Instructions:
 No deleting (unless you wrote it)
 If a row has been started by a different group, don’t add a similar row, but rather add additional comment to that row.
Walls:
Parameter/Information What tests is used to determine the
parameter/information?
k Constant head permeability test
Phreatic Surface Flow nets
Drained strength parameters (shear Direct shear box test (select most
strength s, and internal friction appropriate result from the 3 DSB
angle) tests, namely the test with the most
representative density)
SPT test- find density which is most
representative to use for DSB test
unit weight, bulk, and saturated Dry mass and dry density are given.
weight Moisture content is also given
Chapter 1 can be used to determine
the rest (I think..)
Relative density SPT tests
(Feel free to add more rows)
Where in the textbook can you find
relevant information?
Ch 2.2 (8th edition)
Ch 2.9 (8th edition)
Ch 5.4 (8th edition)
Ch 5.5 (8th edition) - example 5.1
Ch 7.2 (8th ed)- SPT
Ch 1.6 (8th edition)
Ch 7.2 (8th edition)
How do the values vary?
Results of the 4 tests are relatively
close to each other.
Position of the phreatic surface
varies depending on the amount of
seepage, which is dependent on the
permeability, k, of the material.
Phi angle and c’ value increases
slightly with depth, as normal and
peak stress increases.
From the three different DSB tests
performed on the soil, it is clear
that soil with a lower dry density
that is less compacted, will have a
lower peak shear strength and a
greater internal friction angle. Test
1 indicates a loose silty sand, which
is cohesionless and has an internal
friction angle of 0.
dry weight normally around 16
kN/m^3
Saturated normally around 18
kN/m^3
The phreatic surface will cause
these factors to vary as the amount
of saturated and unsaturated soil
will change.
Values should be between 40% -
60%
What is the significance of this
variation?
Permeability is less at the top of the
wall compared to the lower part of the
wall. (How significant is this
difference?)
A higher phreatic surface is more
detrimental to the embankment given
its influence on the stability.
A lower phreatic surface is desirable
Lower part of wall has a higher shear
strength than top part of the wall, as
saturation increases downwards in the
wall.
It will be compared to the slimes
which will act on the embankment,
the phreatic surface also has an
influence and all these factors must be
in equilibrium
By using Figure 7.4 (pg 236) 8th
edition, determining the max frictional
angle, it is not that accurate and by
using the equation 35<(N1)60/ ID^2
<85 (pg235 8th edition) the relative
density would vary. This will have an
impact on determining the void ratio
of the soil.
Why do you need this
parameter/information?
To determine how fast water seeps
through the wall material.
Commented [M[1]: How do we know this?
To analyse slope stability conditions
To determine a critical shear strength
failure to design for, you would need
to know where in the wall this value
would occur. It is best to design for
the worst-case scenario, which is
represented in the first sample in the
borehole logs at 6m from the crest of
the wall.
To use drained strength parameters
for slope stability analysis.
The information is needed for
equilibrium procedures where the
problem can be modelled to
determine slip surfaces and safety
factors.
To determine the peak strength of the
soil by looking at the correlation
between the relative density and the
angle of shearing resistance.
The relative density will be used to
determine which of the 3 Direct Shear
Box tests (all of which are compacted
at different densities) is most
representative of the in-situ material
Slimes:
Parameter/Information
Soil resistance at tip of cone and
pore water pressure resistance
around sleeve. Thus, corrected cone
resistance (qt)
K Falling head permeability test
Effective stresses (Pore water
pressure)
Undrained shear strength – Used to
determine Max height vs angle
allowable for slope
(This is probably the most important
row, I suggest everyone try and add
to this instead of thinking up
different rows)
Water table position
Stability criteria (Ma, Mr, Ns)
- To determine Ma, Weight of soil
above possible failure plane
required – SG of slimes material
required (Given)
OCR
Nkt
What tests is used to determine the Where in the textbook can you find
parameter/information? relevant information?
CPTu Chapter 6 pg 218 (8th edition)
Chapter 2.2, 2.8and 2.9 (8th edition)
CPTu Section 3.2 (8th Ed)
CPTu tests CHAPTER 6.5 AND 7.5 ed 8
(Slope Stability: Chapter 12 (8th
edition) Pg472 – 477)
CPTU test CHAPTER 6.5 AND 7.5 ed 8
Calculated Chapter 12.2 – 12.3 8th ed
SG – Given for Slimes
CPTU CHAPTER 7.5
CPTu Chapter 7.5 8th ed
How do the values vary? What are
typical values?
Soil resistance varies with
penetration depth
3.7E-7 < k < 6E-7
on average k = 4.7E-7
Values vary with depth due to soil
weight and pore pressures.
28<cu<38 kPa
Slimes SG = 3.036 (Given in
Conceptual Design Brief)
OCR{1.0-1.5}(NORMALLY
CONSOLIDATED).
OCR>10 ( OVERCONSOLIDATED)
7.2< Nkt <42.40 (dependent on Bq
value)
(Nkt need not be only calculated
from Bq) -> Fig 7.22
What is the significance of this
variation?
Indication of different strata
Variation is little in the data thus not
that significant
Values fall in the range of low
permeability
To determine the effective stress that
act onto the wall from the slimes.
Cu increases with depth; the shear
strength at the bottom should be
typically greater than at the surface.
(How will you model this in the next
section?)
Pore pressures are zero at the water
table ; will increase linearly with depth
Determines stability of slope and
whether it will fail
(I am not sure SG will determine if the
slope fails) (Would SG not be used in
the determination of slope stability? –
Isn’t the weight of the soil in the
‘failure zone’ required?)
I guess in that sense
To determine the extent to which
volume change has occurred in the
slimes previously.
Used to calculate cu from CPTu test
data
Why do you need this
parameter/information?
Understanding the re-mining induced
stresses needed to cut through layers
with each bench.
The permeability, k, will be needed to
construct flow nets through the
embankment (Ch2.9) and determine
transfer conditions (Ch2.8)
To obtain the water pressure and how
it changes based on the 3m mining
bench.
To design for the weakest section in
the soil section.
Slope stability analysis.
-To determine the short term stability
of the slimes (hence short term safety
factor)
To determine the bearing capacity of
the slimes
To obtain the pore-pressures. (Why do
you need slimes unit weight to
determine pore pressure?) (use
SG*1000*9.81 to determine slimes
unit weight)Using this, the vertical
effective stress is obtained , so that cu
can be computed as in 7.5 ed 8
Let us know how to remine the slimes
and at what point will they begin
sliding into the embankment dam
To determine settlement of the
slimes. When remining up to 4m , if
large settlements occur this could lead
to crack propagation in the
embankment (this is a long term
issue).
(Why would you want to know this?)
Obtaining the cu is crucial in
understanding and calculating the
slope stability of the slimes
 Bq (Pore pressure parameter)
Drained strength parameters (shear
strength s, and internal friction
angle) – C’ is effective Cohesion, not
strength?
(Feel free to add more rows)
CPTu Chapter 7.5 8th ed pg 252-254
CPTu Chapter 7.5 (8th edition) –
Interpretation of CPT data in fine-
grained soils
-0.65 < Bq < 1.3
(Bq is typically negative for sands,
and positive for clays, but you can
have layers that differ)
In the long term, variance will
become less, since all the slimes will
be fully drained of excess
porewater. However, normal stress
still increases with depth, hence
why shear stress and the internal
friction angle increases with depth
as well.
The variation determines the soil type
ex soils or clays. Bq < 0.1 are typically
sands and 0.1 < Bq < 1.0 are typically
clays
This influences the stability (above
water level) of the slimes after the
water level has dropped
Parameter needed for Nkt calculation
as well as the effective stress strength
parameter if 0.1<Bq< 1.0 (eq 7.40 pg
254 8th ed) Soils with Bq<0.1 (Sands)
use eq 7.36 pg 252 8th ed
In the long term, all the excess
porewater will drain from the slimes.
Thus, these parameters are important
to determine the long-term stability of
the slimes – especially for the option
in which > 4m slimes are retained
against the embankments.