On the Use of Skempton’s Compression Index Equation

In this study, an alternate approach to establish the e-log p relationships for clayey soils within a vertical pressure range of 10–1,000 kPa is discussed. Skempton’s compression index equation correlating the liquid limit, w _L, and the compression index, C _c, and the reported equation correlating the void ratio at liquid limit, e _L, and the void ratio at a vertical pressure of 100 kPa, e ₁₀₀, by Burland (1990), were used to establish the e-log p relationships for several reconstituted normally consolidated clayey soils. Consolidation test results of 13 clayey soils covering a sufficiently wide range of liquid limit were selected from the literature. Also, consolidation tests were carried out on two highly expansive soils in this study. A comparison of the experimental consolidation test results with the calculated e-log p relationships in the current study indicated that in general, the agreements between the calculated relationships and the experimental results are good. The agreements were found to be slightly better for soils with liquid limits less than about 70%. A comparison of the calculated e-log p relationships in the current study with that determined following methods suggested by Nagaraj and Srinivasa Murthy (1983) and Burland (1990) showed that all the three methods yielded very similar results for soils with liquid limit less than 70%. For soils with liquid limits greater than 70%, the difference between the e-log p relationships calculated in this study and that following Burland (1990)’s method was insignificant, whereas Nagaraj and Srinivasa Murthy (1983)’s method slightly over-predicted the void ratios at larger vertical stresses.