Coefficient of Consolidation by the Slope Method

The slope method explicitly relates the coefficient of consolidation cvto the slope of the initial linear segment of the observed δt-tcurve and to the end of primary settlement δp. The slope method utilizes the same graphical construction as the Taylor method but eliminates the use of the factor 1.15 that usually leads to lower δpand higher cvas compared to the Casagrande method and pore water pressure measurements. Instead, the point at which the δt-tcurve deviates from the linear portion (at Uof about 50 %) is considered for estimating δp. Oedometer test results on four soils show that the cvvalues of the slope and Casagrande methods are comparable but lower than those of the Taylor method.