Question 1

There is a saying that “a building is only as strong as its foundation”. This stems from the principles
surrounding actual construction whereby the strength of structures is heavily dependent on the
foundation and by extension the soils it was built upon. Therefore, a geotechnical investigation usually
aims to obtain sufficient information to be able to reduce costs and increase the safety of the project. It is
usually one of the first steps of a civil engineering project. The investigation often includes obtaining
samples for lab testing to be able to identify and classify the soil types present as well as to determine the
necessary soil parameters and/or groundwater testing and observations (to identify the groundwater
conditions). It can also be done to get an approximation of the different soil strata present on the site and
the quantity in which it is present. The investigation should provide enough information for the project
being done. An example of what happens without a proper geotechnical investigation can be seen in the
case of the Transcona grain elevator which failed due to improper investigations into the different types
of soil present which led to unexpected failures on the first day of loading the building. Another example
is the leaning Tower of Pisa which experiences failure due to settlements of the soil which probably could
have been avoided by doing proper soil testing. Seeing as the science of geotechnical engineering began
only in the 18th century, it could be understood why buildings experienced these sorts of failures
beforehand and it shows the necessity of doing these types of investigations before any engineering
project begins.

Question 2
In the given factor of safety equation, it is expected that the two variables that would change over time is
the thickness of the regolith and the slope angle. This is because over time as erosion occurs the
thickness of the regolith would decrease. Seeing as the slopes investigated were in a region that was not
very weathered (according to the soils map provided), one could assume that this trend would continue
and the soil would weather at a fairly slow rate. With regards to the slope angle, this variable may be
reduced over time as the area undergoes erosion and weathering, however there is also the chance of it
becoming steeper if the erosion causes landslides.

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Question 3
Using the equation,

F actor of safety , F=Σ ¿ ¿

for the Fellenious method and the equation,

(b c ' + [ W −ub ] tanφ ' )

Σ
Ψ
Factor of safety , F=
Σ Wsinα

for the Bishop’s Method, whereby

sinαtanφ '
Ψ =cosα+
F

the factor of safety for the two slopes were calculated.

The two sections used were both in areas of Sandy Clay Loam soils.

The value for the cohesion, c’, was determined to be 50 as the value was found to be between 50 and 75
for sandy clay loam (The Minnesota Department of Transportation 2007) so the lowest cohesion value
was taken.

The value for the friction angle was found to be between 31° and 34° for sandy clay laom (The Minnesota
Department of Transportation 2007) so the value was taken to be 31°.

The water table height was assumed to be zero because looking at the provided hydrogeology map of
Trinidad, the region being investigated fell into the orange zone which indicated that there was little to
no groundwater in the area hence the water table height was taken as zero.

For the Bishop’s Method, the iterative method was used to obtain the factor of safety and it was done

until ∆ F=F n+1−F n <0.0001.

W =γ soil ×b × h

u=γ water ×height of water table

α
L=
cosb

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Question 4
The stability of the slope can be improved with the use of embankments and retaining walls which would
hold the soil in place and hence reduce the risk of collapse.

References
 Naval Facilities Engineering Command. 1986. Soil Mechanics. U.S. Navy, Naval Facilities Eng.
Command.
 The Minnesota Department of Transportation. 2007. "Pavement Design."
 Craig, R.F. 2004. Craig's soil mechanics. 7th Edition. London: CRC Press.