DISCUSSIONS

METHODS OF C A L C U L A T I N G THE S E T T L E M E N T

OF S T R U C T U R E S ON C O H E S I V E SOILS

(UDC 624.131.31 : 001.24)

I. K. S a m a r i n and I. V. F e d o r o v

Translated from Osnovaniya, Fundamenty i Mekhanika Gruntov, No. 2,

pp. 23-26, March-April, 1965

Despite the issuance of SNiP II-B.3-62 [1] with instructions on calculation of the settlement of structures and
of a number of other works dealing with this matter, there are still a number of obscure points in this area, mainly
when calculating the settlement of hydraulic engineering structures on cohesive soils and of industrial and civil struc-
tures having large dimensions and deep foundations.

There are two completely different methods of calculating the settlement of such structures on cohesive soils.

The first [2] is based on the following assumptions:

1) Soil specimens when they are taken from boreholes and the natural pressure is removed from them do
not swelt, i.e., they are, so to speak, in a "frozen" state. In connection with this there can be differ-
ent types of compression curves. The compression curve (Fig. la) corresponds to the case where the
initial stress is absent, whereas the curves in Fig. lb, c, correspond to the case where this stress is equal
to the actual load with consideration of relieving [see formula (6) below];
2) when the foundation bed is relieved as a result of excavating soil from the foundation pit, the bed soil
can expand for a considerable depth as a consequence of an increase of porosity and consequently of
the moisture content;
3) the depth of the zone of expansion is determined by the magnitude of the arresting pressure;
4) in the expansion zone new values of the initial void ratio, which are also determined in retation to the
magnitude of the arresting pressure, are established by the time a load is applied.

Below the expansion zone the initial void ratio for a homogeneous bed does not depend on depth and is a constant;

5) as a result of relieving the bed, the potential possibility of expansion, which reduces settlement of a
structure, is created. Henceforth, we will call this phenomenon the relieving effect.

b O

.... .... :{
~ !, x.

o~

Fig. 1. Compression curves, a) Based on first design formula; b) based on proposed

design formula; c) based on SNiP II-B.3-62.

II0
 When calculating settlement by the first design formula
the relieving effect was taken into account by decreasing the
stress from the weight of the structure by the magnitude of stress
o .
from the weight of the soil excavated from the pit.

As a consequence of this, as the distance from the founda-

tion base to the c a l c u l a t e d layer increases, the design stress from
an external load decreases,and the point marking this stress shifts
to the left on the compression curve (see Fig. la).

® A
~'~$ S e t t l e m e n t
Fig. g. Development of additional expansion
upon relieving of overconsolidated clay.
In the second design formula (8) we proceed from the fact
that the soil specimen after its removal from the borehole and
transfer to the compression instrument changes its porosity as a
consequence of removing the actual pressure from it.
According to this design formula the void ratios on the
compression curve are determined by moving from left to right
and not vice versa as is the case for the first design formula.

S e t t l e m e n t is c a l c u l a t e d with respect to SNiP II-B.3-62 with the use of the first and second design formulas
(Fig. lc) namely: it is recommended to take into account expansion of the soil, but its magnitude is determined
without consideration of the arresting pressure.

In the design formula for the settlement of structures,proposed below, expansion and the design value of pres-
sure are determined differently and the principle of "freezing of the stressed state" is not used.

As is known, after soil is e x c a v a t e d from the foundation pit, relieving of the bed occurs and, consequently, the
surface of the pit rises, The phenomenon occurring in this case in the bed is called by various names - expansion,
decompression, or swelling. We propose that by expansion we mean the c a p a c i t y of clay soils to imbibe water, thus
increasing their water content and volume under conditions of a flooded state. Expansion is accompanied by a c h a n g e
of the structural bonds of the soil and cannot be propagated to an appreciable depth. This is confirmed by the c o n -
clusions of a number of investigators who found that the increase of water content when a soil sample was extracted
from a compression instrument was noticeable only for a thin soil layer on the upper and lower surfaces of the s p e c -
imen as a consequence of the disjoining pressure of thin layers of water. Special investigations showed that on the
whole the water content of soil upon relieving the bed remains practically constant.

Therefore it would be more proper to calI the relieving zone a decompression zone, bearing in mind that in
the latter not only deformations caused by expansion but also elastic strains appear.

In certain cases of compression tests of overconsolidated clays the restoring deformation AB (Fig. 2) can con-
siderably exceed total deformation OA [4]. In these cases in the zone close to the pit starface the expansion factor
predominates, and the deformation modulus near the surface has a small value. This zone can be c a l l e d the zone
of additional expansion,

Decompression in the zone of additional expansion under conditions of a flooded state is a c c o m p a n i e d mainly
by an increase of the water content. Therefore, the decompression curve at the start of the additional expansion
zone has a sharp break, intersecting the curve of primary compression (see Fig, 2). This was recorded in e x p e r i -
mental investigations [2, 3].

When calculating settlement we proposed to take into account the effect of relieving by introducing into the
calculation the deformation modulus with respect to the third branch of compression En determined from R. A.
Tokar's formula [5].

It is necessary to r e m e m b e r that the effect of relieving does not always take place. For e x a m p l e , investiga-
tions of Kinetian and Neocomian clays showed that the deformation moduli of primary and secondary compression
(with respect to the I and III branches) are p r a c t i c a l l y the same, and this means that there is no relieving effect
in this case. Furthermore, in the first design formula the relieving effect by diminution of the pressure from the
structure by the magnitude of the weight of the e x c a v a t e d soil is a u t o m a t i c a l l y taken into account in all cases. This
leads to an artificial underestimation of the design pressure, since according to the first design formula the end stress
Oki within the expansion zone is determined by the formula

iii
 z

%l -- aci he x %.

Below the expansion zone: Oki= Oci - o B, where Oci is the vertical stress from the weight of the structure in the
middle of the i-th layer at depth z from the foundation base; o B is the vertical stress at the levei of the foundation
base from the weight of the soil above; hex is the depth of expansion zone [2],

The hypothesis of "freezing of the stressed state" of a soil specimen after its extraction from a borehole is
physically incorrect since after partial or complete relieving, as theoretical [6] and experimental investigations show,
the specimen changes it stressed and strained state and also its properties,

We will give a brief account of the proposed method of calculating the settlements of hydraulic engineering
structures on cohesive softs.

1. The magnitude of settlement is determined by a layer-by-layer summation within the active compressibIe
stratum H by the formula [7]

S hi ~ci ~xci ,
i=o Erpi 1 - - Po

where go is the Poisson's ratio of the soil; Oci and Oxc i are respectively vertical and horizontal stresses in the
middle of the i-th layer from the weight of the structure (Fig. 3); Erp i is the reduced deformation modulus of the
i-th layer determined by formula (2) given below.

We do not recommend using formula 18 of SNiP II-B.3-62 to determine settlements since it is expressed in
terms of the void ratios which do not taken into account the correction m [see formula (3)] and, furthermore, is
sensitive to go -> 0.50.

2. The thickness of the compressible layer H is determined by SNiP II-B.3-62.

3. The compression tests are carried out in conformity with the scheme shown in Fig. lb.

4. The effect of relieving of the bed is taken into account by introducing the reduced deformation modulus
for each i-th layer determined by R. A. Tokar's formula [5]

Erp i = E0l Zcl

where oBi is the normal stress of the i-th layer at depth z from a load taken to be equal to weight of the soft re-
moved from foundation pit; Oci is the normal stress at depth z from weight of structure (Fig. 3); E0i and ENi is the
deformation moduli with respect to the branch of primary and secondary compression (with respect to the tII branch)
for the i-th layer based on the data of compression tests with correction m [7] or plate tests whose values are found
by the formulas

mk CHt ~ gKt

ENi = Eol kN; (4)

2 ~to
2 (Eo)pl z.i - - %i
-- - - ; m = • kN= , , (5)
= I I -- t'-o (Eo)K ' %~" - - %z

The values of the void ratio of primary compression of the specimen removed from the i-th layer are taken to be:
initial 6 Hi for pressure OHi equal to the natural pressure with consideration of relieving after removal of soil (Fig. 3)

GHi ="ZNi-- %i (6)

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 ,__t
Ground ~ / ] ~ Ground water

--t
I/ ~ Boundary of
/ /I -1 excavation
I /--i /

• i /

I e., -N.a.

Fig. 3. Stress diagrams in foundation bed for calcuIating s e t t l e -

ments based on proposed design formula.

and end s k i for total pressure Oki equal to

%i = *.l + *ci, (7)

where Oni is the natural, normal pressure of i - t h layer at depth z counting from the bottom of the pit, equal to the
stress from the weight of the overlying soil stratum before excavation; and e Fti and S'ki is the void ratios of sec-
ondary compression (III branch) corresponding to stresses OHi and Oki; (E0)pl and (E0) k is the deformation moduli
determined respectively by field plate test and by compression. Stresses OBi and Oci are determined from the theory
of elasticity; Poisson's ratio go is assumed identical for the first and second branches of compression.

5. To determine the zone of additional expansion we must c o m p l e t e l y relieve the specimen for the small
upper layer within the stress limits corresponding approximately to the stress at the boundary of the horizontal sec-
tion(arresting.course) of the compression curve (in Fig. l b shown by a dashed line from the start of reIieving at point
p). Then the depth of the additional extSansion zone Ahp will be determined by the formula

A Pa
A hp - - , (8)

where Apa is the stress corresponding to the additional expansion zone which is found graphically (see Fig. 2) by the
intersection of the relieving curve II with the stress axis.

6. To the main settlement obtained by formula (1) we add the settlement of the additional expansion zone
ASp determined by the formula

ASp=~cAhp~ "Eop ---Eol ' (9)

where E0p is the deformation modulus in additional expansion zone; E01 is the deformation modulus of upper layer
including zone Ahp; hp is the depth of additional expansion zone from formula (8); o c is the stress from weight
of structure.

The settlement of the additional expansion zone is usually not great. For example, it amounted to 10% of
total settlement at the V. I. Lenin Volga Hydroelectric Station [8].

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 This method of calculating settlements is tied in with the presently used method of calculating structures on
an elastic foundation in a portion of the compressible layer, calculating of the relieving of foundation beds, and de-
termination of design stresses and deformation moduti of beds.
The stress APa at which additional expansion of the upper layer of the bed occurs usnally does not exceed the
stress caused by the weight of the foundation slab of dams, sluices, and other structures. Since the reaction pressure
from the weight of the foundation slab is usually determined by the formula of off-center compression without con-
sideration of the compliance of the bed, the determination of additional expansion will not complicate the calcu-
lations of structures on an elastic foundation.
What has been expressed in this articte shol¢ld be added to SNIP.

LITERATURE CITED
1. Foundations of Hydraulic Engineering Structures [in Russian], SNiP It-B.3-62, Oosstroiizdat (1962).
2. A.A. Nichiporovich and T. I. Tsybul'nik, Settlement Rate Forecasts of Hydraulic Engineering Structures on
Cohesive Soils [in Russian], Gosstroiizdat (1961).
3. S.A. Roza, Calculation of Settlements of Hydroelectric Power Plant Structures [in Russian], Gos~nergoizdat
(1959).
4. E.I. Medkov, Basis Regularities of Soil Strength under Loads [in Russian], MIIT (1962).
5. R. A Tokar', Consideration of Natural Pressure when Calculating Deep Foundations [in Russian], Gidro-
tekhnicheskoe stroitel'stvo, 7 (1949).
6. V.A. Florin, Fundamentals of Soil Mechanics [in Russian], 2, Gosstroiizdat (1961).
7. V.P. Likhachev, S. V. Luzan, A. V. Mikhailov, I. E. Petrov, I. K. Samarin, V. I. Stankevich, and I. N.
Shcherbina, Methods of Calculating the Stability and Strength of Hydraulic Engineering Structures [in Russian],
Edited by M. M Grishin, Gosstroiizdat (1961).
8. S.N. Knyazev, Observations of Settlements and Displacements of a Hydroelectric Power Plant and Spillway
Dam [in Russian], Trudy Gidroproekta, Sbornik pyatyi, Izd. Gidroproekta (1961).

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