Effect on Consolidation Properties

By far the effect of sampling disturbance on the consolidation behavior has received the most attention. Effects on consolidation can be summarized as follows (Rutledge, 1944)  

It decreases the void ratio at which the soil will carry any given vertical stress. 

It obscures the previous stress history of the soil and its preconsolidation pressure. 

The straight portion of the remolded compression curve is displaced downward from the virgin curve. Its slope or compression index is decreased. 

To extrapolate a field virgin curve from the laboratory consolidation curve, Schmertmann (1955) provided alternate methods to determine the preconsolidation pressure (1) from water content data, (2) from the void ratio reduction pattern in a given consolidation test. 

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