LETTERKENNY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET

Lecturer’s Name: Michael Carr

Assessment Title: Embankment
Date for submission of work: 19/2/21

Student Name: Tristan Donaghey

Student Number: L00146683
Course of Study: Civil Engineering
Subject/Module: Soil Mechanics
I confirm that the work submitted has been produced solely through my own efforts.
Student’s signature: Tristan Donaghey Date: 17/2/20

Notes
Penalties: The total marks available for an assessment is reduced by 15% for work
submitted up to one week late. The total marks available are reduced by 30% for work
up to two weeks late. Assessment work received more than two weeks late will receive
a mark of zero. [Incidents of alleged plagiarism and cheating are dealt with in
accordance with the Institute’s Assessment Regulations.]
Plagiarism: Presenting the ideas etc. of someone else without proper
acknowledgement (see section L1 paragraph 8).
Cheating: The use of unauthorised material in a test, exam etc., unauthorised access
to test matter, unauthorised collusion, dishonest behaviour in respect of assessments,
and deliberate plagiarism (see section L1 paragraph 8).
Continuous Assessment: For students repeating an examination, marks awarded for
continuous assessment, shall normally be carried forward from the original examination
to the repeat examination.
 Highway Embankment Assignment

Overburden Pressure:

Overburden pressure, P (kN/m2) = Y x H

Y = Bulk Unit Weight of compacted soil, (kN/𝑚! )

H = height of embankment, (m)

Results of bulk density, from Proctor test S-301 soil sample.

!"#$ & !$"$ & '($) &'('$ & !$")

Average bulk density = = 1991 (kg/𝑚! )
#

Kg/𝑚! – kN 𝑚! = (kg/𝑚! x 0.00980665) = kN/𝑚!

1991 x 0.00980665 = 19.53 kN/𝑚!

P=YxH

P = 19.53 x 6

P = 97.65 (kN/𝑚" )

Ultimate Overburden Pressure:

Ultimate Overburden Pressure, Pult = 1.35 (P)

Pult = 1.35 (97.65)

Pult = 131.83 (kN/𝑚" )

Service Pressures:
Ultimate Bearing Resistance:

Bearing soil is a glacial till consisting of a gravelly silt

Unit weight: 19.5kN/m3
Friction angle: 30o
Cohesion: 20

bearing capacity coefficients:

Nc = 8, Nq = 3, N = 2

Terzaghi’s Equation:
#
qu = cNc + gz(Nq – 1)+ "
gBNg

qu = (20) x (8) + (19.5) x (2) x (3 – 1) + 1⁄2 (30) x (2) x (2)

qu = 358 kN/m" ,

Therefore qa = qu / 3 = 119 kN/m"