  We use a combination of original light scattering techniques and particles
with unique optical properties to investigate the behavior of suspensions of
attractive colloids under gravitational stress, following over time the
concentration profile, the velocity profile, and the microscopic dynamics.
During the compression regime, the sedimentation velocity grows nearly linearly
with height, implying that the gel settling may be fully described by a
(time-dependent) strain rate. We find that the microscopic dynamics exhibit
remarkable scaling properties when time is normalized by strain rate, showing
that the gel microscopic restructuring is dominated by its macroscopic
deformation.
