POKHARA UNIVERSITY

Level: Bachelor Semester – Spring Year : 2012

Programme: BE Full Marks: 100
Course: Soil Mechanics Pass Marks: 45
Time : 3hrs.

Candidates are required to give their answers in their own words as far
as practicable.
The figures in the margin indicate full marks.
Attempt all the questions.

1. a) Derive the relations stresses developed on plane inclined at an angle 7

with horizontal in terms of major and minor principal stresses acting
on any particular soil sample.
b) The sand deposit in the field has an angle of shearing resistance of 8
320, dry density of 16.5kN/m3, moist unit weight of 19kN/m3 and
saturated unit weight 21 kN/m3. The water table is 1.6m below G.L.
The sand is dry up to 1 m depth and moist between 1m and 1.6m
depth. What is the shearing resisting on sand on a horizontal plane at
3.0m depth below G.L.
2. a) Describe the method to obtain the coefficient of permeability of soil in 7
an unconfined aquifer.
b) The plan of a three-legged tower forms an equilateral triangle of side 8
6m. If the total weight of the tower is 8000 kN and equally carried by
all the legs, compute the vertical stress increase in the soil by the
tower at a depth of 4.5 m directly below the centre of equilateral
triangle.
3. a) 500 g of dry soil was subjected to a sieve analysis. The weight of soil 8
retained on each sieve is as follows;
Sieve size 4.75 2 mm 1 mm 425µ 212µ 150 µ 75 µ
mm
Wt. of soil 15 165 105 85 45 35 50
retained on
sieve, g

Plot the grain size distribution curves and determine the following: (i)
Classify the soil (ii) Coefficient of uniformity (iii) coefficient of curvature
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 (iv) The gradation of the soil.
b) Explain Terzaghi's spring analogy model for the process of 7
consolidation.
4. a) A soil sample was tested on lab by direct shear box test on a remoulded 8
sand sample reaveling the following informations at the time of failure.
Normal load = 0.9 KN
Shear load = 0.45 KN
Sample area = 36cm2. Determine:
a) The angle of internal friction
b) The magnitude and direction of principal stresses in the zoned of
failure.
c) Maximum deviator stress of a same sample, if it is tested on a
triaxial test with constant void ratio and all round pressure of
65KN/m2. Assume c = 0.
b) What do you mean by Phreatic line ?Describe the construction 7
procedure of phreatic line in an earthen dam with neat sketch.
5. a) What precautions should you take to maintain proper compaction in 7
the field during compaction? Describe relative compaction.
b) A 10meter thick bed of sand is underlain by a layer of clay 6.5m 8
thickness. The water table which was originally at the ground surface
is lowered by drainage to a depth of 4.2m. Where the degree of
saturation above the lowered water table reduces to 50%. Determine
the increase in magnitude of effective vertical pressure at the mid of
clay layer due to lowering of water table. The γsat of sand is 20.6, γsat
for clay = 17.6 & γd of sand 16.7 KN/m3.
6. a) A natural soil deposit has a bulk unit weight of 16 kN/m3 and water 8
content of 11%. Determine the amount of water required to be added
to 1 m3 of soil to raise the water content to 18%. Assume void ratio to
remain constant.
b) What are the modes of failure of slopes? Explain about the stability 7
analysis of finite slope by slice method in case of cohesive soil.
7. Write short notes on any two: 2×5
a) Types of clay minerals.
b) Modified AASHTO
c) Atterberg's Limits.

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