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- 2076 Baisakh · 2 marks
- 2073 Bhadra · 2 marks
Normally vs over consolidated soil
Short answer
Normally consolidated soil has never sustained pressure greater than present overburden (OCR=1), is highly compressible and settles more. Overconsolidated soil experienced higher past pressure (OCR>1), is stiffer, less compressible, and has higher strength.
Differentiate between normally consolidated and over consolidated soil deposits.
| Point | Normally consolidated (NC) | Over consolidated (OC) |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Present effective overburden pressure is the maximum it has ever experienced | Present effective overburden is less than the maximum past pressure |
| Pre-consolidation pressure | ||
| OCR | ||
| Compressibility | High (steep virgin line) | Low (flat recompression curve) |
| Settlement | Large | Small |
| Strength | Lower | Higher, stiffer |
| Cause | Deposition under normal geological loading | Erosion, removal of ice, desiccation, water table fluctuation |
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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