Predicting the settlement behavior of partially saturated soils

The objective of this study was to predict the time rate of settlement of partially saturated soils. Consolidation tests were run on kaolinite clay compacted to a dry density of 88.75 pcf at various initial degrees of saturation. Laboratory testing determined the effect of the initial degree of saturation on strain, coefficient of consolidation, compression index, rebound index, preconsolidation pressure, and strain at the preconsolidation pressure. A computer model, TIMSETTL, was developed that allows the user to predict the time rate of settlement by using fill criteria and consolidation test results. The computer model was verified by comparing the time rate of settlement of a full-scale test fill to the time rate of settlement predicted from the model. The time rate of settlement was much quicker in the field than predicted from the model. When the coefficient of consolidation was multiplied by 10 for the model, the results for time rate of settlement were close --Abstract, page iii