Consolidation is the process by which soil volume decreases. This occurs when pressure is applied to the soil causing the soil particles to clump together more tightly, therefore reducing the volume. When this happens in a soil that is saturated with water, the water will be squeezed out of the soil. The magnitude of stability can be assessed in a number of different ways. In the classic method developed by Carl Terzaghi, soils are tested using an oedometer test to determine their compression index. The amount of stability can be estimated from this.When stress is removed from a consolidated soil, the soil will rebound, regaining some of the volume it had lost in the
consolidation process. If the stress is reapplied, the soil will consolidate again along a recompression curve, defined by the recompression index. The soil that had its load removed is considered to be over-consolidated. This is the case for soils that previously had glaciers on them. The highest stress that a soil has been subjected to is termed the pre-consolidation stress. A soil that is currently experiencing its highest stress is said to be normally consolidated.
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