Memorial University of Newfoundland

ENGI 9723: Soil Properties and Behaviour

Assignment-1 (Due by Friday November 18, 2016)
TO: Students

FROM: Bipul Hawlader

Date: November 9, 2016

Topic: Shear Strength of Soil

Total Marks: 10

Suppose you are a geotechnical engineer for a major Oil Sands Development project in
Ft. McMurray. You have been assigned to plan field and laboratory tests required to
design an external tailings pond, one of the major components of the project, of
approximately 5 km4 km in plan. Proposed height of the tailing dyke is 100 m and side
slopes are 9H:1V (horizontal: vertical) in downstream and 6H:1V in upstream side.
The general layout of the project is shown below (not in scale).

A
Tailing pond

Site-I for tiling dyke

construction soil

~5 km4 km

Site-II for tiling dyke

construction soil

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Existing ground
4 m thick muskeg
10 m thick slightly overconsolidated clay
10 m thick Glacial till
15 m thick medium dense sand

Oil sand (very strong material but 10-30 mm horizontal thin

slickensided weak clay layer encountered every 2-5 m interval

Expected surface after

Mining (3H:1V)

From a preliminary investigation it has been found that there is a 4 m thick muskeg layer
under the proposed tailing dyke for a 3 km long section. Below the muskeg layer is a 10
m thick slightly overconsolidated clay, followed by a 10 m thick glacial till, a 15 m thick
dense sand and then oil sands as shown in figure above.
You have been assigned to resolve following major issues:
1. Client is thinking that the upper muskeg layer should not be removed for the
construction of the dyke as it is very expensive.
2. Client is also thinking that the upper clay layer should not be removed, although
they have been informed that the thick clay layer could be critical for design.
3. Two borrow sites, Site-I and Site-II, are preliminary selected for fill materials for
embankment construction. The Site-I is closer to the tailings dyke. However, if
the soil from the Site-I is not suitable for dyke construction the Site-II could be
considered as an alternate site. In both sites, the soil is primarily sandy soils with
relatively higher fine content (>30%).
4. Client is expecting mine slope of 1:3 as oil sands is very strong. However, you are
thinking the horizontal slickensided layers could be critical in design.
At this stage you are planning for a further geotechnical investigation for detailed design.
(i) Do you think the muskeg layer must be removed before the construction of the
dyke? Justify your answer.
(ii) How the lightly overconsolidaed clay layer could affect the design and
construction of the embankment? Do you think this layer must be also removed? If
your answer is yes explain why, if no explain how the design and construction
should be done avoiding any slope failure.
(iii) What type of field tests do you need to design the dyke?
(iv) What type of soil samples do you need for geotechnical characterization of the
clay layer, fill material for dyke and characterization of slickensides?
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(v) For slope stability analysis of the tailing dyke what type of laboratory tests do you
need and what type of soil samples do you use for those tests? Explain clearly. For
example if you select a shear strength test, explain why did you select that test and
what parameters you are going to get from that test and how it is related to other
index test results. (Hints: 22nd Terzaghi Lecture by Ladd 1986, Mayne 2001)
(vi) As slickensided layer could be critical for mine slope design, what type of tests
you will perform to determine shear strength of this slickensided clay layer. Do
you need any index test of this soil? If so how you are going to relate them with
other design parameters? (Hints: Lecture notes & 4th Rankine Lecture by
Skempton 1964).
(vii)
Very similar particle size distributions and the Optimum Moisture Content
(15%) were reported for the soils from both burrow sites (Site-I and Site-II).
However, the natural moisture content of soil at Site-A is 20% to 23% while it
varies between 5% and 10% at Site-B. Which site you recommend for fill
materials and why? What are the possible design and construction issues if this soil
is used for construction of the embankment? Note that, the embankment will be
constructed by compacting the soil. (Hints: Bishop 1957, Rivard and Goodwin
1978, Sridharan and Nagraj 2005).
(viii)
To save some money, the client suggested multi-stage triaxial tests for
upper clay layer. However, one of your colleagues does not agree with this as the
soil is overconsolidated. Using typical stressstrain diagram and effective stress
path for overconoslidated clay show that the interpretation of multi-stage triaxial
test data is difficult and sometimes misleading.
(Note: To answer above questions, if required, please include figures, schematic
diagrams, examples, and references)

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