SOIL MECHANICS

Problems
1. A dry soil is mixed with 17% by mass with water and compacted.
Volume of wet soil is 0.001m3 and has a mass of 1.6kg. If the specific
gravity of soil is 2.70,
a) Compute the dry unit weight of soil. Ans. 13.42KN/m3
b) Compute the void ratio. Ans. 0.97
c) Compute the degree of saturation. 47.3%
2. The following data shows the results of the liquid limit and plastic
limit test.
A. LIQUID LIMIT
Test Number
1
2
3
4
No. of Blows
39
23
20
13
Weight of wet soil + container
22.24g 21.19g 21.27g 26.12g
Weight of dry soil + container
19.44g 18.78g 18.75g 22.10g
Weight of container
12.74g 13.24g 13.06g 13.27g
B. PLASTIC LIMIT
Test Number
Weight of wet soil + container
Weight of dry soil + container
Weight of container
C. NATURAL WATER CONTENT
Test Number
Weight of wet soil + container
Weight of dry soil + container
Weight of container

1
22.12g
20.42g
13.07g
1
17.53g
14.84g
7.84g

2
21.84g
20.19g
13.18g
2
16.97g
14.36g
7.5g

a) Compute the liquid limit. Use the table shown. Ans. 43%
b) Compute the plasticity index. Ans. 19.66%
c) Compute the liquidity index. Ans. 0.80
3. The given data shows a sieve analysis of soil samples A, B & C.
Soil Sample
Sieve No.
Diam. (mm)
A
B
C
Percent Passing
#4
4.760
90
100
100
#8
2.380
64
90
100
#10
2.000
54
77
98
#20
0.840
34
59
92
#40
0.420
22
51
84
#60
0.250
17
42
79
#100
0.149
9
35
70
#200
0.074
4
33
63
Characteristics of - 40 Fraction
LL
46
47
PL
29
24

a) Classify the soil sample A using USCS Method. D10 = 0.17, D30 = 0.70
& D60 = 2.30. Ans. SW, 10%<15% gravel. Therefore the soil is SW well
graded sand
b) Classify the soil sample B using USCS Method. Ans. SC (clayey
sands, sand clay mixtures)
c) Classify the soil sample C using USCS Method. Ans. CL (inorganic
clays of low to medium plasticity, gravelly clays)
4. The given data shows a sieve analysis of soil samples A, B & C.
Sieve No.
#4
#8
#10
#20
#40
#60
#100
#200
LL
PL

Diam. (mm)

4.760
90
2.380
64
2.000
54
0.840
34
0.420
22
0.250
17
0.149
9
0.074
4
Characteristics of
-

Soil Sample
B
Percent Passing
100
90
77
59
51
42
35
33
- 40 Fraction
46
29

C
100
100
98
92
84
79
70
63
47
24

a) Classify the soil sample A using AASHTO Method. Ans. A-1-b

b) Classify the soil sample B using AASHTO Method. Ans. A-2-7 (1)
c) Classify the soil sample C using AASHTO Method. Ans. A-7-6 (13)
General
Granular materials
Classification
(35% or less of total sample passing No. 200)
A-1
A-2
Group
classification
A-1-a
A-1-b
A-3
A-2-4
A-2-5
A-2-6
A-2-7
Sieve analysis (percent passing)
No. 10
50max
No. 40
30max 50max 51min
No. 200
15max 25max 10max 35max 35max 35max 35max
Characteristics of fraction passing No. 40
Liquid limit
40max 41min 40max 41min
Plasticity
6max
NP
10max 10max 11min
11min
index
Usual types
of significant
Stone
constituent
fragments
Fine
materials
gravel and sand
sand
Silty or clayey gravel and sand
General subExcellent to good
grade rating
General
Classification

Silt clay materials

(more than 35% of total sample passing N0. 200)
A-7
Group
A-7-5a
classification
A-4
A-5
A-6
A-7-6b
Sieve analysis (percent passing)
No. 10
No. 40
No. 200
36min
36min
36min
36min
Characteristics of fraction passing No. 40
Liquid limit
40max
42min
40max
41min
Plasticity
10max
10max
11min
11min
index
Usual types
of significant
Silty soils
Clayey soils
constituent
materials
General subFair to poor
grade rating
a For A-7-5, PI
LL - 30
b For A-7-6, PI > LL - 30

5. The hydraulic gradient for a quicksand condition is equal to 1.13 with

void ratio of 0.50. The moist unit weight of soil is 19.04 KN/m3.
a) Compute the specific gravity of the soil. Ans. 2.70
b) Compute the dry unit weight. Ans. 17.66KN/m3
c) Compute the water content of the soil. 7.8%
6. The soil under a dam has four layers of soil with different vertical
coefficients of permeability.
Layer
1
2
3
4

Depth (m)
4
8
12
3

Coeff. of permeability (cm/hr)

5
3
2
1

a) Compute the average vertical coeff. of permeability. Ans. 0.52m/day

b) Compute the transmissibility of the soil when the water table is at the
ground surface in m2/day.
c) Compute the interstitial velocity of water moving through the soil if it
has a void ratio of 0.60 and a hydraulic gradient of 0.0018. Express in
cm/hr. Ans. 0.0104
7. A confined aquifer underlies an unconfined aquifer as shown in the
figure.
a) Compute the equivalent horizontal coefficient of permeability. Ans.
36.25m/day
b) Compute the hydraulic gradient. Ans. 0.0075
c) Compute the flow rate from one stream to another per meter width.
Ans. 12.91m3/day/m

8. From the following figure:

D
H1
K1
h
D
H2
K2
H

4
0.2
0.00471
1.25
1.5
0.3
0.000522
0.5

Inches
Feet
Ft/min
Feet
Inches
Feet
Ft/min
Feet

10. A dense silt layer has the following properties:

Void ratio (e) =
0.50
Effective diam. (D10) =
10m
Capillary constant, C =
0.20cm2
Free ground water level is 8.0m below the ground surface.
a) Find the height of the capillary rise in the silt, capillary rise is given
.Ans. 4m
b) Find the vertical effective stress in KPa at 5m depth. Assume
and that the soil above the capillary action rise and
ground surface is partially saturated at 50%. Ans. 127.56KPa
c) Find the effective stress at 10m depth. Ans. 183.16KPa

11. A cohesionless soil has a friction angle of 30 and deviator stress at

failure of 400kPa.
a) Find the angle that the failure plans makes with the major principal
plane. Ans.
b) Find the confining pressure. Ans. 200KPa
c) Find shear stress at the point on the failure plane. Ans. 173.2Kpa

a) Determine the total flow in ft3/min. Ans. 2.964 x 10-4

b) Determine the equivalent value of Kf for both sand & silt. Ans. 1.36 x
10-3
c) determine the volume of water which percolate after 30 min in cm3.
Ans. 252

12. From the given soil profile shown, the ground surface is subject to
a uniformly distributed load of 80 kPa.
a) Compute the compression index. Ans. 0.288
b) Compute the present overburden Po at mid height of the
compressible clay layer. Ans. 82.66KPa
c) Compute the total settlement due to primary consolidation. Ans.
211.67mm

9. A 300mm diameter test well penetrates 27m below the static water
table. After 24hrs of pumping at 69liter/sec, the water level in an
observation well at a distance of 98m from the test well is lowered
0.56m and the other observation well at a distance of 34.5m from the
test well, the drawn down is 1.10m.
a) Compute the rate of flow in m3/day. Ans. 5961.6
b) Compute the coefficient of permeability of the aquifer in m/day. Ans.
70.10
c) Compute the transmissibility of the aquifer in m2/day. Ans. 1834.4

13. A retaining wall 8m high is supporting a horizontal backfill having a

dry unit weight of 1600 kg/m. The cohesionless soil has an angle of
friction of 33.
a) Compute the Rankine active force on the wall. Ans. 148.17KN
b) Compute the Rankine active force on the wall if the water table is
located at a depth of 3.5 m. below the ground surface. The saturated
unit weight is 18.7 kn/m. Ans. 227.21KN

c) Compute the location of the resultant active force from the bottom
for the second condition. Ans. 2.26m

14. A 0.36m square prestressed concrete pile is to be driven in a clayey

soil. The design capacity of the pile is 360KN, with a factor of safety of
2. If the unconfined compressive stress, qu = 115 KPa & unit weight of
clay, = 18.10 KN/m3:
a) Compute the end bearing capacity of the pile. Ans. 67.07KN
b) Compute the skin friction expected to develop along the shaft of the
pile. Ans. 652.93KN
c) Compute the length of pile if
. Ans. 10.38m
15. A nine pile group consists of 0.30 diameter friction concrete piles
12m long. The piles are driven into clay having a cohesion
and the unit weight of clay is 19.2KN/m3. The spacing of
piles is 0.75m center to center. Assuming a bearing capacity factor of
Nc = 9,
.
a) Find the allowable group pile capacity based on individual pile failure
using a factor of safety of 3. Ans. 1791KN
b) Find the block capacity of the pile group. 1521KN
c) Find the minimum pile spacing in order to achieve a 100% efficiency.
Ans. 0.91
16. A group of friction piles in deep clay is shown on the figure. The
total load on the piles reduced by the weight of soil displayed by the
foundation is 1600KN. Thickness of the silt is 1.7m and that of the clay
is 17m.
a) Compute the effective overburden pressure (effective weight of soil
above mid height of the consolidating layer). Ans. 145.47KPa
b) Compute the compression index of the clay layer. Ans. 0.288
c) Compute the approximate total settlement of the pile foundation.
Ans. 111.8mm