OedometerTests

The oedometer test, also known as an incremental consolidation test, is a standard laboratory procedure used in geotechnical engineering to determine the consolidation characteristics of a soil sample. The primary goal is to measure how a soil's volume changes under applied vertical load, specifically its compressibility and the rate at which it consolidates.

In a typical oedometer test, a cylindrical soil specimen is placed in a rigid metal ring called a consolidometer. The specimen is saturated with water, and porous stones are placed at the top and bottom to allow for drainage. A series of vertical loads are then applied incrementally to the specimen. After each load increment is applied, the vertical deformation (settlement) of the specimen is measured over time.

The data collected from the oedometer test allows for the determination of several important soil parameters. These include the coefficient of consolidation (cv), which indicates the speed of consolidation, and the coefficient of volume compressibility (mv), which quantifies the soil's tendency to compress under load. Other parameters like the pre-consolidation pressure (pc), the preconsolidation pressure, and the compression index (Cc) are also derived from the test results. These parameters are crucial for predicting the settlement of structures built on compressible soils and for designing foundations.