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The results of settlement calculation using the Janbu Janbu Modulus Number (m) and the
conventional combination of the consolidation coefficient (C-c) and void ratio (e-0) are
mathematically identical. However, the modulus number approach is much to be preferred as
it provides only one value and allows the engineer to develop a mental experience base
for the soils normally encountered. In contrast, the conventional approach requires both C c
and e0 and it is not possible to develop a useful experience reference when two variables have
to be considered. Of course, the MIT Compression Ratio (CR) can serve that same purpose.
Moreover, the Janbu approach works also for silts and sand, even soil exhibiting linear stresscompression behavior --- soil compressibility, be it mud and peat, or clay, silt, and sand, or
gravel and tills can be expressed in dimensionless modulus numbers ranging from 1
through 1,000.
For reference see Janbu's papers listed below. See also, Chapter 3, Sections 3.5 through
3.7 in the Red Book ( Fellenius 2014), which summarizes the Janbu Tangent modulus method
and gives the mathematical relations for determining the consolidation coefficient (Cc), the
void ratio (e0), the Compression ratio (CR), and the Janbu Modulus Number (m).
Computer programs available on the market do not normally produce the Janbu modulus
numbers. Although, the "m" is easily determined from the conventional values, the here
offered template can be of interest to the geotechnical engineer. The two sheets named
"Strain Data" and "Void Ratio Data" are intended for input of results from conventional
consolidation tests, As the name implies, the first sheet is for stress-strain input and the
second sheet is for stress-void ratio input.
The input data is intended to be written in the white background columns. Cells with
blue and green background are for entry of coordinates of certain cells and may have to
be changed to get the plotting right. Cells with yellow background must not be touched.
The sheet named "Casagrande Original" is a copy of a table reproduced by Nilmar Janbu from
an example used by Arthur Casagrande for examination of his graduate students in the
The test itself is from the early 1930's. Janbu quoted the test in his summary of his method
(Janbu 1998), which publication every geotechnical engineer would appreciate reading.
The sheet named Casagrande Data shows the Casagrande original test data entered to
the Strain Data Table. The Casagrande Plot shows the plot of the Casagrande data.
To use the spread sheet for your own work, save it under a changed name, then,
delete the sheets that are redundant. You may want to re-size the diagrams.
The diagrams showing void ratio vs. stress and strain vs. stress do not need explanation.
To benefit from and to understand the purpose of the diagrams showing linear stressstrain and Tangent Modulus vs. Average Stress, you will need to read Janbu's 1998 paper.
To whet your appetite, the Janbu Tangent Modulus diagram (the one in the fourth quarter position)
offers an alternative method for determining the preconsolidation stress.
Notice, when you have input the lab data, you should check the void ratio and density values
and the degree of saturation per the options provided above the table.
References
Fellenius, B. H., 2014. Basics of foundation design. Revised Electronic Edition.
[www.Fellenius.net], 410 p.
Janbu, N., 1963. Soil compressibility as determined by oedometer and triaxial tests.
European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Wiesbaden,
Vol. 1, pp. 19-25, and Vol. 2, pp. 17-21.
Janbu, N., 1965. Consolidation of clay layers based on non-linear stress-strain.
Proceedings 6th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation
Engineering, Montreal, Vol. 2, pp. 83-87.
Janbu, N., 1967. Settlement calculations based on the tangent modulus concept.
University of Trondheim, Norwegian Institute of Technology, Geotechnical Institution,
Bulletin 2, 57 p.
Janbu, N., 1998. Sediment deformations. University of Trondheim, Norwegian
University of Science and Technology, Geotechnical Institution, Bulletin 35, 86 p.
2800
e0 = 2.220
wn = 80.0
#
p'
(kPa)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
10
20
40
80
124
186
277
435
729
1,430
98
30
p-ave
(kPa)
5
15
30
60
102
155
232
356
582
1,080
764
64
d(p-ave)
(kPa)
wn =
80.0
e0 =
2.240
e
(- -)
2.220
2.201
2.188
2.180
2.169
2.158
2.144
2.111
1.997
1.857
1.681
1.732
1.762
5
10
15
30
42
53
77
125
Strain
%
S = 100.0
wn = 79.3
M
(kPa)
Strain (%)
Rho-s =
0.60 1,667
1.00 2,500
1.23 8,696
1.59 11,111
1.92 13,333
2.37 13,778
3.38 9,010
6.92 4,463
11.28 6,743
16.73 12,862
15.16
14.21
20.00
15.00
10.00
p1 =
277
p2 = 1,430
Cc =
0.60
p1 =
p2 =
40
124
Ccr =
0.045
e1 =
e2 =
2.111
1.681 VOID RATIO - STRESS
CC = Cc/(1 + e0) =
e1 =
e2 =
0.19
mr =
m=
20
40
80
124
186
277
435
729
0.00
10
163.8
300
1200
5.00
12.3
2.180
2.158 VOID RATIO - STRESS
277
753
2,046
m=
3.38
11.50
19.62
12.3
3,000
14,000
12.2
100
2,500
8,696
11,111
13,333
13,778
9,010
4,463
6,743
20.00
2.200
Strain ( % )
Void Ratio (- -)
2.300
2.100
2.000
1.900
15.00
10.00
1.800
1.700
5.00
1.600
1.500
10
100
1,000
0.00
10,000
500
1,000
Strain (%)
20.00
15.00
16,000
14,000
12,000
10,000
10.00
8,000
6,000
5.00
4,000
2,000
0.00
10
100
1,000
100
1,000
10,000
10,000
0
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
500
1,000
1,500
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
w-n =
77.00
w-n =
77
e-0 =
2.16
1,000
95.5
S=
wn =
40.00
2.200
CC = 0.46
m=5
2.000
77.4
1.800
1.600
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
5.0
25.0
50.0
100.0
200.0
400.0
800.0
200.0
5.0
p1 =
p2 =
200
800
Cc =
1.51
p1 =
p2 =
50
200
Ccr =
0.18
p-ave
(KPa)
3
15
38
75
150
300
600
500
103
3
0
0
0
d(p-ave)
(KPa)
e
(- -)
Strain
%
2.270
2.265
2.261
2.245
2.219
2.138
1.680
1.228
1.272
1.427
3
13
23
38
75
150
300
0.00
0.15
0.28
0.76
1.56
4.04
18.04
31.87
30.52
25.78
69.42
69.42
69.42
69.42
M
(kPa)
3,270
16,350
5,109
6,288
4,037
1,428
2,894
10
100
e1 =
e2 =
20.00
m=5
10.00
m=
5.0
0.0543
m=
42.3
25
50
100
200
400
800
4.0
24.00
43.96
5.0
1,700
4,700
5.0
16,350
5,109
6,288
4,037
1,428
2,894
1000.0
10,000
30.00
0.00
10.0
500.0
40.00
2.245
2.138 VOID RATIO - STRESS
CR = Ccr/(1 + eo) =
200
544
1,478
0.4622
0.0
1000
2.138
1.228 VOID RATIO - STRESS
CC = Cc/(1 + eo) =
20.00
1.200
8,000
6,000
m=5
4,000
2,000
p'c
0
100.0
e1 =
e2 =
30.00
10.00
1.400
Strain (%)
p'
(KPa)
Modulus (kPa)
2800
2.27
p'c
2.400
Strain ( % )
w =
Rho-s =
e-0 =
Void Ratio (- -)
1000.0
200
400
600
800
1,000
3.00
LOAD
DIAL
(kg)
(in)
Area = 90.1 cm^2
4.00
5.00
STRESS
(KPa)
STRAIN
(%)
6.00
Void Ratio
d-stress
d-strain
(KPa)
(%)
Original void ratio =
0.000
0.00
0.810
16
0.031
18
2.07
0.773
32
0.046
36
3.09
0.754
64
0.073
71
4.87
0.722
128
0.114
142
7.60
0.672
256
0.166
284
11.03
0.610
512
0.227
567
15.10
0.537
1,024
0.290
1,135
19.33
0.460
1,024
0.293
1,135
19.53
0.456
512
0.285
567
19.00
0.466
256
0.274
284
18.24
0.480
128
0.260
142
17.35
0.496
32
0.231
36
15.43
0.531
0.162
10.80
0.615
0.145
7.00
8.00
9.00
M
(KPa)
0.810
ave-stress
(KPa)
2.07
871
9.00
18
1.02
1,765
27.00
35
1.78
1,966
53.50
71
2.73
2,598
106.50
142
3.43
4,136
213.00
283
4.07
6,959
425.50
568
4.23
13,417
851.00
0.20
-568
-0.53
106,500
851.00
-283
-0.76
37,237
425.50
-142
-0.89
16,015
213.00
-106
-1.93
5,502
89.00
-36
-4.63
772
-0.3
-10.80
1135.00
Rho-s =
2800
e0 =
0.810
wn =
wn =
81.0
e0 =
p'
(kPa)
p-ave
(kPa)
9
27
54
107
213
426
851
1,135
851
426
213
89
d(p-ave)
(kPa)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
18
36
71
142
284
567
1135
1135
567
284
142
36
0.3
p1 =
p2 =
284
1,135
e1 =
e2 =
Cc =
0.2
CR = Cc/(1 + e0) =
284
772
2,098
9
18
27
53
107
213
426
284
e
(- -)
0.810
0.773
0.754
0.722
0.672
0.610
0.537
0.460
0.456
0.466
0.480
0.496
0.531
Rho-w =
1,000
S=
100.0
wn =
28.9
81.0
2.268
Strain
%
M
(kPa)
2.070
3.090
4.860
7.600
11.040
15.110
19.330
19.560
19.010
18.230
17.350
15.410
10.770
870
1,765
1,977
2,591
4,128
6,953
13,460
0.610
0.460 VOID RATIO - STRESS
0.14
m=
16.7
36
71
142
284
567
1,135
1,135
567
11.04
17.00
22.96
16.8
5,000
14,200
16.7
1,765
1,977
2,591
4,128
6,953
13,460
0
0
CR = 0.14
m = 17
0.800
Strain ( % )
Void Ratio (- -)
15.000
0.700
10.000
0.600
5.000
0.500
0.000
0.400
10
100
1,000
10,000
Modulus (kPa)
Strain (%)
25.00
20.00
15.00
1000
1500
15,000
m = 17
10,000
10.00
m = 17
5.00
0.00
10
500
5,000
100
1000
10000
0
0
500
1,000
1,500