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settlement-calculator skill

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This skill estimates foundation settlement including immediate, primary consolidation, and secondary compression using geotechnical methods to inform design

npx playbooks add skill a5c-ai/babysitter --skill settlement-calculator

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

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SKILL.md

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---
name: settlement-calculator
description: Foundation settlement calculation skill for immediate, consolidation, and secondary compression
allowed-tools:
  - Read
  - Write
  - Glob
  - Grep
  - Edit
  - Bash
metadata:
  specialization: civil-engineering
  domain: science
  category: Geotechnical Analysis
  skill-id: CIV-SK-010
---

# Settlement Calculator Skill

## Purpose

The Settlement Calculator Skill calculates foundation settlements including immediate (elastic) settlement, primary consolidation, and secondary compression using established geotechnical methods.

## Capabilities

- Immediate (elastic) settlement
- Consolidation settlement (1D theory)
- Secondary compression
- Time-rate of consolidation
- Differential settlement analysis
- Tolerable settlement checks
- Settlement beneath rigid foundations
- Stress distribution calculations

## Usage Guidelines

### When to Use
- Estimating foundation settlement
- Evaluating differential settlement
- Time-rate predictions
- Tolerable settlement verification

### Prerequisites
- Soil compressibility data available
- Foundation loads defined
- Groundwater conditions known
- Soil stratigraphy established

### Best Practices
- Use appropriate stress distribution
- Consider soil variability
- Account for adjacent structures
- Verify with field monitoring

## Process Integration

This skill integrates with:
- Foundation Design
- Geotechnical Site Investigation

## Configuration

```yaml
settlement-calculator:
  settlement-types:
    - immediate
    - consolidation
    - secondary
  methods:
    - elastic
    - terzaghi-1d
    - stress-history
  output:
    - magnitude
    - time-rate
    - differential
```

## Output Artifacts

- Settlement calculations
- Time-settlement curves
- Differential settlement maps
- Tolerable settlement checks

Overview

This skill performs foundation settlement calculations for immediate (elastic) settlement, primary consolidation, and secondary compression. It combines standard geotechnical methods to produce magnitudes, time-rate predictions, and differential settlement outputs for design and assessment. The tool is intended for integration into foundation design workflows and site-investigation reviews.

How this skill works

The skill accepts soil stratigraphy, groundwater level, compressibility parameters, and foundation loads. It computes elastic settlements, 1D Terzaghi consolidation, and secondary compression, and can generate time-settlement curves and differential settlement maps. Stress distribution beneath foundations and tolerable-settlement checks are included to support design decisions.

When to use it

Estimating total settlement for shallow and rigid foundations during design
Assessing differential settlement between adjacent footings or along long foundations
Predicting time-rate behaviour for consolidation-dominated soils
Verifying tolerable settlement criteria against design limits
Supporting interpretation of field monitoring and laboratory consolidation tests

Best practices

Provide accurate soil stratigraphy and compressibility data from lab tests
Select the appropriate stress distribution (Boussinesq, rectangular, etc.) for the foundation type
Account for variability and uncertainty by testing multiple parameter scenarios
Include groundwater level and preconsolidation/stress-history information
Compare calculated results with field monitoring where possible

Example use cases

Calculate immediate and consolidation settlement for a shallow strip footing on clay and produce a time-settlement curve for 30 years
Evaluate differential settlement between two column footings spaced along a gradient and check against serviceability limits
Estimate secondary compression for long-term settlement forecasts under sustained loading
Run sensitivity scenarios to understand the impact of varying preconsolidation pressure and unit compressibility
Produce a differential settlement map for a slab-on-grade to inform joint and reinforcement design

FAQ

What inputs are required to run a settlement calculation?

You need soil stratigraphy, layer thicknesses, compression indices or secondary compression coefficients, groundwater level, foundation loads and geometry, and preconsolidation or OCR data if available.

Does the skill model time-dependent consolidation?

Yes. It uses 1D consolidation theory to produce time-rate predictions and time-settlement curves; results depend on the chosen coefficient of consolidation and drainage conditions.