Question

When the soil is laterally confined, the changes in volume is ______

(a) proportional to change in thickness ∆H

(b) inversely proportional to change in thickness ∆H

(c) equal to change in thickness ∆H

(d) does not depend upon the thickness

I have been asked this question by my school principal while I was bunking the class.

My enquiry is from Consolidation Process in portion One Dimensional Consolidation of Geotechnical Engineering I

Answer 1

The correct choice is (a) proportional to change in thickness ∆H

To explain I would say: When the soil is laterally confined, there is decrease in the volume. Since the soil is laterally confined, there will be change of volume only due to the decrease in the thickness which implies to the changes in volume is proportional to change in thickness ∆H.