CE 424 Soil Mechanics 1

HOMEWORK/PLATE NO. 2 Second Term, A.Y. 2016-2017

Problem 1
A Standard Proctor Test has yielded the values shown below.
1.1 Determine the maximum dry density (in lb/ft3) and optimum moisture content. Volume of mold is 1/30 ft3.
1.2 Determine the moisture range for 95% of maximum dry density.
1.3 Plot the zero air void curve assuming specific gravity of solids is 2.65.
1.4 Determine the volume of water (in gallons) that must be added to obtain 1 yd3 of soil at the maximum
density, if the soil was originally at 10% water content.

Test No. Weight of wet soil, lb. Moisture content, %

1 3.26 8.24
2 4.15 10.20
3 4.67 12.30
4 4.02 14.60
5 3.36 16.80

Problem 2
Following are the results of a field density determination test on the soil with the sand cone method:

Calibrated dry density of Ottawa sand 98.01 lb/ft3

Calibrated mass of Ottawa sand to fill the cone 1.20 lb.
Mass of jar + cone + sand (before use) 16.73 lb.
Mass of jar + cone + sand (after use) 10.54 lb.
Mass of moist soil from hole 6.63 lb.
Moisture content of moist soil 10.20 %

2.1 Determine the volume of the excavated soil (in ft3).

2.2 Determine the moist density of the compacted soil (in lb/ft3).
2.3 Determine the dry density of the compacted soil (in lb/ft3).

Problem 3
An embankment for a highway 30 m wide and 1.5 m thick is to be constructed from a sandy soil, trucked in
from a borrow pit. The water content of the sandy soil in the borrow pit is 15% and its void ratio is 0.69. Specification
requires the embankment to be compacted to a dry unit weight of 18 kN/m3, assuming specific gravity of solids is 2.70.
Determine, for 1 km length of embankment, the following:
3.1 the dry unit weight of sandy soil from the borrow pit required to construct the embankment.
3.2 the number of 10 m3 truckloads of sandy soil required to construct the embankment.
3.3 the weight of water per truck load of sandy soil.

Problem 4
Your company has won a contract to provide and compact the fill material for an earth levee, with the
dimensions shown below. The levee fill is a silty clay soil to be compacted to at least 95% of maximum Standard
Proctor of γd = 106 pcf at an OMC of 18%. Your borrow pit has a silty clay with an in-situ moist density of 112.1 pcf
at 18%, and a Gs = 2.68. When the soil is excavated and loaded on to your trucks, the void ratio of the material is 1.47.
Your trucks can haul 15 yd3 of material per trip. Note: 1 yd3 = 27 ft3.
4.1 Determine the volume of fill required for the levee (in yd3).
4.2 Determine the volume required from the borrow pit (in yd3).
4.3 Determine the required number of truckloads.

Figure 4