Application of Soil Mechanics

Assignments

Question No.1.
(a) Briefly describe the Spencers (1967) method of slope stability analysis. Derive the
expressions required for the same and critically discuss the stoical admissibility of the
solution.
(b) Draw a neat proportionate free hand sketch of a large earth and rockfill dam showing
all the components and describe their functions. (Note: no credit will be given for
disproportionate and badly drawn sketch)
(c) With a neat sketch show how would you instrument a dam? Describe the function of
each instrument.
Question No. 2.
An anchored retaining wall with water on both the sides of the wall and cohesive soil
below the dredge line is shown in figure 1. Draw the pressure distribution diagram on the
wall giving principal values. Find the embedment depth and anchor- rod force. Use F.S.
=1.5 on cohesion. Use free earth support method. Assume ka = ka =0.297 and kp = kp
=6.1.

1.2 m

Far

2.4 m

= 16.5 kN/m3, =300

Water Table

Dredge
Line

6.7 m

Sand
sat= 20.2 kN/m3, =300

Clay
c = 72.0 kpa
= 00, sat = 19.2 kN/m3

Figure 1

Question No. 3.
(a) A 10 m deep by 8 m wide open cut is to be made in the sub-soil condition shown in
figure 2. Check the bottom stability and Design a suitable bracings system.
Assume m =1.0

0
Brownish grey silty clay
= 1.8 t/m3, cu = 4t/m2

-3
Soft Marine clay
= 1.7 t/m3, cu = 2t/m2
-13
Stiff clay
= 1.9 t/m3, cu = 6t/m2
-16
Sand N > 40
Figure- 2

(b) A rigid pipe with an outside diameter of 1m diameter is laid in a ditch which is 1.5m
wide at the top of the pipe. The pipe is covered with 9.0 m of sandy soil backfill (k
=0.18). Determine the load on the pipe. Take =18 kN/m3.

Question No. 4.
(a) Briefly describe the Seed and Martins (1966) approach for slope stability
analysis.
(b) Consider a dam is located 80 km. away from the active fault trace and the shock
of magnitude 7.75 occurs. Considering El-centro earthquake of 1940 (maximum
horizontal acceleration=0.33g) find the response of a dam having a time period
(T) of 1 sec. and a damping equal to 5%. How would you distribute the
acceleration along the height of the dam?