ABSTRACT
When a soil layer is subjected to a compressive stress, such as during the construction of a structure, it will exhibit a certain amount of compression. This compression is achieved through a number of ways, including rearrangement of the soil solids or extrusion of the pore air and/or water. According to Terzaghi (1943), “a decrease of water content of a saturated soil without replacement of the water by air is called a process of consolidation.” When saturated clayey soils-which have a low coefficient of permeability-are subjected to a compressive stress due to a foundation loading, the pore water pressure will immediately increase; however, because of the low permeability of the soil, there will be a time lag between the application of load and the extrusion of the pore water and, thus, the settlement. This phenomenon, which is called consolidation, is the subject of this chapter.
