Compression Results Options

Selecting Options > CONS Setup then clicking on Calculated Values in the left-hand navigation panel gives you a list of settings that affect the way the program performs a couple of calculations.

Swell pressure is calculated as

Various sources give the swell pressure calculation as either simply the pressure required to reduce the swelled sample height back to its pre-wetting height, or that pressure minus the pressure at wetting. This option allows you to choose between the two methods. (Swell pressure and percentage are not calculated prevents the program from reporting either values on the data summary or the chart report.)

Recompression index is calculated as

Again, there are two definitions for recompression index: the average of the slopes of the compression curve reload intervals, or the average of the slopes of both the unload and reload intervals. Use this option to select the desired calculation method.

Secondary compression is calculated as

Cα, the time coefficient of secondary consolidation, can be reported as either the slope of the secondary compression portion of the curve divided by the height of the sample, or by the height of solids (the later option of course requires entry of a specific gravity value.