ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY

ADDIS ABABA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

SCHOOL OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

CEng3143 – Soil Mechanics II Date: Dec. 27, 2018

Academic Year: 2018/2019 Allotted time: 1:00 hour
Exam category: Test 2 Exam type: Closed book
Instructions: -Write concise answers for theoretical questions.
-Show your steps clearly for problems involving calculations.
PART I (50%)
1) Define at rest, active and passive earth pressure conditions clearly.
𝜐
Show that 𝐾𝑜 = 1−𝜐 using 3D Hooke's law.
[18%]
Condition Wall Soil mass Other
remark
At rest: Static in a state of static equilibrium 𝜀ℎ = 0
(2 marks) (2 marks) (1 mark)
Active: wall rotates about exerts a push against the wall b/c of its Pa > Pp
its bottom away tendency to slip laterally and seek its (1 mark)
from soil mass natural slope (the soil is the actuating
(2 marks) (2 marks)
Passive: wall rotates about Retaining wall is caused to move toward Pa < Pp
its bottom towards the soil. Soil provides the resistance for (1 mark)
soil mass maintaining stability (the retaining wall
(2 marks) is the actuating element) (2 marks)

(3 marks)

2) Compare and contrast Tresca and Mohr-Coulomb failure criteria (by means of equations and
diagrams if need be). [12%]
Tresca Failure Criterion Mohr-Coulomb Failure Criterion
- relevant for loading on cohesive soils - used in drained conditions where a change
(clays and fine silts) when the condition in stress also leads to a change in effective
may be assessed as undrained. (2 marks) stresses. (2 marks)
- defined by the undrained shear strength, - states that a material fails because of a
su, being equal to the maximum shear stress critical combination of normal stress and
at failure. shear stress, and not from their either
𝜎1 −𝜎3
𝜏𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 2 = 𝜏𝑓 = 𝑆𝑢 (2 marks) maximum normal or shear stress alone.
𝜏𝑓 = 𝑐 ′ + 𝜎 ′ tan 𝜙(2 marks)

(2 marks) (2 marks)
3) What do undrained and drained loading conditions mean? How does each arise in a soil mass?
How do we simulate these in triaxial tests? [10%]

Undrained loading condition Drained loading condition

- Occur when excess pore water pressure
can’t drain, at least quickly from the soil.
(1 mark)
- Volume of the soil remains constant.
(1 mark)
- Mostly relevant for loading on cohesive
soils (clays and fine silts)
(1 mark)
- Associated failure criteria is TRESCA
(1 mark)
- By leaving the drainage valve open
during shearing phase(1 mark)
- Occur when the load case is a long term
condition, allowing pore pressure changes
to dissipate. (1 mark)
- Volume change in the soil imminent.
(1 mark)
- Relevant for all granular materials and
cohesive soils under extended loading
(1 mark)
- Associated failure criteria is MC
(1 mark)
- By closing the drainage valve during
shearing phase(1 mark)

4) Which of these statements are false? Justify your answer. [10%]

b) Direct shear test is advantageous since it provides us with a predetermined and

always accurate failure plane.
[The predetermined failure plane is not always accurate]
(5 marks)

c) Rapid constructions over clay deposits are best simulated in laboratory by not
consolidating the specimen (in consolidation phase) and leaving the drainage valve
open (in shearing phase) of a triaxial apparatus.
[The drainage valve should be closed since the triaxial test that best simulate the
aforementioned condition is Unconsolidated Undrained test (UU)].
(5 marks)
PART II (50%)

1. A drained triaxial test on normally consolidated clay (C=0). The results are σ'3 = 276 kPa and
(Δσd)f = 276 kPa. Determine
a. the major principal stress
b. the angle of internal friction
c. the angle that the failure plane makes with the major principal plane
d. the normal stress and shear stress at failure plane
Perform the calculations by drawing this condition in a Mohr diagram clearly depicting all
stress magnitudes, orientation and shear strength parameters of the soil.
[20%]

Given: (1.5 marks)

C=0 ; σ'3 = σ3 = 276 kPa ; (Δσd)f = 276 kPa

Required: (2.5 marks)

a) σ'1 = ? ; b) ∅ = ? ; c)  = ? ; d) σ'f = ? and τf = ?

Solution:

a)

σ'1 = σ1 = σ3 + (Δσd)f = 276 + 276 = 552 kPa (4 marks)

b)
𝜎′1 −𝜎′3
𝐴𝐵 𝜎′ −𝜎′ 552−276
𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙 = 𝑂𝐴
= 2
𝜎′1 +𝜎′3 = 𝜎′1 +𝜎′3 = 552+276 = 0.333 (2 marks)
1 3
2

--> 𝜙 = sin−1(0.333) = 19.45∘ (1 mark)

c)
𝜎′1 −𝜎′3
𝐴𝐵 𝜎′ −𝜎′ 552−276
cos(180 − 2𝜃) = 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙 = 𝑂𝐴 = 2
𝜎′1 +𝜎′3 = 𝜎′1 +𝜎′3 = 552+276 = 0.333 (2 marks)
1 3
2

--> 180 − 2𝜃 = cos−1(0.333) = 70.55

180−70.55
--> 𝜃 = 2
= 54.7∘ (1 mark)

d)
𝜎′1 +𝜎′3
𝑂𝐴−𝜎𝑓 −𝜎𝑓 (552+276)⁄2−𝜎𝑓 414−𝜎𝑓
cos(180 − 2𝜃) = = 2
𝜎′1 −𝜎′3 = (552−276)⁄2
= = 0.333 (2 marks)
𝐴𝐵 138
2

---> 𝜎𝑓 = 414 − 0.333 ∗ 138 = 368 𝑘𝑃𝑎 (1 mark)

𝜏𝑓 𝜏𝑓 𝑓𝜏 𝜏𝑓
sin(180 − 2𝜃) = = 𝜎′1 −𝜎′3 = (552−276)⁄
= = √1 − 0.3332 = 0.943 (2 marks)
𝐴𝐵 2 138
2

---> 𝜏𝑓 = 0.943 ∗ 138 = 130 𝑘𝑃𝑎 (1 mark)

2. For the frictionless wall shown,
determine the following:
a. The active and passive lateral
earth pressure distribution with
depth.
b. The magnitude and location
of the active and passive force.
c. The resultant force and its
location.

[30%]

Lateral earth pressure coefficients

Depth [m] Active LEP Coefficient [-](2 marks) Passive LEP Coefficient [-] (1 mark)
0-3 1 − sin 𝜙 𝜙
𝐾𝑎 = = tan2(45 − ) = 0.333
1 + sin 𝜙 2
3-8 1 − sin 𝜙 𝜙 1
𝐾𝑎 = = tan2(45 − ) = 0.406 𝐾𝑝 = = 2.464
1 + sin 𝜙 2 𝐾𝑎

Active and Passive LEP

Active

Depth, Z Surcharge, q (σh)a=Ka*σv

σz=γ*Z U=γw*Z σ'z= σz - U
[kPa] [kPa] Ka*q Ka*σ'z
[m] [kPa] [kPa] (2 marks) (2 marks)
0 30 0 0 0 9.9 0
3- 30 57 0 57 9.9 18.98
3+ 30 57 0 57 12.18 23.14
8 30 157 49.05 107.95 12.18 43.83

Passive

Depth, z σz=γ*z U=γw*Z σ'z= σz - U (σh)p=Kp*σv

[kPa] [kPa] [kPa]
[m] (2 marks)
0 0 0 0 0
5 100 49.05 50.95 125.54
 (5 marks)

9.9

18.98

3 23.14

4
2

5
7 6
8

49.05 125.54 12.18 43.83 49.05

 Active Depth Force Moment Arm Moment
Area [m] [kN] (from toe) [kN-m]
(3 marks) [m] (3 marks)
1 0-3 =9.9*3=29.7 =5+3/2=6.5 193.05
2 3-8 =12.18*5=60.9 =5/2=2.5 152.25
3 0-3 =0.5*18.98*3=28.47 =5+3/3=6 170.82
4 3-8 =23.14*5=115.7 =5/2=2.5 289.25
5 3-8 =0.5*(43.83-23.14)*5=51.73 =5/3=1.67 86.39
6 3-8 =0.5*49.05*5=122.63 =5/3=1.67 204.79
PA = 409.13 kN (1 mark) MA = 1096.55 kN-m
(1 mark)

Passive Depth Force Moment Arm Moment

Area [m] [kN] (from toe) [kN-m]
(1 mark) [m] (1 mark)
7 3-8 =0.5*125.54*5=313.85 =5/3=1.67 524.13
8 3-8 =0.5*49.05*5=122.62 =5/3=1.67 204.78
PP=436.47 kN (1 mark) MP=728.91 kN-m
(1 mark)

Location of Active Force Location of Passive Force

𝑀𝐴 1096.55 𝑀𝑃 728.91
𝑍𝐴 = = = 2.68𝑚 𝑍𝑃 = = = 1.67𝑚
𝑃𝐴 409.13 𝑃𝑃 436.47
(1 mark) (1 mark)

Resultant Force
R= PP - PA = 436.47 - 409.13 = 27.54 kN (1 mark)

Location of resultant force

𝑀𝐴 −𝑀𝑃 1096.55 − 728.91
𝑍𝑅 = = = 13.35𝑚
𝑅 27.54
(1 mark)