlement statement issued for a particular operating day.

What are the types of soil settlement?

The total settlement of the ground consists of 3 components: immediate settlement (commonly referred to as elastic settlement, although this is a misnomer), consolidation settlement (or primary settlement) and creep settlement (or secondary settlement).

What are the types of settlement?

The four main types of settlements are urban, rural, compact, and dispersed. Urban settlements are densely populated and are mostly non-agricultural. They are known as cities or metropolises and are the most populated type of settlement. These settlements take up the most land, resources, and services.

What is the difference between settlement and consolidation?

Debt consolidation and debt settlement are strategies for making debt manageable, but they are different methods and bring different results. Debt consolidation reduces the number of creditors you'll owe. Debt settlement tries to reduce the amount of debt you owe.

What are the causes of settlement?

The following briefly describes a few of the more common causes of foundation settlement:1-Weak Bearing Soils.2-Poor Compaction.3-Changes in Moisture Content.4-Maturing Trees and Vegetation.5-Soil Consolidation.Foundation Underpinning and Piering.Foundation Push Piers.Push Pier Advantages:More items...

What is the difference between creep and immediate settlement?

Since soil particles are practically incompressible, consolidation settlements is caused by a reduction in voids due to gradual squeezing out of water. Finally, creep settlement occurs under a constant load and is depended on the stress history, the type of soil and the anisotropy of the soil.

How long does creep settlement last?

The settlement process may be completed almost immediately or may last for a significant amount of time (even decades) depending on the soil’s permeability and water drainage paths.

Which soil has higher permeability?

In particular, cohesionless soils have higher permeability than cohesive soils that have small voids blocking the water movement. In geotechnical design, the total settlement of the soil has to be properly predicted and must meet the requirements of the project. If the soil’s characteristics are not adequate to meet the aforementioned requirements ...

What is the term for the movement of soil in the vertical direction?

Settlements refer to the soil’s movement in the vertical direction typically induced by stress changes. The total settlement of the ground consists of 3 components: immediate settlement (commonly referred to as elastic settlement, although this is a misnomer), consolidation settlement (or primary settlement) and creep settlement (or secondary settlement).

What do we need to know

To make a calculation of settlement, we must characterize three fundamental things:

Estimating stiffness

There are many tools in the toolbox for the engineer to estimate stiffness based on the results of laboratory or in-situ tests. Alternatively, published tabulated ranges of values and local experience are available for preliminary estimates. A list of possible methods is described below:

Applied loads and their dimensions

In practice at the stage a geotechnical report is written, detailed information on the dimension and magnitude of applied loads is unlikely to be available. We may at best have some preliminary information on the type of building (warehouse, apartment building).

Variation of stress with depth

To calculate the compression of the soil, we will need to determine how the stress applied at the surface translates into stress at depth. If the loaded area is very large relative to the thickness of the compressible layer, we can simply assume that the change in stress at depth is the same as at the surface.

Example calculation

In this section I will present an example calculation that demonstrates the method. Consider the case of a 3.0 m square footing, with a service load of 100 kPa. The ground profile consists of a firm clay and we have assessed a modulus of 8 MPa based on the results of a site investigation program comprising CPTs.

Spreadsheet

The method described in the article has been implemented in the spreadsheet below. You can enter in the load, dimensions of the load, and modulus parameters and output a quick estimate of settlement.

Improvements and disclaimers

I wouldn’t be a geotechnical engineer if I didn’t write some disclaimers into my article. There are of course many ways to improve upon (or complicate), and they all center around the three fundamental ‘need to knows’. I have of course greatly simplified things for presentation in this article. Some examples are listed below:

How to calculate the volume of soil needed?

You can calculate the required volume of soil by multiplying the grass yard area by the desired thickness of soil. The last thing to do is to assess the estimated weight of the required soil and its cost. The weight of the cargo may come in handy when transporting the soil.

How to calculate weight of cubic yard of soil?

To calculate the weight of a cubic yard of soil, you simply have to multiply the volume by its density. Just type the density of soil (you will probably find it on the packaging) into the topsoil calculator and this calculation will be performed effortlessly.

How much soil do I need?

To answer this question, the first step is to establish the volume of soil needed. You can do it in the following way:

What is soil made of?

Have you ever wondered what are you stomping on? Was it it always here or has it been here since eternity? Well, the easiest way to answer these questions would be to explain that the soil definition is that it is a mixture of things that have fallen or just found themselves on the ground. It consists of organic matter, liquids, gases, minerals, and living organisms. The soil has been created by endless interactions between those ingredients, with the additional influence of some third parties, such as climate, weather and lots and lots of time. It usually starts with a parent material such as quartz, calcite or feldspar which undergoes weathering – the process of disintegration. Weathering can be caused by:

What is soil degradation?

Soil degradation is the soil process most feared by farmers and gardeners alike. It makes the soil lose its cultivating capabilities by weakening the structure and washing out the rich ingredients. There are several mechanisms of soil degradation:

What is the best type of soil for a garden?

Loamy soil – the best type of soil a gardener can dream of! It is very rich in ingredients, it holds water very well, and its structure assures good drainage. These perfect properties are caused by a well-balanced composition of sand, clay, and silt.

How to prevent soil degradation?

In order to prevent soil degradation and keep it in good condition, you should care about the soil in your garden, yard or field just as much as you care for your plants or grass. Maintaining the quality of your soil is called a soil conservation.

What is the OCR of NC soils?

oFrom the definition of NC soils, they always have OCR=1.

Which part of the e-log splot is curved?

The upper part of the e –log s’plot is as shown below somewhat curved with a flat slope, followed by a linear relationship having a steeper slope.

Is soil constant?

for a particular soil is not constant but depends on the stress range over which it is calculated.

image

Soil Settlement and Soil Shear

  • A soil shear failure can result in excessive building distortion and even collapse. Excessive settlements can result in structural damage to a building frame nuisances such as sticking doors and windows, cracks in tile and plaster, and excessive wear or equipment failure from misalign…
See more on aboutcivil.org

Components of Settlement

  • The components of settlement of a foundation are: 1. Immediate settlement 2. Consolidation Settlement, and 3. Secondary compression (creep) ΔH = ΔHi + U ΔHc + ΔHs ΔH = total settlement, ΔHc = consolidation settlement, ΔH = secondary compression, U = average degree of consolidation. Generally, the final settlement of a foundation is of interest and U is considered e…
See more on aboutcivil.org

Consolidation Settlement Calculations

  • After primary consolidation the soil structure continues to adjust to the load for some additional time. This settlement is termed secondary consolidation/secondary compression. At the end of secondary consolidation the soil has reached a new Ko-state (at-rest state). Secondary consolidation may be the larger component if settlement in some soils, particularly in soils with …
See more on aboutcivil.org

Settlement Limits

  • Total settlement is the magnitude of downward movement. Differential settlement is non-uniform settlement. It is "the difference of settlement between various locations of the structure. Angular distortion between two points under a structure is equal, to the differential settlement between the points divided by the distance between them. Theoretically, no damage will be done to a structur…
See more on aboutcivil.org

What Do We Need to Know

Estimating Stiffness

Applied Loads and Their Dimensions

Variation of Stress with Depth

The Calculation Method

  • The equation we will use to tackle this problem is as follows: Where: S = Settlement of foundation M = Stiffness moduli (Constrained modulus in this case) Zf = Thickness of each sub-layer = Change in effective stress at the center of each layer The calculation method proceeds as follows: 1. Divide the soil into sublayers of thickness Zf (0.1m is wh...
See more on geotechblog.com

Example Calculation

Spreadsheet

Improvements and Disclaimers

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9