FINAL EXAMINATION IN SOIL MECHANICS 1

NAME: SCORE:

INSTRUCTOR: DATE:

INSTRUCTIONS: Solve the following questions and provide solutions. Use the extra
sheets provided. No other sheets of paper allowed. No cellphones and other gadgets on
desk except for calculators and pens only. No cheating. Avoid erasures.

Situation 1: A saturated clay layer has a thickness of 10 meters with a water content of
51% and a specific gravity of 2.72. Determine the following:

1. Saturated unit weight of the clay

2. Total stress at depth of 10 meters
3. Effective stress at depth of 10 meters

Situation 2: In a tri-axial test of a silty soil, the sample failed at normal stress of 450 kPa
and a shear stress of 350 kPa.

4. What is the angle of the internal friction?

5. Find the angle that the failure plane makes with the major principal plane.
6. Find the maximum failure stress.

Situation 3: An excavation 5 m depth is supported by a sheet pile. The sheet pile is

extended 3.2 meters below the ground and the water table is at the bottom of the pile.
Unit weight of soil is 1.91 g/cc. Angle of friction is 34 degrees.

7. What is the active force?

8. What is the passive force?
9. What should be the passive resistance for equilibrium?

Situation 4: From the figure shown, find the equivalent horizontal coefficient of permeability,
the hydraulic gradient, and the discharge of flow from one side to another side per meter width.

w.s.

1
45 m K1= 35 m/ day
59 m
41 m
33 m 2
K2= 27 m/ day
2 km
SITUATION 5: A test well was drilled down until it reached the impermeable layer which is 13
meters below the water table. Water is then pumped from it at a uniform rate of 69 liters per
second for 24 hours. Two observation wells located at 35 meters and 95 meters from the said test
well show drawdown of 1.1 m and 0.5 m respectively. Find the discharge in million liters per
day, coefficient of permeability in m/day and transmissibility of the aquifer in square meter per
day.