Examples:

College of Engineering, UoD

Example 1:
A soil profile is shown in Figure. Calculate the total stress, pore water pressure, and effective
stress at points A, B, and C.

Solution

Soil Mechanics-I
Dr.Mohammed S. Hussain

Example 2:
The water table is located at a depth of 3.0 m below the ground surface in a deposit of sand 11.0
m thick (see Figure). The sand is saturated above the water table. The total unit weight of the sand
is 20 kN/m3. Calculate the (a) the total pressure, (b) the pore water pressure and (c) the effective
pressure at depths 0, 3.0, 7.0, and 11.0 m from the ground surface, and draw the pressure
distribution diagram.

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Solution

College of Engineering, UoD

Soil Mechanics-I
Example 3:
A 9-m-thick layer of stiff saturated clay is underlain by a layer of sand (see Figure). The sand is
under artesian pressure. Calculate the maximum depth of cut H that can be made in the clay.

Dr.Mohammed S. Hussain

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Solution:

College of Engineering, UoD

Example 4:

Soil Mechanics-I
A soil profile is shown in Figure. Given: H1 = 1.83 m, H2=0.91 m, H3= 1.83 m. Plot the variation
of σ, u, and σ’ with depth.

Dr.Mohammed S. Hussain

Solution:

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 .
.
.
.

The plot of the stress variation is shown in Figure.

End

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Dr.Mohammed S. Hussain Soil Mechanics-I College of Engineering, UoD