Which soil property is critical for determining consolidation?

The critical property for determining consolidation is soil volume, as it relates to the changes that occur in the soil structure when subjected to loads over time. Consolidation is a process where soil gradually reduces in volume due to the application of external pressure, allowing water to be expelled from the soil pores. Understanding soil volume is essential because it affects how much the soil can compress and how quickly this process occurs.

Soil volume directly relates to how much pore space is available for water and air, which impacts the consolidation behavior. When a load is applied, the volume of the soil will change, and this change is influenced by the amount of water that can be expelled from the pores during the consolidation process.

Other soil properties, such as texture, moisture content, and color, provide useful information about the soil but do not directly determine the consolidation process. Soil texture influences the drainage and retention properties but not the consolidation process as directly as volume does. Soil moisture content does play a role in consolidation since it affects pore water pressure and effective stress, but it is less fundamental than the actual change in volume that occurs. Soil color is informative for identifying certain characteristics but has no direct influence on the consolidation behavior of soil.