Soil Mechanics Principles and Practice

Fourth Edition

Answers to exercises

Chapter 2
2.1 2.65 Mg/m 3
2.2 100, 99.1, 95.9, 93.8, 90.2, 84.4, 75.2, 63.8,
50.4, 38.9, 27.8, 15.2, 3.8 %
0.11 mm, 0.42 mm, 4.9, 0.89
2.3 12.2 %, 2.218 Mg/m 3, 21.76 kN/m 3,
1.977 Mg/m 3, 19.39 kN/m 3
2.4 0.376, 0.273, 88.3 %, 3.2 %
2.5 2.25 Mg/m 3, 13.8%
2.6 2.12 Mg/m 3
2.7 55 %, 27 %, 28 %, CH
2.8 0.29, 0.71
2.9 38.9%, 8.39%

Chapter 3
3.1 8.6  10-5 m/s
3.2 2.7  10-8 m/s
3.3 2.4  10-7 m/s
3.4 60.5 m3/day
3.5 2.9  10-5 m/s
3.6 8.6  10-4 m/s
3.7 5 litres/min/m, u is related to flow net sketched
3.8 22.6 litres/min/m
3.9 1. 16.5 kN < 66.7 kN 2. 41.4 kN < 96.2 kN ULS verified
3.10 22.5 litres/hour/m
3.11 u is related to flow net sketched
3.12 Min D15filter = 0.75 mm, max D15filter = 10.5 mm, <5% fines

Chapter 4
4.1 1. 139 kPa 2. 98 kPa 3. 41 kPa
4.2 1. 90 kPa 2. 49 kPa 3. 41 kPa
4.3 a) 105 kPa, 29.4 kPa, 75.6 kPa
b) 195 kPa, 78.4 kPa, 116.6 kPa
4.4 42.8 kPa, 67.4 kPa
4.5 1) 41.1 kPa, 69.1 kPa, 97.1 kPa
2) 57.7 kPa, 69.1 kPa, 97.1 kPa
3) 57.7 kPa, 85.7 kPa, 113.7 kPa
16.6 kPa
4.6 19.6 kPa
4.7 1.0, 1.50, 1.18
4.8 0.96, overconsolidated
4.9 a) 0.34, b) 0.58, c) 0.74, d) 0.88, e) 0.95, f) 0.98
4.10 0, 0.22, 0.16, 0.08, 0.01, –0.07, –0.13

Chapter 5
5.1 61.8 kPa
5.2 172.0 kPa
5.3 a) 59.2 kPa b) 37.2 kPa c) 9.4 kPa
5.4 a) 50.4 b) 21.0 kPa
5.5 a) 46.8 kPa b) 18.8 kPa
5.6 a) 54.1 kPa b) 23.1 kPa
5.7 45.2 kPa
Chapter 6
6.1 0.856, 0.852, 0.848, 0.840, 0.803, 0.753,
0.704, 0.712, 0.726, 0.737
6.2 Approx. 125 kPa, 2.2
6.3 0.086, 0.087, 0.087, 0.201, 0.138,
0.070 m2/MN
0.087, 0.146 m 2/MN
6.4 0.164
6.5 3.3 m2/year, 0.20 m 2/MN, 2.0  10–10 m/s
6.6 70 mm
6.7 a) 12.0 kPa b) 41.5 kPa
6.8 46 mm
6.9 53.1 weeks
6.10 0.828 or 82.8 %
6.11 1.35 m

Chapter 7
7.1 57.7, 20.2 kPa
7.2 At rest,  = 14 kPa, at failure  = 50 kPa not at failure
7.3 24.0 kPa
7.4 21.6º, 0.822
7.5 15.3 kPa, 38.9º
7.6 1.50
7.7 i) 248.1, 124 kPa ii) 238.1, 119 kPa iii) 244.3, 122 kPa
7.8 a) i) 167, 24 kPa ii) 254, 46 kPa iii) 394, 82 kPa
b) by estimation, but should be very similar to c)
c) a = 15.2 kPa  = 30.6º
c = 18.9 kPa  = 36.3º
7.9 a) i) 344, 100 kPa ii) 644, 200 kPa iii) 940, 300 kPa
b) by estimation, but should be very similar to c)
c) a = 11.7 kPa  = 26.5º
c = 13.5 kPa  = 29.8º
7.10  = 0.14 N = 2.47
7.11 0.87
7.12 183.8 kPa
7.13 0.599, 0.499
7.14 a) 64.5, 97.4 kPa b) 129.1, 194.6 kPa

Chapter 8
8.1 1) 7178 kN 2) 5127 kN
8.2 1) 5786 kN < 7178 kN 2) 4517 kN < 5127 kN ULS verified
8.3 3.29 m Combination 2
8.4 1) 5786 kN < 5794 kN 2) 4517 kN > 3165 kN ULS not verified
8.5 1) 5786 kN < 8434 kN 2) 4517 kN < 4554 kN ULS verified
8.6 1) 2523.0 kPa 2) 1060.9 kPa
8.7 1) 9.94 2) 5.50
8.8 1) 273.2 kN < 735.0 kN 2) 219.4 kN < 445.7 kN ULS verified
8.9 1) 6026 kN < 6262 kN 2) 4757 kN > 4567 kN ULS not verified
8.10 2) 4751 kN > 4735 kN ULS still not verified, change foundation size
8.11 1) 277.5 kN < 1100.4 kN 2) 215.0 kN < 788.2 kN ULS verified

Chapter 9
9.1 27.9 mm, 10.8 mm
9.2 a) 14.4 mm b) 8.1 mm
9.3 From Table 9.2 20.9 mm From Equation 9.21 22.2 mm
9.4 36 mm, 12 mm
9.5 a) 18.6 mm b) 27.9 mm
9.6 163.5 mm
9.7 165.1 mm
9.8 43.6 mm, 14.6 mm
9.9 83.9 mm, 177.3 mm
9.10 18.7 mm, 28.0 mm
9.11 21.8 mm, 32.7 mm

Chapter 10
10.1 477.1 kN, 1390.2 kN
10.2 1) 10.7 m 2) 15.7 m
10.3 1831.7 kN
10.4 0.65
10.5 809.6 kN 
10.6 1) 1823.6 kN 2) 805.4 kN
10.7 1) 1021.4 kN < 1044.8 kN 2) 898.4 kN > 522.4 kN ULS not verified

Chapter 11
11.1 1) 129.0 kN, 1.43 m 2) 109.6 kN, 1.48 m
11.2 1) 1088.7 kN, 1.76 m 2) 642.0 kN, 1.75 m
11.3 1) 110.6 kN, 1.49 m 2) 100.7 kN, 1.51 m
11.4 a) 1) 104.9 kN, 1.38 m 2) 100.5 kN, 1.45 m
b) 1) 20.18 kN 2) 20.65 kN
11.5 a) 1) 194.9 kNm < 1105.5 kNm 2) 257.4 kNm < 1122.5 kNm ULS verified
b) 1) 88.9 kN < 195.6 kN 2) 118.6 kN < 158.2 kN ULS verified
c) 1) 174.2 kPa, 58.5 kPa, 139.4 kPa 2) 150.8 kPa, 82.6 kPa, 129.3 kPa
11.6 1) 5.6 m 2) 398.5 kN
11.7 3.04 kN > 2.78 kN state is breached by pull-out
8.5 m

Chapter 12
12.1 1.51, 1.23, 1.13
12.2 1.21, 0.98, 0.90
12.3 3.53, 2.24, 1.81
12.4 15.7º
12.5 17.4 kPa
12.6 17.4 kPa
12.7 1.38
12.8 1.79
12.9 30º
12.10 1.32
12.11 1.02
12.12 1.07

Chapter 13
13.1 14.4
13.2 31.6, 0.78, moderate
13.3 a) 16447 m3
b) 1221
c) 303 bankm 3/hour, 54.3 hours
13.4 18.5%, 1.76 Mg/m 3
13.5 0.545, 0.353, 92.3%, 2.7%
13.6 0.39%