Determining Janbu Modulus Values from Results of Consolidation Tests

Bengt H. Fellenius, Dr.Tech., P.Eng.

January 4, 2001 (Updated January 2014)

The results of settlement calculation using the Janbu Janbu Modulus Number (m) and the
conventional combination of the consolidation coefficient (C-c) and void ratio (e-0) are
mathematically identical. However, the modulus number approach is much to be preferred as
it provides only one value and allows the engineer to develop a mental experience base
for the soils normally encountered. In contrast, the conventional approach requires both C c
and e0 and it is not possible to develop a useful experience reference when two variables have
to be considered. Of course, the MIT Compression Ratio (CR) can serve that same purpose.
Moreover, the Janbu approach works also for silts and sand, even soil exhibiting linear stresscompression behavior --- soil compressibility, be it mud and peat, or clay, silt, and sand, or
gravel and tills can be expressed in dimensionless modulus numbers ranging from 1
through 1,000.
For reference see Janbu's papers listed below. See also, Chapter 3, Sections 3.5 through
3.7 in the Red Book ( Fellenius 2014), which summarizes the Janbu Tangent modulus method
and gives the mathematical relations for determining the consolidation coefficient (Cc), the
void ratio (e0), the Compression ratio (CR), and the Janbu Modulus Number (m).
Computer programs available on the market do not normally produce the Janbu modulus
numbers. Although, the "m" is easily determined from the conventional values, the here
offered template can be of interest to the geotechnical engineer. The two sheets named
"Strain Data" and "Void Ratio Data" are intended for input of results from conventional
consolidation tests, As the name implies, the first sheet is for stress-strain input and the
second sheet is for stress-void ratio input.
The input data is intended to be written in the white background columns. Cells with
blue and green background are for entry of coordinates of certain cells and may have to
be changed to get the plotting right. Cells with yellow background must not be touched.
The sheet named "Casagrande Original" is a copy of a table reproduced by Nilmar Janbu from
an example used by Arthur Casagrande for examination of his graduate students in the
The test itself is from the early 1930's. Janbu quoted the test in his summary of his method
(Janbu 1998), which publication every geotechnical engineer would appreciate reading.
The sheet named Casagrande Data shows the Casagrande original test data entered to
the Strain Data Table. The Casagrande Plot shows the plot of the Casagrande data.
To use the spread sheet for your own work, save it under a changed name, then,
delete the sheets that are redundant. You may want to re-size the diagrams.
The diagrams showing void ratio vs. stress and strain vs. stress do not need explanation.
To benefit from and to understand the purpose of the diagrams showing linear stressstrain and Tangent Modulus vs. Average Stress, you will need to read Janbu's 1998 paper.
To whet your appetite, the Janbu Tangent Modulus diagram (the one in the fourth quarter position)
offers an alternative method for determining the preconsolidation stress.
Notice, when you have input the lab data, you should check the void ratio and density values
and the degree of saturation per the options provided above the table.
References
Fellenius, B. H., 2014. Basics of foundation design. Revised Electronic Edition.
[www.Fellenius.net], 410 p.
Janbu, N., 1963. Soil compressibility as determined by oedometer and triaxial tests.
European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Wiesbaden,
Vol. 1, pp. 19-25, and Vol. 2, pp. 17-21.
Janbu, N., 1965. Consolidation of clay layers based on non-linear stress-strain.
Proceedings 6th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation
Engineering, Montreal, Vol. 2, pp. 83-87.
Janbu, N., 1967. Settlement calculations based on the tangent modulus concept.
University of Trondheim, Norwegian Institute of Technology, Geotechnical Institution,
Bulletin 2, 57 p.
Janbu, N., 1998. Sediment deformations. University of Trondheim, Norwegian
University of Science and Technology, Geotechnical Institution, Bulletin 35, 86 p.

Enter values or cell references in white cells

Example of data given as Stress-Strain

Post glacial clay from a depth of 8 m

w = 1,000

2800

e0 = 2.220
wn = 80.0
#

p'
(kPa)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

10
20
40
80
124
186
277
435
729
1,430
98
30

p-ave
(kPa)
5
15
30
60
102
155
232
356
582
1,080
764
64

d(p-ave)
(kPa)

wn =

80.0

e0 =

2.240

e
(- -)
2.220
2.201
2.188
2.180
2.169
2.158
2.144
2.111
1.997
1.857
1.681
1.732
1.762

5
10
15
30
42
53
77
125

Strain
%

S = 100.0

wn = 79.3
M
(kPa)

Strain (%)

Rho-s =

0.60 1,667
1.00 2,500
1.23 8,696
1.59 11,111
1.92 13,333
2.37 13,778
3.38 9,010
6.92 4,463
11.28 6,743
16.73 12,862
15.16
14.21

20.00

15.00

10.00

p1 =
277
p2 = 1,430
Cc =

0.60

p1 =
p2 =

40
124

Ccr =

0.045

e1 =
e2 =

2.111
1.681 VOID RATIO - STRESS

CC = Cc/(1 + e0) =
e1 =
e2 =

0.19

mr =

m=

20
40
80
124
186
277
435
729

0.00
10

163.8

STRAIN vs. STRESS

300
1200

5.00

12.3

2.180
2.158 VOID RATIO - STRESS

CR = Ccr/(1 + e0) = 0.014

277
753
2,046

m=

3.38
11.50
19.62
12.3
3,000
14,000
12.2

MODULUS vs. AVERAGE STRESS

MODULUS vs. STRESS

for reference points

100

Stress (kPa) log

2,500
8,696
11,111
13,333
13,778
9,010
4,463
6,743

20.00

2.200

Strain ( % )

Void Ratio (- -)

2.300

2.100
2.000
1.900

15.00

10.00

1.800
1.700

5.00

1.600
1.500

10

100

1,000

0.00

10,000

500

1,000

Stress (Kka) linear scale

Modulus (KPa)

Strain (%)

Stress (kPa) log scale

20.00

15.00

16,000
14,000
12,000
10,000

10.00

8,000
6,000

5.00
4,000
2,000
0.00
10

100

1,000

Stress (kPa) logarithmic scale

100

1,000

10,000

ss (kPa) logarithmic scale

10,000

0
0

200

400

600

800

1,000

Average Stress (kPa)

500

1,000

1,500

Stress (Kka) linear scale

400

600

800

1,000

Average Stress (kPa)

1,200

1,400

Example of data given using Stress-VOID RATIO

w-n =

77.00

w-n =

77

e-0 =

2.16

1,000
95.5

S=
wn =

40.00

2.200

CC = 0.46
m=5

2.000

77.4

1.800
1.600

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

5.0
25.0
50.0
100.0
200.0
400.0
800.0
200.0
5.0

p1 =
p2 =

200
800

Cc =

1.51

p1 =
p2 =

50
200

Ccr =

0.18

p-ave
(KPa)
3
15
38
75
150
300
600
500
103
3
0
0
0

d(p-ave)
(KPa)

e
(- -)

Strain
%

2.270
2.265
2.261
2.245
2.219
2.138
1.680
1.228
1.272
1.427

3
13
23
38
75
150
300

0.00
0.15
0.28
0.76
1.56
4.04
18.04
31.87
30.52
25.78
69.42
69.42
69.42
69.42

M
(kPa)

Enter values or cell references in white cells

0.00
1.000

3,270
16,350
5,109
6,288
4,037
1,428
2,894

10

100

e1 =
e2 =

20.00

m=5
10.00

m=

5.0

0.0543

m=

42.3

STRAIN vs. STRESS

m=
200
800

25
50
100
200
400
800

4.0
24.00
43.96
5.0
1,700
4,700
5.0

MODULUS vs. AVERAGE STRESS

MODULUS vs. STRESS

for reference points

16,350
5,109
6,288
4,037
1,428
2,894

1000.0

10,000

30.00

0.00
10.0

500.0

Stress (kPa) linear scale

40.00

2.245
2.138 VOID RATIO - STRESS

CR = Ccr/(1 + eo) =

200
544
1,478

0.4622

0.0

1000

Stress (KPa) log scale

2.138
1.228 VOID RATIO - STRESS

CC = Cc/(1 + eo) =

20.00

1.200

8,000
6,000

m=5

4,000
2,000

p'c

0
100.0

Stress (kPa) logarithmic scale

e1 =
e2 =

30.00

10.00

1.400

Strain (%)

p'
(KPa)

Modulus (kPa)

2800
2.27

p'c
2.400

Strain ( % )

w =

Rho-s =
e-0 =

Void Ratio (- -)

Sample of Champlain Sea Clay from depth of 5 m

1000.0

200

400

600

800

Average Stress (kPa)

1,000

Janbu-Casagrande 1934 Example --- Original Data Table

2.00

3.00

LOAD
DIAL
(kg)
(in)
Area = 90.1 cm^2

4.00

5.00

STRESS
(KPa)

STRAIN
(%)

6.00
Void Ratio

d-stress
d-strain
(KPa)
(%)
Original void ratio =

0.000

0.00

0.810

16

0.031

18

2.07

0.773

32

0.046

36

3.09

0.754

64

0.073

71

4.87

0.722

128

0.114

142

7.60

0.672

256

0.166

284

11.03

0.610

512

0.227

567

15.10

0.537

1,024

0.290

1,135

19.33

0.460

1,024

0.293

1,135

19.53

0.456

512

0.285

567

19.00

0.466

256

0.274

284

18.24

0.480

128

0.260

142

17.35

0.496

32

0.231

36

15.43

0.531

0.162

10.80

0.615

0.145

7.00

8.00

9.00

M
(KPa)
0.810

ave-stress
(KPa)

The data in Columns 4 and 5

and in Columns 8 and 9 are
intended for the plotting
to the STRAIN sheet

Calculated using Col.#4 Stress

and Col.#5 Strain (i.e., #6 and #7)
18

2.07

871

9.00

18

1.02

1,765

27.00

35

1.78

1,966

53.50

71

2.73

2,598

106.50

142

3.43

4,136

213.00

283

4.07

6,959

425.50

568

4.23

13,417

851.00

0.20

-568

-0.53

106,500

851.00

-283

-0.76

37,237

425.50

-142

-0.89

16,015

213.00

-106

-1.93

5,502

89.00

-36

-4.63

772

-0.3

-10.80

1135.00

Example of data given as Stress-Strain

Post glacial clay from a depth of 8 m

Rho-s =

2800

e0 =

0.810

wn =

wn =

81.0

e0 =

p'
(kPa)

p-ave
(kPa)
9
27
54
107
213
426
851
1,135
851
426
213
89

d(p-ave)
(kPa)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

18
36
71
142
284
567
1135
1135
567
284
142
36
0.3

p1 =
p2 =

284
1,135

e1 =
e2 =

Cc =

0.2

CR = Cc/(1 + e0) =

284
772
2,098

9
18
27
53
107
213
426
284

e
(- -)
0.810
0.773
0.754
0.722
0.672
0.610
0.537
0.460
0.456
0.466
0.480
0.496
0.531

Rho-w =

1,000

S=

100.0

wn =

28.9

81.0
2.268
Strain
%

M
(kPa)

2.070
3.090
4.860
7.600
11.040
15.110
19.330
19.560
19.010
18.230
17.350
15.410
10.770

870
1,765
1,977
2,591
4,128
6,953
13,460

Enter values or cell references in white cells

0.610
0.460 VOID RATIO - STRESS
0.14

m=

16.7

STRAIN vs. STRESS

m=
500
1050

36
71
142
284
567
1,135
1,135
567

11.04
17.00
22.96
16.8
5,000
14,200
16.7

MODULUS vs. AVERAGE STRESS

MODULUS vs. STRESS

for reference points

1,765
1,977
2,591
4,128
6,953
13,460
0
0

CR = 0.14
m = 17

0.800

Strain ( % )

Void Ratio (- -)

Example of data given as Stress-Strain

20.000

15.000

0.700

10.000
0.600

5.000

0.500

0.000

0.400

10

100

1,000

10,000

Modulus (kPa)

Strain (%)

25.00
20.00
15.00

1000

1500

15,000

m = 17

10,000

10.00

m = 17

5.00
0.00
10

500

Stress (kPa) linear scale

Stress (kPa) log scale

5,000

100

1000

10000

Stress (kPa) logarithmic scale

0
0

500

1,000

Average Stress (kPa)

1,500