University of Gondar, Institute of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering 2022

Chapter End Tutorial problems and Examples

1 Instructor: Amsalu A. Tutorial problems on Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering-I (Chapter 2)

University of Gondar, Institute of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering 2022

2 Instructor: Amsalu A. Tutorial problems on Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering-I (Chapter 2)

 University of Gondar, Institute of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering 2022

Example 1:

Determine the water content, void ratio, porosity and degree of saturation of a soil
core sample
Data:
 Weight of soil sample = 1013g, Vol. of soil sample = 585.0cm3
 Specific Gravity, Gs = 2.65, Dry weight of soil = 904.0g

3 Instructor: Amsalu A. Tutorial problems on Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering-I (Chapter 2)

 University of Gondar, Institute of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering 2022

Ww 109 Vv 243.9
(%)   100   100  12.06% e   0.715
Ws 904 Vs 341.1
Vv 243.9
n(%)   100%   100  41.7%
VT 585.0
Vw 109.0 Gs 12.06  2.65
S(%)   100%   100  44.7% or S(%)    44.7%
Vv 243.9 e 0.715
Example 2:

A soil sample has a weight of 0.7 kg and the volume was found to be 3.5 × 10-4 m³. After drying
out the weight was reduced to 0.6 kg. The particle specific gravity test gave 2.6.
Determine the following:

(a) Moisture content (d) Void ratio

(b) Dry density (e) Porosity

(c) Bulk density (f) Degree of saturation

(a) Moisture content (b) Dry density (c) Bulk density

Mass of water is 0.7 kg - 0.6 kg

= 0.1 kg

or in percentage 14.3%

To calculate the void ratio we must first calculate the volume of solids. Then we can find the
volume of voids by subtracting the volume of solids from the total volume.

4 Instructor: Amsalu A. Tutorial problems on Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering-I (Chapter 2)

 University of Gondar, Institute of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering 2022

(d) Void ratio (e) Porosity

(f) Degree of saturation

Example 3:
A soil sample has a porosity of 41%, a moisture content of 15.2% and a specific gravity of 2.65.
Determine the degree of saturation and the air void ratio.
Answer:
We can't directly calculate the degree of saturation or the air void ratio. First we need to find the
void ratio, e. because e is needed to find the answers.
The porosity is given, therefore we can find the void ratio.

(or 58%)
Air void ratio, Av = n (1-Sr) = 0.41 (1-0.58) = 0.1722 (or 17.2%)

(or 17.2%)
Example 4:
Determine the dry and bulk density of a soil sample having a porosity of 0.32 and a moisture
content of 25% (Gs = 2.70)

5 Instructor: Amsalu A. Tutorial problems on Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering-I (Chapter 2)

 University of Gondar, Institute of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering 2022

Example 5:
Determine the saturated bulk density of the soil in Example 2, assuming no volume change.
If the soil is saturated then Sr = 1.0

Example 6:
Determine the void ratio of a saturated soil sample that has a mass of 178 g before drying and
139 g after drying in an oven. Assume the specific gravity of the soil solids to be 2.7.

For a saturated soil Sr = 1

Void ratio, e = m × Gs = 0.28 × 2.7 = 0.756

Example 7: Determination of Unit weight of soil

A fully saturated sample of clay has a void ratio of 0.825 and a moisture content of 30%
in its natural state. Assuming the specific gravity of the solids as 2.75, determine its dry
unit weight, bulk unit weight and the submerged unit weight of the clay.

Solution

G S   2.75  10kN / m3
Dry unit weight,  dry    15.07kN / m3
1 e 1  0.825
G  (1  ) 2.75  10kN / m3 (1  0.3)
Bulk unit weight,  t  S    19.6kN / m3
1 e 1  0.825
  (G S  1) 10kN / m3 (2.75  1)
Submerged unit weight ,  b    9.6kN / m3
1 e 1  0.825

Example 8:

An earthen embankment under construction has a bulk unit weight of 16kN/m3 and a
moisture content of 10 percent. Compute the quantity of water in liters required to be
added per cubic meter of earth to raise its moisture content to 14 percent at the same
void ratio.
Solution

Consider a unit volume of soil (i.e. V = 1m3)

6 Instructor: Amsalu A. Tutorial problems on Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering-I (Chapter 2)

 University of Gondar, Institute of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering 2022

W
Bulk unit weight,  t   16kN / m3 / m3  W  16kN
V
W 16kN
Ws    14.55kN
1  1 1  0.10
W1  1Ws  0.1 14.55  1.455kN
W1 1.455kN
V1    0.1455m3
w 10kN / m3
W2  2 Ws  0.14  14.55  2.037kN
W2 2.037kN
V2    0.2037 m3
w 10kN / m 3

Volume of water to be added =Vw2 – Vw1 = 0.2037 - 0.1455=0.0582m3/m3 = 58.2litrs/m3

Alternatively
 t1 16
 dry    14.545kN / m3
1  1 1  0.10
 t 2   dry (1  2 )  14.545(1  0.14)  16.582kN / m3
 t  Ww   t 2   t1  16.582  16  0.582kN / m3
Ww 0.582
Vw    0.0582litersm3 / m3
w 10
Volume of water to be added  58.2liters / m3

Example 9:

A soil in the borrow pit is at a unit weight of 19.2kN/m3 and a moisture content of 20
percent. If a soil of 10,000 cubic meter volume is excavated from it and compacted in an
embankment with a dry unit weight of 18kN/m3. Calculate the volume of the
embankment, which can be constructed out of this material.

Solution

W
t   W   t V  19.2kN / m3  10, 000m3  192000kN
V
W 192000kN
Ws    160000kN
1  1  0.2
W W 160000kN
d  s  V  s   8889m3
V d 18kN / m 3

7 Instructor: Amsalu A. Tutorial problems on Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering-I (Chapter 2)

 University of Gondar, Institute of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering 2022

Example 10:

For the sand, the maximum and minimum possible void ratios were determined in the
laboratory to be 0.94 and 0.33 respectively. Find the moist unit weight of sand in kN/m3
compacted in the field at a relative density of 60% and moisture content of 10%. Given
Gs= 2.65

Solution

e max  e
Dr  ( )100
e max  e min
0.94  e
0.6   e  0.57
0.94  0.33
G  (1  ) (2.65)(10)(1  0.1)
t  s w   18.57kN / m3
1 e 1  0.57
Example 11:

The liquid limit of a clay soil is 56% and its plasticity index is 15%. (a) In what state of
consistency is this material at a water content of 45%? (b) What is the plastic limit of the
soil? (c) The void ratio of this soil at the minimum volume reached on shrinkage, is
0.88.What is the shrinkage limit, if its grain specific gravity is 2.71?

Liquid limit, WLL= 56%

Plasticity index, Ip= 15%

Ip = WLL– WpL

Therefore plastic limit; WpL = 56 – 15 = 41%

w  w PL 45  41
Liquidity Index, I L  = IL   0.27
IP 15

8 Instructor: Amsalu A. Tutorial problems on Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering-I (Chapter 2)

 University of Gondar, Institute of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering 2022

∴At a water content of 45% based on the above table, the soil is in the plastic state of
consistency.

Void ratio at minimum volume, e = 0.88

Grain specific gravity, Gs = 2.71

Since at shrinkage limit, the volume is minimum and the soil is still saturated,

e = WSL GS

or WSL = e/Gs = 0.88/2.71 = 32.5%

∴ Shrinkage limit of the soil = 32.5%.

Example 12:

A soil has a plastic limit of 25% and a plasticity index of 30%. If the natural water
content of the soil is 34%, what is the liquidity index and what is the consistency index?

How do you describe the consistency?

Plastic limit, WPL = 25%

Plasticity index, Ip = 30%, hence Ip= WLL– WPL

∴ Liquid limit, WLL = Ip + WPL = 30 + 25 = 55%

  PL (34  25)
Liquidity Index, IL  ( )  0.30
IP 30
Where  is the natural moisture content
  (55  34)
Consistency Index, I c  ( LL )  0.70
IP 30

The consistency of the soil may be described as ‘medium soft’ or ‘medium stiff’.

9 Instructor: Amsalu A. Tutorial problems on Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering-I (Chapter 2)

 University of Gondar, Institute of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering 2022

Example 13:

A fine grained soil is found to have a liquid limit of 120% and a plasticity index of 50%.
The natural water content is 30% and the clay content is 25%. Determine the Activity,
liquidity index and indicate the probable consistency of the natural soil.

Liquid limit, WLL= 120%

Plasticity index, Ip= 50%,

IP= WLL– WP

∴Plastic limit, WP = WLL– IP= 120 – 50 = 70%

IP 50
Activity, A( ) 2
Clay fraction(%) 25

The natural water content, w = 30%

  PL (30  70)

Liquidity Index, IL  ( )  0.8(negative)
IP 50

Since the liquidity index is negative, the soil is in the semi-solid state of consistency and
is stiff; this fact can be inferred directly from the observation that the natural moisture
content is less than the plastic limit of the soil.
Example 14:
A liquid limit test conducted on a soil sample in the cup device gave the following results.

Number of blows 10 19 23 27 40

Water content (%) 60.0 45.2 39.8 36.5 25.2

Two determinations for the plastic limit gave water contents of 20.3% and 20.8%. Determine
(a) the liquid limit and plastic limit, (b) the plasticity index, (c) the liquidity index if the natural

10 Instructor: Amsalu A. Tutorial problems on Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering-I (Chapter 2)

 University of Gondar, Institute of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering 2022

water content is 27.4 %, and (d) void ratio at the liquid limit, if Gs = 2.7. If the soil were to be
loaded to failure, would you expect a brittle failure?

Solution:
Plot the data

WLL=38%

25

Extract WLL: WLL = 38% (from the graph)

20.3  20.8
Calculate plastic lim it, WPL  ( )  20.6%
2
Calculate plasticity Index, I P  WLL  WPL  38  20.6  17.4%
  WPL 27.4  20.6
Calculate Liquidity Index, I L  )  0.39
IP 17.4
To determine void ratio (eLL), assume the soil is saturated at WLL
eLL = WLL Gs = 0.38×2.7=1.03
Brittle failure is not expected as the soil is in a plastic state (0<IL<1).

Example 15:
The results of a fall cone test are shown in the table below.

Parameter 80 gram Cone 240 gram Cone

Penetration (mm) 5.5 7.8 14.8 22 32 8.5 15 21 35

Water content (%) 39.0 44.8 52.5 60.3 67 36.0 45.1 49.8 58.1

11 Instructor: Amsalu A. Tutorial problems on Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering-I (Chapter 2)

 University of Gondar, Institute of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering 2022

Determine (a) the liquid limit, (b) the plastic limit, (c) the plasticity index, and (d) the liquidity
index if the natural water content is 36%.
Solution:
Plot the data

WLL=59%

20

Extract WLL: WLL = 59% (from the graph)

Deter min e plastic lim it,

  is the separation in terms of water content b / n the liquid state lines
  10%
WPL  WLL  4.2  59  4.2  10  17%
Deter min e, I P  WLL  WPL  59  17  42%
  WPL 36  17
Calculate Liquidity Index, I L    0.45
IP 42

12 Instructor: Amsalu A. Tutorial problems on Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering-I (Chapter 2)