2. Terzaghi’s Spring Mass Analogy
The chapter discusses Terzaghi’s Spring Mass Analogy as a model for understanding the consolidation process in saturated clay under external load. It highlights the differences in behavior between coarse-grained soils (like sand) and fine-grained soils (like clay) during compression and consolidation due to applied pressure. The role of effective stress and pore water pressure in these processes is examined, shedding light on the time-dependent nature of compression in fine-grained soils compared to immediate compression in sands.
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What we have learnt
- Terzaghi’s model uses springs and water to represent the behavior of saturated clay under load.
- Compression in soils is influenced by their grain size and arrangement, affecting the consolidation process.
- Fine-grained soils exhibit time-dependent behavior during compression, while coarse-grained soils respond immediately.
Key Concepts
- -- Terzaghi’s Spring Mass Analogy
- A model representing the consolidation of saturated clay using springs and water to illustrate the interaction of pore water pressure and effective stress.
- -- Effective Stress
- The stress that contributes to the strength and stability of soil, defined as the difference between total stress and pore water pressure.
- -- Consolidation
- The process by which a saturated soil decreases in volume over time due to expulsion of pore water under an external load.
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