CRN: 53533

School of Science, Engineering &Environment

SEMESTER TWO EXAMINATION

PROGRAMMES:

BEng Civil Engineering

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

Sunday 7th May 2023 10:00-12:30

Instructions to Candidates

There are FOUR questions on this examination paper. Answer ALL FOUR questions.

All questions carry equal marks. Marks for parts of questions are shown in brackets.

Charts and/or tables of data are provided.

Make any necessary assumptions.

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Q 1A): A strip footing 1.4m wide and a square footing 1.3m side are placed at a depth of 1.2m
below the ground surface. The foundation soil has cohesion of 15kN/m 2, angle of
friction of 28o and unit weight of 18kN/m3. Assuming factor of safety of 3, calculate the
safe bearing capacity for each footing using Terzaghi’s bearing capacity equations. Give
a brief comment on the results.
(18 marks)

B) State the main advantages and disadvantages of the cone penetration test.
(3 marks)
C) Explain why the shear box apparatus is not suitable for measuring the shear strength of
clay soils.
(4 marks)

Q 2A): A storage tank is being constructed at the site of an effluent treatment plant. The tank
has a rectangular foundation 6m wide by 10m long in plan area, and is founded at a
depth of 2.4m below ground level at a site where the soil profile consists of a thick
deposit of saturated clay having a density of 1.80Mg/m 3 and average undrained shear
strength of 35kN/m2.If the total weight of the tank when full will be 6775kN, estimate
the factor of safety against undrained shear failure of the foundation clay using
Skempton’s method.
(14 marks)

B) A square footing 2.5m x 2.5m is built on a homogeneous bed of sand of density 19kN/m 3
having an angle of shearing resistance of 36o. The depth of foundation is 1.5m below the
ground surface. Using Terzaghi’s equations calculate the safe load that can be applied
on the footing with a factor of safety of 3 in the following cases:

a) water table at ground surface (5 marks)

b) water table 2m below ground surface (6 marks)

Q 3A): An investigation of the ground conditions at a proposed construction site revealed a very
thick deposit of loose sand in which the water table was static at a depth of 3m below
ground level. The pile group is to support a total load at ground level of 15.5MN. As
part of the construction proposals, a 5 x 5 group of piles 300mm in diameter and 20m in
length is to be driven into the sand from ground level at a centre-to-centre spacing of
2m. For this proposal, estimate the drained factor of safety F d for the pile group. Neglect
the difference in density between the piles and the sand and take the efficiency of the
pile group as E=100%. The sand properties are: ρdry=1.65Mg/m3, ρsat =1.85Mg/m3, ϕ′=
30°, δ′ = 20°, K′= 0.5
(18 marks)

Q 3B): Why is it important to control water behind a retaining wall? Explain with the aid of
diagrams the process/es used in this respect.
(7 marks)

Q4 A): A temporary excavation is to be made to a depth of 8m in a 20m thick deposit of firm

saturated clay overlying bedrock as shown in figure (Q4A). The clay has average
undrained shear strength of 41.5kN/m2 and a saturated density of 2.0Mg/m 3. Using
Taylor’s stability charts:

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 (a) determine the maximum slope angle for the excavation if the short-term factor of
safety is not to be less than 1.5.
(8 marks)
(b) if the slope were to be formed at an angle of 45°, determine the short-term factor
of safety.
(7 marks)

Figure (Q4A)

Q4 B): A sample was obtained from point A in the submerged clay layer shown in figure Q4B
below. It was determined that it had a water content (w=54%), and a specific gravity
(Gs=2.78). What is the effective vertical stress at A?
Useful relationships: S.e=w.Gs, γsat =[(Gs+e)/(1+e)] γw
(10 marks)

Figure (Q4B)

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End of paper

DATA SHEET IS PROVIDED

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Data Sheet for Geotechnical Engineering

Shallow foundations in granular soil:

0.5 Dw
For 25mm settlement, net allowable pressure; (qnall) =11 N [0.5 + D+ B ]
N= number of blows, Dw=depth of water level, D=depth of foundation, B=foundation width

Shallow foundations in clay:

Skempton’s equation for ultimate bearing pressure: qu = Cu Nc
Nc = 5(1+0.2 Df/B) (1+0.2 B/L)
Cu=undrained shear strength, Df =depth of foundation, B/L=width/length of foundation

Consolidation Settlement:
For over-consolidated clays: S =∑mv ∆H ∆σ′v
For normally-consolidated clays: S =∑Cc ∆H[log (∆σ′vf/∆σ′vo)]/(1+eo)
mv=Coefficient of volume change, ∆σ′v = change in vertical pressure, eo =Initial void ratio,
∆H=thickness of soil layer.

Terzaghi’s bearing capacity equations for shallow foundations:

Circular footing: q f =1.3cN c +γ DN q +0.3γ BN γ

Square footing: q f =1.3cN c +γ DN q +0.4 γ BN γ
B B
Rectangular footing: q f =(1+0 . 3 )cN c +γ DN q +(1−0. 2 )0 .5 γ BN γ
L L
qf = ultimate bearing pressure, c=cohesion, Nc, Nq, Nγ = Terzaghi bearing capacity factors

General bearing capacity equation for shallow foundations:

q f =cN c s c d c i c +qN q sq d q i q+0.5 γ BN γ s γ d γ iγ

• Shape factors:
S =1+ (B/L) (N /N ), S =1+ (B/L) (tg S =1- 0.4 (B/L)
c q c q 
• Depth factors; condition D/B≤1
2
d =1+ 0.4 (D/B), d =1+2.tg(1-sin) (D/B), d =1
c q 
• Depth factors; condition D/B>1(D/B) in radians
2
d =1+0.4.arctg(D/B), d =1+2.0 tg(1-sin) arctg(D/B), d =1
c q 
• Inclined factors;
2 2
i =i =(1-90) i =(1-)
c q 

4
Effect of water table:

Rw 1 =
1
2[1+
Zw 1
D ] Rw 2 =
1
2[ Z
1+ w 2
B ]
Rw1, Rw2= reduction factors for the effect of water table, Zw1=depth measured from ground surface,
Zw2=depth measured from base of foundation, D/B = depth/width of foundation.

Piles in Clay:
Qu = Cu Nc Ab + Cw As Cw =a Cu
Qu=ultimate capacity of single pile, Ab= pile base area, As= pile shaft area, a=adhesion factor

Group ultimate load Qug = Qu E Np

E= pile group efficiency, Np= number of piles in a group, m & n =number of pile rows & columns
within the group, s=spacing of piles.

Piles in Sand: Qu = Q b + Q s Qb, Qs = base and shaft resistances of pile

Ultimate bearing pressure: qu=Nγ σ′vo (D+½B)

Nγ = bearing capacity factor, σ′vo= effective vertical overburden pressure.

Shaft resistance Qs = P′h . tanδ′

P′h = total horizontal load, δ′= effective friction angle between soil and pile material.

Coefficient of active earth pressure; Ka = (1-sinf)/(1+sinφ)

Coefficient of passive earth pressure; Kp = 1/Ka

Factors of safety for Drained and Undrained conditions: Fd, Fu

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 Relationship between Nγ and Ø′for shallow foundations in granular soil

Correlation between relative density, standard penetration value N, bearing capacity factor Nγ
and effective angle of friction Ø′

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Bearing capacity factors for general shear failure

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Terzaghi’s Bearing capacity factors

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 C u Nc
Fb = γH Fb =Factor of safety, Cu =Undrained shear strength
γ =Unit weight of soil, H=depth of cut
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End of paper
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