HERITAGE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

ASSIGNMENT 2nd Year 4th Semester Session : 2021 - 22

Discipline: Civil Engineering
Paper Code: CIVL 2202 Paper Name : Soil Mechanics – II

By Dr. Subha Sankar Chowdhury

3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 18

1) A normally consolidated clay was consolidated under a stress of 130 kN/m2, then sheared
undrained in axial compression. The principal stress difference at failure was 95 kN/m2 and
the induced pore pressure at failure was 84 kN/m2. Determine the soil friction angle in
terms of total and effective stress. [(CO1) (Evaluate/HOCQ)]

2) The rock content of a fill is 80% by dry weight. The rock can be compacted to a minimum
void ratio of 0.65. The maximum dry density to which the soil fraction can be compacted is
1.65 gm/cc. What is the maximum dry density to which the fill can be compacted? The
specific gravity of the rock is 2.56. [(CO2) (Evaluate/HOCQ)]

3) A 7 m thick saturated clay stratum is sandwitched between a pervious stratum at the top
and impervious stratum at the bottom. It has a compression index of 0.35 and coefficient of
permeability of 3.5 × 10-4 cm/sec. It has an initial void ratio of 1.75 when the initial effective
overburden pressure at the mid-height of the layer is 170 kN/m2. Determine the void ratio
when pressure increases to 250 kN/m2 and settlement of the soil stratum due to the above
increase of pressure. [(CO3) (Evaluate/HOCQ)]

4) A retaining wall with a smooth vertical backface has to retain a backfill (c = 20 kN/m2,  =
12,  = 18 kN/m3) upto a height of 6 m. Determine the depth of tension crack and
magnitude of the resultant active thrust on the wall. [(CO4) (Evaluate/HOCQ)]

5) A trapezoidal masonry retaining wall 1 m wide at top and 3 m wide at its bottom is 4 m
high. The vertical face is retaining soil ( = 25°), the surface of which is inclined at an angle
of 20° with the horizontal. Unit weights of soil and masonary are 20 kN/m3 and 24 kN/m3
respectively. Assuming the coefficient of friction at the base of the wall as 0.45, determine
the factor of safety against sliding. Use Rankine's theory. [(CO5) (Evaluate/HOCQ)]

6) A slope inclined at an angle of 45 is to be constructed with a soil [c′ = 28 kN/m2, ′ = 20, 
= 19 kN/m3]. Determine (i) the critical height of the slope and (ii) factor of safety with
respect to the strength if the height of the slope is 15 m. [(CO6) (Evaluate/HOCQ)]