(Solved): A generalized subsurface profile of a developing city in New Mexico is shown below. The groundwater ...

A generalized subsurface profile of a developing city in New Mexico is shown below. The groundwater table is currently at the ground surface. Because of shortage of drinking water due to the population increase, the city is planning to pump out groundwater and, as a result, the groundwater table will be lowered to a depth of \( 16.3 \mathrm{~m} \) (please see the figures below). Compute the expected consolidation settlement of the clay layer after the groundwater extraction. Subdivision of the clay layer is not required. [10 pts] Hint: Lowering the groundwater table causes the effective stress to increase even without external load. First, compute the unit weight of clay using the given index properties, and then calculate the initial and final stresses at midpoint of the clay layer using groundwater table at surface and at \( 163 \mathrm{~m} \), respectively.