INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY KHARAGPUR 
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING 
CE 31003: SOIL MECHANICS    ASSIGNMENT # 1 
ASSIGNED DATE: 20‐08‐2018 
     
Answer all questions:

1. A sand sample has porosity of 35% and the specific gravity of the particles is 2.73.
What is its dry density and void ratio?

2. A sample of silty clay was found to have a volume of 14.88 ml, whilst its mass at
natural water content was 28.81g and the particle specific gravity was 2.7. Calculate the
void ratio and degree of saturation if, after oven drying, the sample had a mass of
24.83g.

3. A sample of moist sand was cut out of a natural deposit by means of a sampling
cylinder. The volume of the cylinder was 478 cc. The weight of the sample alone was
884 g and 830 g after drying. The volume of the dried sample, when rammed tight into
a graduated cylinder was 418 cc, and its volume when poured loosely into the same
cylinder was 616 cc. If the particle specific gravity was 2.67, compute the relative
density and degree of saturation of the deposit.

4. 400 g of dry soil was taken for combined sieve and hydrometer analysis. The mass of
soil passing through 75 μm sieve was found to be 165 g. Hydrometer analysis was
carried out on 40 g dry soil taken from the mass passing through 75 μm sieve. The
hydrometer readings rh and RH taken in a suspension of 1000 cc are given below:

3
Elapsed time (min) rh' RH = (rh – 1) × 10
½ 1.0215 21.5
1 1.0210 21.0
2 1.0203 20.3
4 1.0197 19.7
8 1.0189 18.9
15 1.0179 17.9
30 1.0167 16.7
62 1.0160 16.0
120 1.0150 15.0
244 1.0140 14.0
1459 1.0120 12.0

The average temperature recorded was 25oC. The specific gravity of the particles,
Gs = 2.65. The other data are: Cm = 0.5, Cd = 0.6 and Ct = 0.975. He1 = 22.00 cm and
RH1 = 0 and He2 = 10.00 cm and RH2 = 30. Sectional area of jar = 30 cm2; VH = 40
cm3 and kinematic viscosity = 8.95 millipoises.
Determine: (a) N' % and N% (b) plot D vs N%.
 5. The consistency limits of a soil sample are:LL = 52%, PL = 35%, SL = 17%
If a specimen of this soil shrinks from a volume 10 cc at liquid limit to 6.1 cc at
shrinkage limit, determine the specific gravity (Gs) of solid soil.

6. 100 gm of dry soil was mixed with water at 4oC to form a 1000 cc suspension.
(i) Determine the initial unit weight of the suspension.
(ii) To what depth with the particles having effective diameter of 0.05 mm settle after 5
minutes?
(iii) What will be the time required by a 5 micron particle to settle through 10 cm?
(Assume Gs = 2.72 for solid soils and the viscosity of water at 4oC is 0.85  10-3 poise.

7. The results of a liquid limit test are given below:

No. of blows 11 15 23 30 35 46
Water content
53.9 50.6 48.1 46 45 43.3
(%)

Draw the flow curve on semi-log graph paper (water content along vertical axis and No.
of blows along horizontal axis) and determine the liquid limit and flow index (slope of
the flow curve)