Soil Mechanics II

(CE 324) HW# Review Soil I

CLO-1, PLO-1, LL 1-2

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Revision # : 1
Issue # : 1
Due Date : 24.10.2016

Part-I Phase Relationships

Q1:
a. Briefly explain following terms with phase diagram and write their expression also.
(1) Unit weight
(2) Saturated unit weight
(3) Void ratio
(4) Porosity.
(5) Moisture content
(6) Degree of saturation
(7) Specific gravity
(8) Relative Density
b. Derive following relationships from phase diagram:

(1)

(2)

(3)

e
w
1 + e

sat = d +

d =

eS w
(1 + e )w

1
w = S w
d Gs

c. .A sample of soil has a volume of 0.45ft3 and a weight of 53.3 Ib. After being dried in an
oven, it has weight of 45.1 Ib. It has a specific gravity of solids of 2.70. Compute its
moisture content and degree of saturation before it was placed in oven. How much water
to be added to make it saturate after the oven drying.

Part-II Soil Classification

Q2: Grain size distributions and Atterberg limits are given for 6 soils in the graphs below.
Classify these soils according to USCS and AASHTO soil classification systems. Show your
working on classification flow chart.

(a)

Soil Type

LL (%)

PI (%)

Curve 1

46

16

Curve 2

30

Curve 3

34

(b)

Soil Type

LL (%)

PI (%)

Curve 1

Non Plastic

Curve 2

Non Plastic

Curve 3

22

Part-III Effective Stress, In-Situ Stresses

Q3: The soil profile is beneath a certain site consist of 5.0 m Silty sand, underlain by 13.0 m of
clay. The groundwater table is at depth of 2.8 m below the ground surface. Sand has unit weight
of 19.0 kN/m3 above the ground water table and 20.0 kN/m3 below . The clay has unit weight of
15.7 kN/m3. Plot total, effective and pore-water pressure profile.
Q4: A Piezometer installed at top of gravel layer as indicated in figure below, shows the waterpressure of 874Psf. Compute the following at mid-depth of Clay Layer (Assume no head loss in
Sand Layer)
a. Pore-Water Pressure
b. Total Vertical Stress
c. Effective Stress

Q5: The soil profile is shown in figure below. The water is being pumped from coarse sand at
steady state.
a. Plot Following considering no pumping is done :(1) Total Vertical Effective Stress Profile
(2) Effective Vertical Stress Profile
(3) Pore-water Pressure Profile
b. Now consider the steady state pumping. Then Calculate Following at point B in Silty
Clay Layer (Assume No Head Loss in coarse Sand):(1) Pore-Water Pressure
(2) Total Vertical
(3) Effective Vertical Stress