Question Bank_Soil Mechanics-II

UNIT-1 : Soil Exploration

(i) Compute the area ratio of a thin walled tube samples having an external diameter of 6 cm
and a wall thickness of 2.25 mm. Do you recommend the sampler for obtaining undisturbed
soil samples? Why?
(ii) A property developer wants to build a subdivision consisting of 500 residences, a shopping
mall and five office building near your college. Assume that the total area is 50 hectares.
The developer hires your to conduct a soils investigation as part of the due diligence
process. Describe how you would conduct this investigation.
(iii) Compute the area ratio of a thin walled tube samples having an external diameter of 6 cm
and a wall thickness of 2.25 mm. Do you recommend the sampler for obtaining undisturbed
soil samples? Why?
(iv) The following sizes of sampling tubes are available in the market:
OD (mm) 70 120 55
ID(mm) 67 117 47
Length(mm) 600 600 600
Out of these which one would you select for obtaining undisturbed soil samples from a bore hole?
(v) The observed standard penetration test value in a deposit of fully submerged fine silty sand was 45
at a depth of 6.5m. The average saturated unit weight of soil is 19.5 kN/m3. Find the corrected SPT
value for dilatancy effect.
(vi) In a borehole, a layer of fine sand was encountered at a depth of 6m from the ground surface. A
dense sand layer overlies the fine sand layer. The N value recorded in the field was 26. Determine
the correct N value for the layer at 6m depth. The water table was found to be at a depth of 2.2m
from surface and saturated unit weight of dense sand is 2.30 g/cc.
(vii) What are the various steps considered in the planning of sub-surface exploration programme?
Describe the standard penetration test. In what way is it useful in foundation design?
(viii) Describe with a neat sketch how will you carry out the wash boring method of soil exploration.
What are its merits and demerits?
(ix) Explain the terms ‘inside clearance’ and ‘outside clearance’ as applied to a sampler. Why are they
provided?
(x) Explain and discuss the various factors that help decide the number and depth of bore holes
required for subsoil exploration.
(xi) What is ‘N-value’ of Standard Penetration Test? How do you find the relative density from ‘N-
value’? Explain the various corrections to be applied to the observed value of N.

UNIT-2:Earth Pressure
(i.) A vertical wall with a smooth face is 7.2 m high and retains soil with a uniform surcharge angle
of 9°. If the angle of internal friction of soil is 27°, Evaluate the active earth pressure and
passive earth resistance, assuming γ = 20 kN/m3.
(ii.) Illustrate an analytical or graphical method to calculate the active earth pressure due to a
cohesive soil against a rigid retaining wall.

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(iii.) A smooth vertical wall 5 m high retains a soil with c = 2.5 N/cm2, φ = 30°, and γ = 18 kN/m3. Show the
Rankine passive pressure distribution and determine the magnitude and point of application of the
passive resistance.
(iv.) A vertical retaining wall 10 m high supports a cohesionless fill with γ = 18 kN/m3. The upper surface of
the fill rises from the crest of the wall at an angle of 20° with the horizontal. Assuming φ = 30° and δ =
20°, determine the total active earth pressure using the analytical approach of Coulomb.
(v.) A masonry wall with vertical back has a backfill 5 m behind it. The ground level is horizontal at the top
and the ground water table is at ground level. Calculated the horizontal pressure on the wall using
Coulomb’s earth pressure theory. Assume the unit weight of saturated soil is 15.3 kN/m3. Cohesion =
0. φ = 30°. Friction between wall and earth = 20°.
(vi.) A retaining wall 4.5 m high with a vertical back supports a horizontal fill weighing 18.60 kN/m3 and
having φ = 32°, δ = 20°, and c = 0. Determine the total active thrust on the wall by Culmann’s method.
(vii.) Determine the active and passive earth pressure given the following data: Height of retaining wall = 10
m; φ = 25°; γd = 17 kN/m3. Ground water table is at the top of the retaining wall.
(viii.) A retaining wall with a smooth vertical back, 4.5 m high, retains a dry cohesionless backfill level with
the top of the wall. γ = 18.6 kN/m3 and φ = 30°. The backfill carries a uniformly distributed surcharge of
20.6 kN/m2. Determine the magnitude and point of application of the total active thrust per lineal
metre of the wall.
(ix.) A retaining wall, 4.5 m high, retains a soil with c = 2 N/cm2, φ = 30° and γ = 20 kN/m3, with horizontal
surface level with the top of the wall. The backfill carries a surcharge of 20 kN/m2. Compute the total
passive earth resistance on the wall and its point of application.
(x.) Write notes on:
(a) Rankine earth pressure theory
(b) Culmann method.
(c) Coefficient of passive earth pressure.
(xi.) Differentiate critically between Rankine and Coulomb theories of earth pressure
(xii.) Explain (i) active, (ii) passive and (iii) at rest conditions in earth pressure against a retaining wall.
(xiii.) Explain Rankine’s theory of earth pressure. For what types of retaining walls and soils may this theory
be used?
(xiv.) Indicate an analytical or graphical method to calculate the active earth pressure due to a cohesive soil
(c = φ soil) against a rigid retaining wall.

UNIT-3: Shallow Foundations

(i.) Comment the methods of Terzaghi, Meyerhof and Hansen in calculation of bearing capacity of
a foundation.
(ii.) Differentiate between (i) Gross and net bearing capacity, (ii) Safe bearing capacity and
allowable soil pressure
(iii.) The footing of a wall is 1.5 m wide at the base and is located in a homogenous cohesive soil at a
depth of 1.0 m below the ground surface. The soil properties are ɣ = 1.76 t/m3, c= 3.6 t/m2
and φ =20°. Assuming the soil as soft, which is likely to fail in local shear. Determine the safe
bearing capacity per meter of the footing. Use Terzaghi’s analysis.
(iv.) A loading test was conducted with a 200 mm square plate at depth of 1 m below the ground
surface in pure clay deposit. The water table is located at a depth of 4 m below the ground level.
Failure occurred at a load of 90 kN. Design the safe bearing capacity of a 1.5 m wide strip
footing at 1.5 m depth in the same soil? Assume γ = 18 kN/m3 above the water table and a
factor of safety of 2.5.
(v.) A plate load test was conducted on a uniform deposit of sand and the following data were
obtained

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 Question Bank_Soil Mechanics-II

Pressure kN/m2 2 50 100 200 300 400 500 600

Settlement mm 1.5 2.0 4.0 7.5 12.5 20.0 40.0
The size of the plate was 750 mm × 750 mm and that of the pit 3.75 m × 3.75 m × 1.5 m.
(i) Plot the pressure-settlement curve and determine the failure stress.
(ii) A square footing, 2m × 2 m, is to be founded at 1.5 m depth in this soil.
Assuming the factor of safety against shear failure as 3 and the maximum permissible
settlement as 40 mm, determine the allowable bearing pressure.
(iii) Design of footing for a load of 2,000 kN, if the water table is at a great depth

(vi) A strip footing 2 m wide carries a load intensity of 400 kN/m3 at a depth of 1.2 m in
sand. ɣsat =19.5kN/m3 and ɣ for sand above water table is 16.8 kN/m3. c= 0 and φ
=35°.Assume general shear failure. Determine the factor of safety wrt shear failure for
the following cases of location of WT.
a) WT is 4 m below GSL.
b) WT is 1.2 m below GSL.
c) WT is 2.5 m below GSL
d) WT is 0.5 m below GSL.
e) WT is at GSL itself.
Use Terzaghi’s equation.
(vii) A 30cm square bearing plate settles by 8mm in the plate load test on cohesionless soil,
when the intensity of loading is 180 kN/m2. Estimate the settlement of a shallow
foundation of 1.6m square under the same intensity of loading.
(viii) Plate load tests were conducted in c- φ soil, on plates of two different sizes and the
following results were obtained:
Load (kN) Size of plate (m2) Settlement (mm)
40 0.3X0.3 25
100 0.6X0.6 25
(ix) Find the size of square footing to carry a load of 800kN at the same specified settlement
of 25mm.
(x) Explain ‘general shear failure’ and ‘Local shear failure’. Differentiate between (i)
Shallow foundation and deep foundation, (ii) Gross and net bearing capacity, (iii) Safe
bearing capacity and allowable soil pressure.
(xi) What are the criteria for deciding the depth of foundations? Write brief critical notes on
tolerable settlements for buildings.

UNIT-4 : Deep Foundations

(i) Distinguish between driven and bored piles.
(ii) Predict the group efficiency of a rectangular group of piles with 4 rows, 3 piles per row
as per Feld’s rule.
(iii) Distinguish between driven and bored piles. Explain why the settlement of a pile
foundation (pile group) will be many times that of a single pile even though the load per
pile on both cases is maintained the same.

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(iv) Classify the negative skin friction. A square pile group of 16 piles passes through a
filled up soil of 3 m depth. The pile diameter is 25 cm and pile spacing is 75 cm. If the
unit cohesion of the material is 18 kN/m2 and unit weight is 15 kN/m3, compute the
negative skin friction on the group.
(v) A group of 9 piles arranged in square pattern with diameter and length of each pile as
25cm and 10m respectively, is used as foundation in soft clay deposit. Taking the
unconfined compressive strength of clay as 120kN/m2 and the pile spacing as 100cm
centre to centre. Find the load capacity of the group. Assume the bearing capacity factor
Nc=9 and adhesion factor =0.75. A factor of safety of 2.5 may be taken.
(vi) A jetty is sited on 4.5m of very soft clayey soil overlaying stiff to very stiff clay. The
average shear strength from 5 to 13m is 140kN/m2. Fissured shear strength at 13m is
145kn/m2. For structural reasons, it is desired to use 500mm steel tube piles. Check
penetration length of 13m below the sea bed level from the design view point to carry a
safe working load of 400kN. For the given conditions, adhesion factor= 0.5 , bearing
bearing factor= Nc=9. Give your comments on the penetration length of 13m.
(vii) A precast concrete pile 0.305m x 0.305m in x-section driven by a hammer. Given the
following

Max. rated hammer energy = 35.3 kNm , Height of ram = 35.6 kN

Total Length of pile = 20 m, Hammer Efficiency =0.8
Co-efficient of restitution =0.45, Weight of pile cap = 3.2 kN
Number of blows for last 25.4mm penetration =5
Estimate the pile capacity by using:
a) Engineering News Record Formale (ENR) with F=6 (Ans-617.7kN)
b) Modified Hiley’s Formulae with F=5 (Ans-405 kN)
c) Danish Formula with F=4 (Ans-411 kN)

UNIT-5 : Well Foundations

(i.) Show the component parts of a Floating Caisson with a neat sketch.
(ii.) What are the circumstances under which a well foundation is more suited than other
types?
(iii.) Define Caisson? How are Caissons classified based on the method of construction?
Illustrate the different parts of a pneumatic caisson.
(iv.) Discuss the construction aspects of Well Foundations. What are ‘Tilts and Shifts’?
Explain the remedial measures to control these.

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