Influence of mechanical pre-consolidation of soil on the assessment of stress level in geotechnical practice

Geotechnical design includes construction works in the course of which the soil is subjected to vertical repetitive stress in the process of compacting, for example in the case of embankments or landfills. When the stress exceeds the pre-consolidation threshold there emerges accumulation of permanent deformation, usually horizontal, which causes additional lateral stress. A rule verified by long-term practical use was presented for to determine the horizontal stress resulting from mechanical pre-consolidation. Independent mathematical analysis has confirmed that the boundary ranges of the cyclic lateral stress factor correspond to the active or reactive states of strain. In geotechnical practice it is the reactive states, in which additional accumulation of lateral strain occurs in soil, that are important.