GURU NANAK INSTITUTIONS TECHNICAL CAMPUS

(Autonomous)
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
Department of Civil Engineering
Soil mechanics
Year: III Semester: 1
Unit I
1. Soil deposits formed due to flowing of water is called ________________ [ ]
(a) Alluvial deposit (b) Lacustrine deposit (c) Talus (d) Colluvium
2. Which of the following instruments are used to conduct sedimentation analysis [ ]
(a) Oven (b) Pycnometer (c) Hydrometer (d) Casagrande apparatus
3. Uniformity coefficient, Cu is given by [ ]
𝐷60 𝐷60 𝐷30 2 𝐷60 2
(a) (b) (c) (d)
𝐷30 𝐷10 𝐷60 × 𝐷10 𝐷30 × 𝐷10
4. Water content of soil [ ]

(a) not greater than 100 % (b) 0 % to 100 % (c) be less than 0 % (d) greater than 100 %

5. A fully saturated soil is said to be [ ]

(a) one phase system (b) two phase system with soil and air (c) two phase system with soil and
water (d) three phase system

6. A dry soil is said to be [ ]

(a) one phase system (b) two phase system with soil and air (c) two phase system with soil and
water (d) three phase system

7. A partially saturated soil is said to be [ ]

(a) one phase system (b) two phase system with soil and air (c) two phase system with soil and
water (d) three phase system

8. Valid range for S, the degree of saturation of soil in percentage is [ ]

(a) S>0 (b) S<0 (c) 0<S<100 (d) 0 < S < 100
9. The ratio of volume of voids to the total volume of soil mass is called [ ]
(a) air content (b) porosity (c) percentage air voids (d) voids ratio
10. The ratio of volume of voids to the volume of solids is called [ ]
(a) air content (b) porosity (c) percentage air voids (d) voids ratio
11. Which of the following methods is most accurate for the determination of the water content
of soil [ ]

(a) oven drying method (b) sand bath method (c) calcium carbide method (d) pycnometer method

12. If the natural water content of soil mass lies between its liquid limit and plastic limit, the soil
mass is said to be in [ ]
(a) liquid state (b) plastic state (c) semi-solid state (d) solid state

13. If the natural water content of soil mass lies between its shrinkage limit and plastic limit, the
mass is said to be in [ ]
(a) liquid state (b) plastic state (c) semi-solid state (d) solid state
14. Stoke's law is valid only if the size of particle is [ ]
(a) less than 0.0002 mm (b) greater than 0.2 mm (c) between 0.2 mm and 0.0002 mm (d) less than
0.2 mm
15. Which of the following soils has more plasticity index [ ]
(a) sand (b) silt (c) clay (d) gravel

16. The ratio of weight of a given volume of soil solids at a given temperature to the weight of an
equal volume of distilled water at same temperature is ______________
17. ____________________________________ is defined as the maximum water content at
which a reduction in water content will not cause a decrease in the volume of a soil.
18. Soils transported by water are called ______________
19. The ratio of volume of water to the volume of voids in a given soil mass is called
______________
20. The sedimentation analysis or wet mechanical analysis is based on _____________ law.
21. The arrangement and state of arrangement of soil particles in soil mass is called __________
22. The property of soil which allows it to be deformed rapidly without rupture and without
volume change is called ___________
23. The ratio of weight of water to the weight of solids in a given soil mass is called
______________
24. For fully saturated soil the value of Degree of saturation is?
25. For Dry soil the value of Degree of saturation is?
26. Weight of solids per unit volume of solids is called?
27. Relation between submerged, saturated unit weight and unit weight of water?
28. Name one correction in Hydrometer analysis
29. Plasticity Index in terms of Liquid and Plastic limit
30. Relation between air content and degree of saturation.

Unit II
1. Critical hydraulic gradient, ic is [ ]
𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡 𝛾𝑠𝑢𝑏 𝛾𝑏𝑢𝑙𝑘 𝛾𝑑𝑟𝑦
(a) (b) (c) (d)
𝛾𝑤 𝛾𝑤 𝛾𝑤 𝛾𝑤

2. Which of the following statement is incorrect about flow net [ ]

(a) Diagram representing flow and equi-potential lines
(b) Flow lines and equi-potential lines do not intersect perpendicular to each other
(c) Each unit formed by intersection of flow and equi-potential lines are approximate squares
(d) Loss of head from one potential line to the next is same

3. The capillarity-permeability test may be also called as [ ]

(a) Vertical capillarity test (b) Horizontal capillarity test (c) Capillary test (d) Coefficient of
permeability test
4. The average permeability of soil deposits depends on [ ]
(a) Direction of flow (b) Coefficient of permeability (c) Moisture content (d) Saturation of the
soil
5. Rise of water table above the ground surface causes [ ]
(a) Equal increase in pore water pressure and total stress
(b) Equal decrease in pore water pressure and total stress
(c) Increase in pore water pressure but decrease in total stress
(d) Decrease in pore water pressure but increase in total stress
6. Effective stress on soil [ ]
(a) Increases voids ratio and decreases permeability
(b) Increases both voids ratio and permeability
(c) Decreases both voids ratio and permeability
(d) Decreases voids ratio and increases permeability

7. The neutral stress in a soil mass is [ ]

(a) Force per neutral area (b) Force per effective area (c) Stress taken up by the pore water
(d) Stress taken up by solid particles
8. During seepage through a soil, direction of seepage is always [ ]
(a) Parallel to equipotential lines (b) Perpendicular to stream lines (c) Perpendicular to
equipotential lines (d) Parallel to stream lines
9. The soil moisture driven off by heat, is called [ ]
(a) Free water (b) Hydroscopic water (c) Gravity water (d) capillary water
10.If G is specific gravity of sand particles, e is void ratio , the critically hydraulic gradient [ ]
(a) ic = (G + 1)/(1 - e) (b) ic = (G + 1)/(1 + e) (c) ic = (G - 1)/(1 + e) (d) ic = (G - 1)/(1 - e)
11. The critical exist gradient of seepage water in soils, increases with [ ]
(a) An increase in specific gravity (b) An decrease in specific gravity (c) An decrease in void
ratio (d) Both (a) and (c)
12. The phreatic line in an earth dam may be [ ]
(a) Circular (b) Elliptical (c) Parabolic (d) A straight line
13. If Nf , Nd and H are total number flow channels, total number of potential drops and total
hydraulic head differences respectively, the discharge q through the complete flow is given by
(where K is a constant) [ ]
(a) q = (Nf/Nd) (b) q = KH (Nd/(Nf ) (c) q = KH (Nf/Nd) (d) q = KH Nf/Nd)
14. Quick sand is a [ ]
(a) Type of sand (b) Flow condition occurring in cohesive soils (c) Flow condition occurring in
cohesion-less soils (d) Flow condition occurring in both cohesive and cohesion-less soils

15. The effective size of particles of soil is denoted by [ ]

(a) D10 (b) D20 (c) D30 (d) D60

16. _____________________________________________ laboratory test is conducted to

determine the permeability of pervious soil.

17. ___________________ aquifer is a layer of soil that has impermeable strata above and below
it.

18. The direction of seepage is always __________ to streamlines

19. Equipotential lines represent contours of ______
20. The condition when cohesion less soil loses its shear strength due to upward direction of flow
is called ______
21. Permeability varies approximately as the _________ of the grain size.
22. Pressure exerted by the water on to the soil mass when it percolates through it is __________
23. Pore water pressure or Neutral stress is measured by __________
24. Darcy’s law equation
25 Hydraulic gradient equation in terms of head loss and length of soil sample
26. Which of the following methods is more suitable for the determination of permeability
of clayey soil
27. Effective stress in terms of total and neutral stress

28.Write the equation to find capillary rise, hc in soil

29. Soils susceptible to frost heave and frost boil are?
30. Seepage velocity equation

Unit III
1. Mass of Rammer used in light compaction Test [ ]
(a) 2.9 kg. (b) 2.7 kg. (c) 2.8 kg. (d) 2.6 kg.
2. Sheepfoot roller method of compaction is best suited for _____________ soils.
3. O.M.C stands for ______________________
4. Isobar is a curve joining points of ________________
5. Influence line diagram represents ___________________________________ distribution
diagram on a horizontal plane due to unit load.
6. Which of the following equation is used to determine the vertical stress, q at the center of a
circular loaded area
(a) q (1-cos) (b) q (1-cos2) (c) q (1-cos3) (d) None of these
7. Drop of rammer in modified Proctor compaction test
(a) 400 mm (b) 450 mm (c) 500 mm (d) 600 mm
8. Compaction of soil _______________ the permeability of soil.
(a) Decreases (b) Increases (c) do not affect (d) improves
9. Which of the following soil attains maximum dry density
(a) High plasticity clay (b) Low plasticity clay (c) Low plasticity silt (d) Well graded sand

10. Dry density of soil is called maximum theoretical dry density if

(a) 0% of voids are filled with air or 100% filled with water (b) 25% of voids are filled with air
(c) 50% of voids are filled with air (d) all voids are filled with air

Unit IV
1. Time Factor, Tv is [ ]
𝐶𝑣 ∗𝐻 𝐶𝑣 ∗𝑡 𝐶𝑣 ∗𝑡
(a) (b) (c) (d) None
𝑡2 𝐻 𝐻2

2. Over Consolidation Ratio, O.C.R for over consolidated soil is [ ]

(a) =1 (b) <1 (c)>1 (d)=0
3. Time Factor value, Tv for 50% degree of Consolidation is ______________
4. Which of the following statements about compaction is incorrect?
(a) Occurs due to steady static load (b) Occurs due to dynamic load
(c) Pore water is expelled d) Time required for settlement depends on permeability of soil
5. Compression index of soil, Cc =
(a) 0.1(LL-10) (b) 0.5(LL-10) (c) 0.009 (LL-10) (d) LL-10

6. Write the name of any one method to determine the coefficient of consolidation

7. Preconsolidation pressure is the ___________ pressure to which a clay layer is subjected in

the past.
(a) Minimum (b) Maximum (c) Equal (d) Zero

8. Coefficient of compressibility =

9. A soil layer which undergoes consolidation for the first time is ________________________.
10. Over Consolidation ratio =

Unit V
1. The angle made by failure plane with major principle plane, θf = [ ]
Ø 45 45 Ø
(a) 45+2 (b) +Ø (c) +Ø (d) 45+3
3 2

2. Corrected Area, Ac in UCS Test is, where Ao is original area & ∈ is strain
[ ]
𝐴𝑜 𝐴𝑜 𝐴𝑜
(a) 1−∈ ( b) 1+∈ (c) ∈−1 (d) None

3. If the shear stress on a plane is zero then the plane is called

4. The major principle stress (𝜎1 ) in Tri-axial test is equal to sum of
5. Shear test which do not allow pore water to dissipate during consolidation and shear stage is
called
(a) UU test (b) CU test (c) CD test (d) None of these
6. Name of shear test in which a cylindrical sample is subjected to stresses in three directions
(a) Vane shear test (b) Unconfined compression test
(c) Triaxial compression test (d) Direct shear test
7. Undrained shear strength of soft clay is determined by a laboratory test _____________
(a) Vane shear test (b) Unconfined compression test
(c) Triaxial compression test (d) Direct shear test
8. Sensitivity of soil =
9. In unconfined compression test, minor principal stress is __________.
10. Write the Mohr-Coulomb equation for shear strength.