Compressibility Relations for Peat and Organic Soil

Abstract

Abstract A new technique is formulated to predict the ultimate settlement (primary and secondary) of normally consolidated organic soils on the basis of the organic content. Data from a large number of oedometer tests on samples collected from organic soil deposits in Central Florida exhibit a definitive relationship of ultimate settlement versus organic content. These laboratory test results are analyzed using the Gibson and Lo rheological model to develop expressions for primary and secondary compressibilities in terms of organic content and consolidation pressure. It is shown how the compressibility relations predicted by the authors' approach concur with extensive data collected by other researchers. The usefulness of the authors' analytical relations is displayed by showing how the expected ultimate settlement of an organic soil subjected to a given pressure increase can be computed readily by using them.