The two most important parameters considered variables with depth are the gap ratio and the overconsolidation ratio (in Settle3, overconsolidation can also be represented by the OCM, the overconsolidation margin, or directly by stress prior to consolidation). The effect of varying these parameters will be discussed later. Geotechnical engineers are used to averaging properties across the clay layer and use an equation for the thickness of the pits in the layer to calculate the settlement based on effective stresses at half the depth of the layer. This subdivision will yield a different result for the total settlement due to the non-linear nature of the logarithmic part of the equations, and the difference will increase with the complication of the distribution of tensions and the variation of soil properties with the depth.