Final answer:
The statement 'during consolidation, effective stress decreases' is false. During the process of consolidation, the effective stress on the solid particles of a soil mass typically increases as water is expelled and the solid particles carry an increasing proportion of the load.
Step-by-step explanation:
To assess whether the statement 'during consolidation, effective stress decreases' is true or false, we first need to understand what consolidation and effective stress are. Consolidation is a geological process often related to sedimentary layers where, over time, sediments are compressed and water is expelled, resulting in a denser configuration of particles. Effective stress, in geotechnical engineering, pertains to the stress on the solid particles of a soil mass that is not counteracted by fluid pressure in the voids of the soil.
Consolidation generally leads to an increase in effective stress. As the water is expelled from the pores of the soil due to the weight of overburden or applied loads, the pressure that the water exerts against the soil particles decreases. Consequently, the solid particles bear more of the load and the effective stress increases. With this understanding, the statement 'during consolidation, effective stress decreases' can be confirmed as false.
Pressure and bulk stress are factors that affect the consolidation process. With increased pressure, the volume of a submerged object tends to decrease. This volume change, known as bulk strain, leads to a greater effective stress within the material, as shown by the relationship given in bulk stress models, where the pressure acts perpendicular to the submerged object’s surface to decrease its volume.
The removal of HI in a chemical equilibrium scenario suggests that the system will adjust according to Le Chatelier's principle to counteract the change. However, this concept is not directly correlated with the effective stress in geological terms.
Lastly, the description of cell contractility and stiffness during applied stress in biological tissues suggests that cells reduce contractility when stretched, which implies a context-specific stress response. While useful for understanding biological responses, it does not translate directly to effective stress in soil consolidation.