Assessment Exam 04

Geotechnical Engineering
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1. Given a 9m cut slope is shown, with a unit
weight of soil is 17kN/m3. Friction angle and
cohesion along the rock surface are 20
degrees and 24kPa respectively. The slope
makes an angle of 30 degrees from
horizontal and the failure plane is at 15
degrees. Determine the force tending to
cause sliding.
A. 1318.67 C. 709.66
B. 356.40 D. 965.40
2. Given a 9m cut slope is shown, with a unit
weight of soil is 17kN/m3. Friction angle and
cohesion along the rock surface are 20
degrees and 24kPa respectively. The slope
makes an angle of 30 degrees from
horizontal and the failure plane is at 15
degrees. Determine the developed frictional
force along the failure plane. *
A. 130.84 C. 225.55
B. 484.11 D. 834.56
3. Given a 9m cut slope is shown, with a unit
weight of soil is 17kN/m3. Friction angle and
cohesion along the rock surface are 20
degrees and 24kPa respectively. The slope
makes an angle of 30 degrees from
horizontal and the failure plane is at 15
degrees. Determine the developed cohesive
force.
A. 834.56 C. 130.84
B. 225.55 D. 484.11
4. It is also called skin friction.
A. Rear shear C. side shear
B. Back shear D. upper shear
5. What is the minimum limiting value of the
lateral earth pressure at a depth of 3 meters
in a uniform sand fill with a unit weight of 20
kN/m3 and a friction angle of 35°? The
ground surface is level.
A. 23.389 C. 221.410
B. 16.260 D. 65.580
6. A wall, 5.4 m high, retains sand. In the loose
state the sand has void ratio of 0.63 and φ
= 27°, while in the dense state, the
corresponding values of void ratio and φ are
0.36 and 45° respectively. Determine the
ratio of active earth pressure in the two
cases (dense to loose state), assuming G =
2.64.
A. 0.50 C. 0.55
B. 0.64 D. 0.47
7. The foundation soil at the toe of a masonry
dam has a porosity of 40% and the specific
gravity of grains is 2.70. To assure safety
against piping, the specifications state that
the upward gradient must not exceed 25%
of the gradient at which a quick condition
occurs. What is the maximum permissible
upward gradient?
A. 0.500 C. 0.255
B. 0.522 D. 0.200
8. There is clay layer 8 m thick with a layer of
sand on either side. An undisturbed sample
2.5 cm thick of the clay when tested in the
laboratory require 25 minutes to reach 50%
consolidation. It is proposed to construct a
building at the above site. Estimate the time
required for 90% consolidation to take place
in days.
A. 7867 C. 7778
B. 7768 D. 7678
9. It is the total effective stress at a given depth
due to the weight of overlying soil or rock.
A. Overburden Pressure
B. Total Vertical Pressure
C. Preconsolidation Pressure
D. Initial Pressure
Situation (10-12)
A uniform soil deposit has a dry unit weight of
15.6kN/m3 and a saturated unit weight of
17.2kN/m3. The ground water table is at a distance
of 4m below the ground surface. Point A is at a
depth of 6m below the ground surface.
10. Compute the effective stress at A.
A. 72.87 kPa C. 77.18 kPa
B. 67.25 kPa D. 56.47 kPa
11. If the water table rises by 3.5m, find the
effective stress at A
A. 72.87 kPa C. 48.45 kPa
B. 67.25 kPa D. 56.47 kPa
12. In comparison to items 1 and 2, what will
happen to the effective stress at A if the
ground water level will rise up to the ground
surface?
A. increase C. decrease
B. no change D. maximum
13. A saturated specimen of cohesionless sand
was tested under drained conditions in a
triaxial compression test apparatus and the
 sample failed at a deviator stress of 482 A. 98.8% ` C. 99.8%
kN/m2 and the plane of failure made an B. 102.5% D. 92%
angle of 60° with the horizontal. Determine 20. A soil sample has the following properties:
the magnitudes of the deviator stress for Sp.gr. = 2.67 Void ratio = 0.54 Water
another identical specimen of sand if it is content = 11.2% Compute the air void ratio.
tested under a cell pressure of 200 A. 0.165 ` C. 0.145
kN/sq.m? B. 0.156 D. 0.176
A. 400 kPa C. 200 kPa 21. A cone penetrometer test was conducted on
B. 320 kPa D. 236 kPa a sample of soil and the shrinkage limit was
14. The results of two drained triaxial test on a determined to be 12%. If the shrinkage ratio
saturated clay are shown below on the is 0.081, determine the specific gravity of
table. If the deviator stress used in the test the soil sample.
is 150kPa used in the same sample, what A. 2.65 C. 2.70
would be the chamber pressure B. 2.60 D. 2.75
Situation (22-24)
After 24 hours of pumping at 50 liters/sec, the water
level in an observation well at a distance of 100m
A. 52.70 kPa C. 25.32 kPa from the test well is lowered 0.5m. At another
B. 36.35 kPa D. 38 kPa observation well located 50m from the test well, the
15. The data shown in the table were obtained water level dropped by 1.0m. 22.
in tri – axial compression tests of three 22. Estimate the rate of flow in cubic meters per
identical soil specimen. Compute the shear day.
strength at a depth of 6m below the ground A. 4320 ` C. 5130
if a ground water table is located 2m below B. 4890 D. 4560
the ground surface and the soil has a dry 23. Evaluate the coefficient of permeability of
unit weight of 16 kN/m3 and a saturated unit the aquifer in meters per day.
weight of 20 kN/m3. A. 36.3 ` C. 44.5
B. 20.1 D. 58.3
24. Compute the transmissibility of the aquifer
in square meters per day.
A. 88.1 kPa C. 56.55 kPa A. 1140 C. 1080
B. 23.65 kPa D. 36.35 kPa B. 953 D. 1260
16. A conventional consolidated drained tri – 25. An experiment to determine the
axial test is conducted on a sand. The cell permeability of a soil sample was
pressure is 100 kPa and the applied axial conducted. The permeameter in a falling
stress at failure is 200 kPa. Calculate the head permeability test setup involves a
factor of safety on the plane of maximum cylindrical soil sample 100 mm in diameter
shear stress. and a height of 200mm. The hydraulic head
A. 2.5 C. 2.33 in the 10mm diameter standpipe through
B. 1.15 D. 1.8 which the test water passed dropped from 1
17. Soils having size larger than 75 mm. meter to 600mm in one minute of
A. Gravel C. Loam observation. In that duration the water
B. Rock D. Boulders and Cobbles collected in the graduate was recorded at
18. If the specific gravity of soil is 2.7 and has a 2.0 liters. From these data, evaluate the
water content of 15%, compute the zero air coefficient of permeability of the soil sample,
void unit weight in kN/m^3. in cm/sec
A. 18.85 C. 20.79 A. 0.000224 C. 0.001910
B. 16.85 D. 21.65 B. 0.00170 D. 0.001890
19. The following are results of a field unit 26. In accordance with the Unified Soils
weight determinate test using sand cone Classification System, a soil grain having a
method: Vol. of hole = 0.0014 m^3 Mass of size greater than No. 200 sieve opening
moist soil from hole = 3 kg Water content = (0.074 mm) but less than that a No. 4 sieve
12% Maximum dry unit weight from a (4.75 mm opening) is called
laboratory compaction test is 19 kN/m^3. A. Gravel C. Cobble
Determine the relative compaction in the B. Pebble D. Sand
field.
27. A 1.25 m layer of the soil (Gs = 2.65 and
porosity = 35%) is subject to an upward
seepage head of 1.85 m. Determine the
critical hydraulic gradient
A. 1.0725 C. 1.0572
B. 1.0275 D. 1.0527
28. Determine the theoretical length of the
required flow path.
A. 3.24 m C. 3.38 m
B. 3.05 m D. 3.45 m
29. What depth of coarse sand would be
required above the soil to provide a factor of
safety of 2.0 against piping assuming that
the coarse sand has the same porosity and A. 2.5 m C. 2.0 m
specific gravity as the soil and that there is B. 1.6 m D. 1.0 m
negligible head loss in the sand? 34. Design a square footing that will carry an
A. 1.80 m C. 2.20 m axial load of 61175 kg. The bottom of the
B. 1.99 m D. 2.13 m footing is 2.5m below the ground surface,
30. From a hydrometer analysis to determine with the groundwater table located at the
particle sizes, it is found that 45 percent of bottom of the footing. Compute the ultimate
the sample consists of particles smaller than bearing capacity of the soil in kPa.
0.002 mm. The soil sample has a liquid limit
of 64% and plastic limit of 42%. Determine
the activity of the clay
A. 0.32 C. 0.54
B. 0.49 D. 0.68
31. All samples from Atterberg’s Limit Tests
shall pass sieve __
A. #10 C. #40
B. #200 D. #4
32. A saturated soil sample has a volume of 20
cm3 at its Liquid Limit. Given LL = 42% , PL
= 30% , SL = 17% , GS = 2.74. Find the
minimum volume the soil can attain.
A. 10.70 cm3 C. 13.63 cm3
B. 19.97 cm 3 D. 14.77 cm3
A. 535.6 C. 1748.7
33. Design a square footing that will carry an
B. 2523.3 D. 1925.3
axial load of 61175 kg. The bottom of the
35. Design a square footing that will carry an
footing is 2.5m below the ground surface,
axial load of 61175 kg. The bottom of the
with the groundwater table located at the
footing is 2.5m below the ground surface,
bottom of the footing. Compute the
with the groundwater table located at the
dimension of the footing using FS=3.
bottom of the footing. Compute the net
allowable bearing capacity using FS=3 in
kPa.
 B. 61.5% D. 52.3%
40. The particle size characteristics of a soil is
given in the table. Determine the percentage
of sand using USDA.

A. 685.3 C. 426.2
B. 1253.2 D. 579.8
Situation
Three specimens of clay having a small air-void
content were tested in the shear box. Shear loading
was started immediately after the application of the
normal load and was completed in 10 minutes. The A. 16.9% C. 26.3%
results are tabulated as shown. B. 15.2% D. 12.0%
41. The particle size characteristics of a soil is
given in the table. Determine the percentage
of sand using USCS.
36. Find the apparent cohesion of the clay.
A. 81.5 kPa C. 61.5 kPa
B. 71.5 kPa D. 51.5 kPa
37. Find the angle of shearing resistance of the
clay.

A. 8.4° C. 6.4°
B. 7.4° D. 5.4°
38. What unconfined shear strength would be
obtained from an unconfined compression
test on the same soil?

A. 94 kPa C. 74 kPa
B. 84 kPa D. 64 kPa
39. The particle size characteristics of a soil is
given in the table. Determine the percentage A. 25.2% C. 8.5%
of silt using AASHTO. B. 16.3% D. 11.5%
42. A circular pile having a diameter of 0.35 m
is embedded through a layer of 4.5 m thick
of clay layer into a dense sand having a
bearing capacity factor of 78. Unit weight of
clay is 16 kN/m3 and saturated unit weight
of sand is 18 kN/m3. Water table is located
at the top of the sand layer. Lateral pressure
factor of compression K = 1.20 and
coefficient of friction of concrete pile is 0.42.
The allowable capacity 600 kN. Using a
factor of safety of 3.
A. 16.37 m C. 17.88 m
B. 15.25 m D. 14.23 m
43. Figure shows a braced cut in stratified soils.
A. 20.6% C. 75.1% Given γ sand = 16 kN/cu.m , c = 0 and Ф =
36⁰, γ Clay = 19 kN/cu.m , c = 38 kN/\m2 , n
 = 0.9. Assuming the struts are spaced 1 m
center to center. Compute the section A. 2.70 m C. 2.30 m
modulus of wale at B if the allowable stress B. 2.01 m D. 2.51 m
is 0.6 fy where fy = 248 MPa.
48. A footing of a structure is shown below.
Solve for the overburden pressure in the
clay layer

A. 67210.36 mm3 C. 80940.86 mm3

B. 55498.78 mm 3 D. 91238.36 mm3
44. A long trench was excavated in medium
dense sand for the foundation of a multistory
building. The sides of the trench are
supported with sheet pile walls fixed in place
by struts and wales as shown in figure. The
wales are braced at every 4 m center to
center. Determine the reaction of the strut B

A. 71.97 kPa C. 124.95 kPa

B. 101.40 kPa D. 95.52 kPa
49. A footing of a structure is shown below. Find
average increase of effective pressure in
clay layer using 2:1 method

A. 585.598 kN C. 703.541 kN
B. 612.387 kN D. 506.889 kN
Situation
A smooth, vertical wall retains a 7-m high granular
backfill with the ground level being horizontal. The
water table lies at a depth of 3 m from the top. The
friction angle of the backfill is 32°. The bulk and
saturated unit weight of the soil are 16.5 kN/m3 and
18.0 kN/m3 respectively. Assuming the soil is in
active state,
45. What is the active earth coefficient?
A. 0.703 C. 3.255
B. 0.307 D. 1.422
46. What is the magnitude of the horizontal
thrust on the wall, kN? A. 63.6 kPa C. 16.5 kPa
A. 200.2 C. 182.3 B. 32.2 kPa D. 8.6 kPa
B. 225.0 D. 165.3 50. A footing of a structure is shown below.
47. Find location of the horizontal thrust Determine the settlement of the clay layer.
measured from the bottom?
A. 22 mm C. 26.5 mm
B. 36 mm D. 28 mm