JOSE MARIA COLLEGE

Phil-Japan Friendship Highway, Catitipan, Davao City

COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
MIDTERM EXAM CE 410
AUGUST 27, 2014

I. IDENTIFICATION. Identify the terms described by the following phrases or sentences. (2 pts
each)
1. It is the water content at which soil changes from semi-solid state to solid state.
2. It is the water content at which soil changes from the liquid state to the plastic state.
3. The average grain size diameter of the soil.
4. A classification of soil where particles stick together as the result of water particle interaction and
active forces among particles.
5. Type of soil having a particle size less than 0.005 mm.

II. ESSAY. Answer the following questions briefly. (Not less than 50 words) (5 pts)
How will the particle size analysis play a big role in civil engineering especially in the field of soil
mechanics?

III.PROBLEM SOLVING
1. The following results were obtained from a liquid limit test. The natural water content of this clay is
38% and the plastic limit is 21%. Liquid limit is the water content corresponding to 25 blows.

No. of blows 6 12 20 28 32
Water content (%) 52.5 47.1 42.3 38.6 37.5
Determine the following: (5 pts)
a. Liquid limit
b. Plasticity index
c. Liquidity index
d. Description of soil based on Liquidity index
e. Description of soil based on Plasticity index

2. The following results were obtained from sieve analysis and Atterberg limits.

Sieve # 4 10 20 40 100 200 pan LL PL

Diameter, mm 4.75 2.0 0.85 0.425 0.15 0.075
Mass retained, g 0 15 98 90 182 109 6 Non plastic Non plastic
Considering the soil sample as shown, determine the following:
a. Percent passing of #200 sieve.
b. Effective size (3 pts)
c. Average grain size (2 pts)
d. Uniformity coefficient (5 pts)
e. Coefficient of curvature (5 pts)
f. Sorting coefficient (5 pts)

3. The soil has the following particle size distribution: (10 pts)
Gravel - 25 %
Sand - 15 %
Silt - 25 %
Clay - 35 %
Classify the soil according to USDA.
 JOSE MARIA COLLEGE
Phil-Japan Friendship Highway, Catitipan, Davao City

COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
MIDTERM EXAM CE 410
August 28,2014

I. PROBLEM SOLVING

1. A simply supported pre-stressed beam with b=500 mm and effective depth d= 625 mm is designed to carry a
superimposed dead load of 9.12 kN/m including its own weight and a live load of 30 kN/m on a 12 m span.
The concrete has f’c= 34.5 MPa and the stress-relieved pre-stressing strand has f pu= 1,724 MPa. Using Aps=
1,485 mm2, β1= 0.80 and ɣp = 0.40, evaluate if the section is adequate to carry the load. (20 items)

2. The post-tensioned pre-stressed I-beam having flange width b f= 500 mm, flange thickness hf= 150 mm, web
thickness tw= 150 mm, and d= 625mm is stressed using Aps= 1,500 mm2 with fpu= 1,900 MPa. If the concrete
strength is f’c= 34.5 MPa, β1= 0.80 and ɣp = 0.40, determine the design strength of the member. (20
items)
 JOSE MARIA COLLEGE
Phil-Japan Friendship Highway, Catitipan, Davao City

COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
MIDTERM EXAM CE 410
AUGUST 27, 2014