SOIL MECHANICS PROBLEM SET

Question One
In a falling-head permeability test the initial head of 1.00 m dropped to 0.35 m in 3 h, the
diameter of the standpipe being 5 mm. The soil specimen was 200 mm long by 100 mm in
diameter. Calculate the coefficient of permeability of the soil.

Question Two
The following readings were obtained in an oedometer test on a specimen of saturated clay
with Gs = 2.73.
Pressure, ' (kN/mm2) 0 54 107 214 429 858 1716 3432 0
Dial Gauge after 24 h 5.000 4.747 4.493 4.108 3.449 2.608 1.676 0.737 1.480
The initial thickness of the specimen was 19.00 mm and at the end of the test, the water
content was 19.8%.
(a) Plot the e Vs log ' and determine the consolidation pressure.
(b) Determine the values of mv for the stress increments 100 – 200 and 1000 – 1500 kN/m2.
(c) Determine the value of Cc for the increments in (b) above.

Question Three
The following results were obtained from an oedometer test on a specimen of saturated clay:
Pressure (kPa) 27 54 107 214 429 214 107 54
Void ratio 1.243 1.217 1.144 1.068 0.994 1.001 1.012 1.024

A 4 m thick sand layer is underlain by an 8m thick layer of this clay. The equilibrium water
table is at the ground surface. The saturated unit weight for both soils is 19 kN/m3. The clay
is also underlain by a sand layer.
A 4m depth of fill of unit weight 21 kN/m3 is placed above the sand layer over an extensive
area.
(a) Determine the final settlement due to consolidation of the clay layer.
(b) Assuming the fill is placed very rapidly, determine how long it will take to achieve
90% degree of consolidation for the clay layer, given that cv = 2.4 m2/year?

Question Four
A 10 m depth of sand overlies an 8 m layer of clay, below which is a further depth of sand.
For the clay, mv = 0.83 m2/MN and cv = 4.4 m2/year. The water table is at surface level but is
to be lowered permanently by 4 m, the initial lowering taking place over a period of 40
weeks. Calculate the final settlement due to consolidation of the clay, assuming no change in
the weight of sand, and the settlement 2 years after the start of lowering.

Question Five
A 12 m thick bed of sand is underlain by a layer of clay which is 7m thick. The water table
which was originally at the ground level is lowered by drainage to a depth of 2 m; where
upon the degree of saturation above the lowered water table is reduced to 25%.

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 (a) Determine the increase in magnitude of the vertical effective pressure at the water
table, the middle of the each layer and at the boundary of the each layer after lowering
the water table.
(b) Supposing even after lowering the water table, the top 2 m of sand remain saturated due
to capillary rise, determine the increase in the effective pressure at the same depth as
those in (a) (show a the stress variations from the two solutions on the same graph).
Saturated density of sand = 2.2 g/cm3
Saturated density of clay = 1.9 g/cm3

Question Six
A pycnometer weighing 620 g was used in the following measurement on three samples, A,
B and C of the same soil. Sample A was oven dried, B was completely saturated and C was
partially saturated. The bulk density of C was 1.98 g/cm3. The weight of the pycnometer
when filled with water only is 1495 g.
A B C
Weight of sample only (g) 980 1020 990
Weight of pycnometer with sample and filled with water (g) 2112 2030 2062

Find:
(a) The specific gravity of the particles;
(b) The water content and voids ratio of B;
(c) The degree of saturation of C.

Question Seven
(a) The following data were obtained from five compaction tests carried out at different
moisture content points shown, using a 2.5 kg rammer.
Water Content w (%) 15.5 16.4 17.3 17.7 18.7
Bulk Density 2.0361 2.0998 2.0970 0.0801 2.0667

By plotting an appropriate curve, determine the degree of compaction of the soil. (8 marks)
(b) (i) What is the use of the California Bearing Ratio (CBR)?
(ii) A soil sample intended for road works, having a water content of 15.6%, was
taken to the laboratory to determine its suitability for use as fill material. The
following results were obtained:
Penetration
0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00 4.50 5.00 5.50 6.00 6.50 7.00
(mm)
Load (kN) 0.46 0.91 1.44 1.82 2.12 2.45 2.65 2.86 3.05 3.22 3.40 3.56 3.69 3.83 3.97
Draw a suitable graph of the results above and determine the CBR of the sample,
given that the loads required to penetrate standard rock material at 2.50 mm and
5.00 mm are 13.2 kN and 19.6 kN respectively. State giving reasons whether or
not the soil was suitable for use as fill material.

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Question Eight
The following results were obtained from an undrained shear box tests on specimens of
sandy clay of cross section 60 mm by 60 mm square.
Normal Load (kN) Shearing force at failure (kN)
1.00 0.47
0.50 0.32
0.25 0.24
(a) Find the apparent cohesion and angle of shearing resistance.
(b) What are the limitations of the shear box test?
(c) If a triaxial test is carried out on a specimen of the same soil with a cell pressure of
140KN/m2. Find the total axial stress at which failure would be expected.

Question Nine

(a) With the aid of a well labelled diagram, describe a field well pumping test to determine
the coefficient of permeability of a sandy soil stratum in an aquifer overlying an
impermeable layer, given that the stratum of interest extends to ground surface.

(b) A 9.15 m thick layer of the sandy soil in (b) above overlies a bed of thick impermeable
rock. The static ground water level is at a depth of 1.22 m below the top of the soil
stratum. A well was driven to the top of the rock and water pumped out at the rate of
9.47  102 m3 per second. Two observation boreholes were driven through the aquifer
on a radial line from the centre of the pump well at distances of 3.05 m and 30.5 m
from the pump well.
During pumping the water level in the observation well nearest to the pump was 4.57 m
below ground level and in the farthest well the water level was 2.23 m below ground
level. Determine the coefficient of permeability of the soil.

Question Ten
(a) A soil specimen has a dry unit weight, d = 16 kN/m3. Determine the moisture content if
the voids contain 60% water and 40% air, and the specific gravity, Gs = 2.7.
(b) 129.70 gm of a dried soil were subjected to a mechanical analysis with the following
result:
Sieve analysis gave the following quantities
Retained on sieve 2.36 mm 0 gm
0.60 mm 44.1 gm
0.21 mm 24.6 gm
0.075 mm 16.8 gm
Hydrometer, sedimentation analysis gave
Amounts finer than 0.03 mm 28.5 gm
0.003 mm 17.2 gm
Draw the grading curve and classify the material according to the Unified Classification
System.

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