MODEL ANSWER GTE PROGRESSIVE TEST NO.

1
Q1)
1) IGNEOUS ROCK: Igneous rocks are of volcanic origin and are formed as a result of
solidification of molten mass lying below or above the earth’s surface. Ex.- Basalt,
Granite.

2) DEFINITION OF SOIL AS PER IS:2809-1972: Soil is the sediment or other

unconsolidated accumulation of solid particles produced by physical and chemical
disintegration of rock.

3)

Figure : Three Phase Diagram for Partially Saturated Soil

4) DEGREE OF SATURATION (S) : The degree of saturation (S) is defined as the

ratio of volume of water (Vw) to the volume of voids (Vv).
Vw Vw
S= = x 100
Vv Va+Vw

Where,
S = Degree of saturation
Vw = Volume of water
Vv = Volume of voids
Va = Volume of air.

5) DARCY’S LAW OF PERMEABILITY: It states that for laminar flow, the rate of
flow or discharge per unit time is directly proportional to hydraulic gradient.
Expression: q = KiA

6) COEFFICIENT OF PERMEABILITY: It is defined as the average discharge

velocity of flow under a unit hydraulic gradient through a soil.
Mathematically: K = V/i
Q2)
1) FIELD APPLICATIONS OF GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING:
a. Design of foundation for various civil structures: As foundation resting on soil
carries load of any particular structure, geotechnical engineering is applicable to
design such stable foundations for various loads.
b. Design of pavement for various types of roads: Layers of pavement made up of
sand, gravel is laid on sub grade soil can be designed in terms of thickness, load
carrying capacity using geotechnical engineering.
c. Design of earth retaining structures: Geotechnical engineering is also applicable
to design and construct earth retaining structures like retaining wall and sheet pile
useful for hill roads, landslides.
d. Design of water retaining structures: Geotechnical is very much applicable for
easy and safe design and execution and maintenance of earthen dam, weir, barrage
etc.
e. Design of underground structures: Underground pipelines i.e. water supply and
sewage lines require geotechnical engineers for effective work. It is also significant
in safe excavation of proposed alignment.

2) DETERMINATION OF SPECIFIC GRAVITY BY PYCNOMETER TEST:

Procedure:
 Clean the pycnometer bottle and dry it. Take the weight of empty pycnometer with
conical cap as ‘W1’ gm.
 Oven dry the given soil sample passing through 4.75 mm and retained on 75 micron
IS sieve, in oven at temperature 105-110˚C for 24 hours to get dry soil.
 Place this soil sample about 150-200 gms in the pycnometer and take its weight as
‘W2’ gm.
 Now add the distilled water to half of height of pycnometer and stirrer it using glass
rod, so that entrapped air will be removed from soil.
 Fill the distilled water up to top of conical cap using pipette.
 Take the weight of pycnometer filled with distilled water as ‘W3’ gm.
 Remove all content from the pycnometer bottle. Wash and clean it with water.
 Fill the pycnometer bottle with distilled water only up to top of conical cap.
 Take the weight of pycnometer completely filled with water as W4 gm.
 Calculate the specific gravity G,

 Repeat all above steps two more times to calculate average specific gravity of given
soil sample.
 Where,
W1 = Empty weight of pycnometer
W2 = Weight of pycnometer + oven dry soil
W3 = Weight of pycnometer + oven dry soil + water
W4 = Weight of pycnometer + water full

3) ATTERBERG’S LIMIT OF CONSISTENCY:

Consistency Limit: The water content at which the soil passes from one state to the
another state is called as consistency limit.
Liquid limit (WL): It is minimum water content at which two separated grooved soil
parts mixed together under 25 blows of casagrande’s liquid limit apparatus; is called
as liquid limit.
Plastic limit (Wp): It is minimum water content at which soil begins to crumble into
parts when it is rolled into 3 mm diameter thread; is known as plastic limit.
Shrinkage limit (Ws): It is maximum water content at which there is no reduction in
volume of soil due to further decrease in water content is termed as shrinkage limit.

5) FACTORS AFFECTING PERMEABILITY.

1) Particle size.
2) Properties of pore fluid i.e. viscosity and temperature
3) Voids ratio.
4) Soil fabric.
5) Degree of saturation .
6) Effect of adsorbed water.
7) Impurities in water .
8) Entrapped air and organic matter.
9) Stratification of soil layer.
10) Shape of particle.