Addis Ababa Science and Technology University

College of Architectural and civil Engineering

Department of Civil Engineering
SOIL MECHNICS -1
Assignment

Name : Lami adamu

Id_No : ETS0636 /11
Section : b - 1

Submitted to : Mr.
BERHANU G.

Submission date: march18/2021

designed as A,B, C. the void ratio of soil in each pit and the estimated cost of
Money the soil to the dam site is as given .

Given

VRAC = 0.85 = e

VRA / Cost = 0.95 / 0.23 Birr/m3

VRB / Cost =1.90 / 0.16 Birr/m3

VRC / Cost= 1.65 / 0.21 Birr/m3

Solution

Volume of soil required for the earth dam

e= VV/VS = VT – VS / VS and e = 0.85

0.85 = 500000 – VS / VS

1.85VS = 500000 => VS= 270,270.270 m3

Now we can calculate the total volume for each pit

Pit A

e = VT – VS / VS = VT – 270,270.270 / 270,270.270 = 0.95

VT = 527027.027 m3

Pit B

e = VT – VS / VS = VT – 270,270.270 / 270,270.270 = 1.9

VT = 783783.783 m3

Pit C

e = VT – VS / VS = VT – 270,270.270 / 270,270.270 = 1.65 VT = 716216.216 m3

And total cost for Pit A , B , C is calculated by Tc = VT * cost (Birr/m3)

A = 527027.027 m3 * 0.23 Birr/m3 = 121,216.216 birr

B = 783783.783 m3 * 0.16 Birr/m3 = 125,405.405 birr

C = 716216.216 m3 * 0.21 Birr/m3 = 150,405.405 birr

Therefore most economical pit to use is pit “A” with a cost of 121,216.216 birr.

2, A 4m high embankment, with a top width of 5m and side slopes of 1:1 has to
be constructed by compacting soil From a nearby borrow pit. The unit Wight and
natural moisture content of the soil are 1.8t/m3 and 8% respectively. Determine
the volume of the earth to be excavated from the borrow pit and the quantity of
water to be added to it for Every Km of finished embankment, if the required dry
density and moisture content of the embankment soil be 1.82gm/cc and 18%
respectively, given Gs=2.70

Given

H = 4m W = 5m Nm = 8% ρ = 1.82 Gs=2.70

Solution

First we need to convert the units

1 KN/m = 0.101g + 1 m3 => 1gm/cc = 1000 kg/ m3 => 1Kg/m3 = 0.0098 KN/m3

X = 1.8 + 1 m3 1.82gm/cc = X 1820Kg/m 3= X

X = 17.664 Kg / m3 x= 1820Kg /m3 X = 17.836 KN/m3

Y moist = 17.664 Kg / m3

Y dry = 17.836 KN/m3

Then VT = Area of embankment / length in KM

VT = ½(5+13)*4*1 = 36m3/KN

Y dry = GS* Yw/1+e = 17.836 = 2.7*9.8/1+e

17.836+17.836e=16.487 => e = 0.485

e=VT –VS /VS = 0.485 = 36 – VS / VS => VS = 24.242

For borrow pit Ymoist = 17.664 Nm = 8% GS = 2.7

Ydy = Ymoist / 1+w

= 17.664/1+0.08 = 16.355 KN/m3

16.355+16.355e = 16.355 KN/m3

e = 0.62

e = VT – VS / VS = 0.62 = VT – 24.242 /24.242 VT = 39.23 m3/Km

3, An embankment for a highway 30 m wide and 1.5 m thick is to be constructed

from sandy soil, trucked in from a borrow pit .The water content of the sandy soil
in the borrow pit is 15% and its void ratio is 0.69. Specifications require the
embankment to compact to a dry weight of 18 KN/m3. Determine- for 1 km
length of embankment-the following:

a) The dry unit weight of sandy soil from the borrow pit to construct the
embankment, assuming that Gs=2.7

 ɣd = GS  ɣn / 1 + e = 2.7 * 9.8 / 1+ 0.69 = 15.66 KN / m3

b) The number of 10 m3 truckloads of sandy soil required to construct the

embankment.

V = 30m * 1.5 * 1km = 45*103m3

Volume of borrow pit req =  (ɣd req /  ɣd bor) * V = 18/15.4 (45*103) = 51.59*103

Number of truckloads = volume of bg / 10m3 = 51.59*103/10m3 = 5159 truckloads

c) The weight of water per truck load of sandy soil.

=> WW = 10m3 (15.7 KN/m3) = 157 KN

d) The degree of saturation of the in-situ sandy soil

WW * GS / e = 0.15 * 270 / 0.69 = 58.69%

4, 200 grams of a soil sample has a grain size distribution as shown in the table
below with a liquid limit of 32% and plastic limit of 15%.

Particle Size(mm) 4.75 2.36 1.3 0.6 0.2 0.075

Retained(grames 12 15 13 28 20 2
)

Classify the soil by USC and AASHTO classification system (the graph should be
plotted using a semi logarithm paper)

Given

LL (liquid limit ) = 32%

PL (plastic limit) = 15%

PI= LL – PL = 17%

M soil = 200g

solution

Find cumulative retained grain

Cumulative rg1 = 12 Cumulative rg5 = 88 Cumulative R % = cR * 100/ M soil

Cumulative rg2 = 27 Cumulative rg6 = 90 rg1 = 6% rg2 = 13.5 %

Cumulative rg3 = 40 rg3 = 20% rg4 = 34 %

Cumulative rg4 = 68 rg5 = 44 % rg6 = 45 %

Cumulative pass = 100 – cumulative%

rg1 = 94% rg2= 86.5% rg3= 80% rg4= 66% rg5= 56% rg6 = 55%

1, A, R200 = 45% < 50% -> fine grained

B, LL = 32% < 50% -> inorganic

pI = 17% > 7% PIA = = 0.73(32 - 20)=8.76

8.76< 17 above and PI > 7 so group symbol is CL

2, % plus number= r200 = 45% > 30% -> sand

%sand = R200 – R4 = 45 – 6 = 39% > % grave = 6%

%grave = r4 = 6% < 15

So Group name is sandy lean clay.

5, A large housing development requires the purchase and placement of the fill
estimated to be 200,000 M3 of lime compacted at 95% standard proctor with an
OMC of 10% .Two Lime rock suppliers offer to fill your order: Company A has a
borrow material with an insitu density of =17.25 KN/m3/W=25%/Gs=2.7;
standard proctor yields a maximum of dry density of 16.8kn/m3; at a cost of
$0.20/m3 to excavate and $0.3/m3 to haul. Company B has a borrow material
with an insitu density of =18 KN/m3/W=20%/Gs=2.7; standard proctor yields a
maximum of dry density of 17.25 kn/m3 ; at a cost of $0.22/m3 to excavate and
$0.8/m3 to haul. A What volume would you need from company A What volume
you need from company B which is the cheap supplier

Solution

Volume needed from company A

ɣ=0.95 ɣd (1+w) = 0.95 *112 * (1+0.1)= 117pcf and ws = 106.4 lb , ww = 10.616

e = VV/ VS = 0.37 / 0.65 = 0.59 therefore 1.59Yd3 pf soil contains 1.0Yd3 of solids
since we need 200000 Yd3 of soil we need 200000/1.59 = 125800Yd3 of solids

Volume needed from company B

ɣ=0.95 ɣd (1+w) = 0.95 *115 * (1+0.1)= 120pcf and ws = 109.1 lb , ww = 10.9lb

e = VV/ VS = 0.35 / 0.65 = 0.54 therefore 1.54Yd3 pf soil contains 1.0Yd3 of solid

and we need 200000 Yd3 of soil so we need 200000/1.54 = 130000Yd3 of solid.

Cost analysis

Company A => 125 800 Yd3 (0.5/Yd3) (1.83) = 115,107

Company B => 130000 Yd3 (0.6/Yd3) (1.68) = 131,040

Therefore company A is the cheaper supplier.

6, In a liquid limit test on a fine grained soil, using the casagrande apparatus, the
following results were recorded.

Moisture content (%) 62.8 55.5 51.2 47.2 42

No. of Blows 12 19 27 37 52

The results of a plastic limit test on the sample soil were as follows:

Tin No. 1 2 3 4 5 7 8
Mass of 16.12 16.09 16.14 16.24 16.18 16.21 16.20
empty(gm)
Tin+Wet soil 29.45 31.62 26.10 29.30 27.71 30.00 29.78
(gm)
Tin+Dry soil 27.04 28.76 24.28 26.96 25.66 27.47 27.31
(gm)
Determine the liquid and plastic limits; the plasticity index, and then classify the
soil.

LL= W(N/25)n n= 0.121

LL= 51.2 (27/25)0.121 = 51.68

PL% => PL= Wtof tin and Wt of soil – Wt of tin and dry soil / wt dry soil * 100%

And Wt dry soil = Wt dry soil and tin – wt of empty tin now we calculate PL% for
each trial .

PL1=(29.45 – 27.04)*/10.92 = 22.07

PL2=(31.62– 28.76)*100/12.67 = 22.57

PL3=(26.1– 24.28)*100/8.14 =22.36

PL4=(29.30– 26.96)*100/10.72 =21.83

PL5=(27.71– 25.66)*100/9.48 =21.62

PL6=(30– 27.47)*100/11.26 =22.47

PL7=(29.38– 27.07)*100/10.9 =21.19

PL8=(29.78– 27.31)*100/ 11.11=22.23

PL = ∑all pL /8 = 176.34 / 8 = 22.0425

Therefore PL =22.04 LL = 51.68 and PI = LL-PL = 51.68-22.04 = 29.64

And based on the values above we can classify the soil using AASHTO method.

We know that the soil is fine graded soil that shows its R200 is < 50% meaning the
soil can be A-4 , A-5 , A-6 , A-7. Also it can’t be A-4 or A-6 because its LL = 51.68 is
> 41 . so it’s either A-5 or A-7 And it can’t be A-5 because its PI = 29.64 is > 10 . so
it’s a-7 soil and since its PL is < 30 its A-7-6 soil.

New ( Quiz )
Moist clayey soil has initial void ratio of 1, total mass is 120 gm and mass of waer
is 30 gm, and specific gravity of solid particles of 2.5. the sample is exposed to
atmosphere so that the sample volume decrease one half of its initial volume.
Calculate mass of water if degree of saturation became 20%.

Given Required

e=1 mw = ?

mt = 120gm

Sg = 2.5

S = 20%

Solution

Volume is decreased by ½ so Vt2 = ½ of Vt1