ESTIMATION OF TOTAL SETTLEMENT OF EMBANKMENTS BY FIELD-MEASUREMENTS

In the absence of compressibility data from laboratory tests, the tota l primary consolidation settlement of a structure founded on clay can be estimated from settlement measurements taken over a period of time. In this note, the hyperbolic and Asaoka methods are applied to a case history where an embankment fill was placed on a clay exhibiting seco ndary compression. It is shown that significant inaccuracies in time-s ettlement predictions can result if an appropriate time factor versus degree of consolidation relationship is not taken into account.