CE 335

Engineering Soil Mechanics

Practice Exam

Spring 2012

1) A field soil deposit is at a relative density of 75%.

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Its sample was tested in a lab and found to have dry(min.) of 10 kN/m , and a dry (max.) of 20 kN/m .
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Using w as 10 kN/m , and the specific gravity of soil particles, Gs as 2.50,

calculate the soil deposits field (a) void ratio, and (b) dry unit weight.

2) A soil sample has a dry of 1.6 g/cm , and a sat of 2.1 g/cm .
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Calculate its

(a) void ratio, (b) specific gravity of soil particles, and (c) saturated water content.

(Hints: Simultaneous solution of Eqns. (3.22), and (3.23) for e and G s; saturated S = 100% = 1; Eqn. 3.19)

3) A moist soil sample has a total volume (V) of 600 cm , and a wet mass of 1260 grams. After over drying, the mass of dry soil particles (m s) becomes 1040 grams. The specific gravity of soil particles is 2.8 (Gs). Determine: (a) Moisture content, w (b) Volume of soil particles, Vs (c) Volume of water voids, Vw (d) Volume of air voids, Va (e) Degree of saturation, S (f) Void ratio, e (g) Porosity, n (h) Dry mass density (dry) of the soil in g/cm .
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(i) Dry unit weight (dry) of the soil in kN/m .

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4) Use w as 10 kN/m for this problem, and neglect the kinetic energy.
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Points 1 and 2 are in a saturated soil having permeability (k) of 3E-5 m/s. The inclined straight distance between points 1 and 2 is 6 m. The point 1 is at a pressure of 60 kPa and is at an elevation of 3 m. The point 2 is at a pressure of 20 kPa and is at an elevation of 5 m. Determine (a) the hydraulic gradient between points 1 and 2? (b) the discharge velocity, v. Is the flow direction from point 1 to point 2? (Yes/no).

5) The co-efficient of permeability of a soil is 6 x 10 m/s. Take the unit wt. of water as 10 kN/m , and dynamic viscosity as 8 x 10 kPa.s. Calculate the absolute permeability in m (use Eqn. 6.11).
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6) Point A is on the center-line of the 1-m thick silty clay layer. (a) Calculate the effective stress () at point A. (b) An undisturbed soil sample was taken from point A. In the lab, a 1-D consolidation test was conducted on a 2 cm thick specimen of that soil sample. The logarithm-of-time method (Fig. 9.19) gave its t50 value as 4 hours 35 min. 15 seconds. How long does it take for completion of 95% consolidation in the field? (Use Eqn. for Tv on page 207, and Table 9.3) (c) The foundation loading creates an effective vertical stress increase () of 50 kPa at point A. (We use point A as representative of the 1-m thick silty clay layer). Calculate primary consolidation settlement (Sp) using Eqn. (9.18). (Logarithm is with base 10). The swell index (cs) of the soil is 0.12. For Eqns. (9.16) to (9.19), becomes o.

Here, we shall use Eqn. (9.18) because the pre-consolidation pressure (c) is more than (o + )