CIE 047: Geotechnical Engineering I

P2-Periodical Exam

DIRECTION: Read each question carefully. For problem solving questions, show your
complete solution or the calculator method if any. For concepts/principles, choose the correct
answer. For solutions make sure that your final answer is rounded off in three-decimal places.
Write your answers and solutions in your test booklet and in your answer sheet shade the letter
that corresponds to your answer. Erasure in your answer sheet is STRICTLY NOT
ALLOWED.

P2 EXAM – 1ST SEM-SY 2023-2024 – ANSWER KEY

1. For a constant head test in a laboratory experiment 20 cubic centimeters of water is

collected at 180 seconds, if the length of the soil specimen is 15 cm. The constant head of
the sample is 300mm, and if the area of the soil specimen is 10 cm^2. What is the
coefficient of permeability of the soil in cm/s?
a.
b.
c.
d.
2. For a laboratory compaction test the following data were obtained: Weight of moist soil
1.75 kilograms and the volume of the mold use is 985.30 cc at a moisture content of
10.25%. What is the dry unit weight of the soil sample?
a.
b.
c.
d.
3. The maximum and minimum dry densities of a silty sand were determine in the
laboratory compaction as and , respectively. If in the field compaction, the relative
density of the same soil is 88 %. What is the relative compaction of the silty sand?
a. 90.364%
b. 93.113%
c. 95.876%
d. 98.737%
4. What do you call the moisture content that attains the maximum dry unit weight of a soil
sample?
a. optimum moisture content
b. natural water content
c. degree of saturation
d. moisture content
5. What laboratory test is used to obtain the maximum dry unit weight and optimum
moisture content of the soil sample?
a. Modified Proctor Test
b. Standard Proctor Test
c. Constant Head Permeability Test
d. Falling Head Permeability Test
6. It is a type of permeability test that is used to determine the hydraulic conductivity of a
soil sample wherein the head difference of a sample varies over a certain period of time?
a. Modified Proctor Test
 CIE 047: Geotechnical Engineering I
P2-Periodical Exam

b. Standard Proctor Test

c. Constant Head Permeability Test
d. Falling Head Permeability Test
7. What property of permeability refers to the ability of an aquifer to transmit water through
its entire thickness?
a. hydraulic conductivity
b. seepage velocity
c. transmissivity
d. seepage force
8. What property of permeability refers to the velocity of flow through the voids of soil
specimens?
a. hydraulic conductivity
b. interstitial velocity
c. discharge velocity
d. Flow rate
Situation 1 (9-11): A canal is cut into a soil with stratigraphy shown in the figure. Assuming
flow takes place laterally and vertically through the sides of the canal and vertically below the
canal.

9. Determine the ratio of the equivalent coefficient of permeability to the equivalent vertical
coefficient of permeability for flow through the sides of the canal.
a. 3.056
b. 2.556
c. 2.056
d. 1.556
10. Determine the equivalent hydraulic conductivity below the bottom of the canal.
a.
b.
c.
d.
11. Determine the flow rate at the bottom of the canal if the area of the canal is 1000 square
meters.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Situation 2 (12-14): For a field compaction test conducted in construction area of a hospital
gives the following field results:
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P2-Periodical Exam

Soil Specific Weight of water Moisture Moist Unit Weight

sample Gravity (kN) Content (%) (kN/m^3)

A 1.32 5.32 12 16.90

B 1.64 6.24 14 17.35
C 1.87 6.95 16 17.72
D 1.92 7.12 18 19.75
E 2.17 7.34 20 19.32
F 2.31 7.84 22 18.25
G 2.67 8.36 24 17.34

12. Calculate the optimum moisture content of the soil sample.

a. 12%
b. 14%
c. 16%
d. 18%
13. Calculate the maximum dry unit weight of the soil sample.
a.
b.
c.
d.
14. Calculate which soil will give the minimum zero-air void unit weight.
a. Soil A
b. Soil D
c. Soil F
d. Soil G
Situation 3 (15-17): For a sand cone test has been performed in a compacted fill performed on a
soil sample. The results were as follows:

Initial mass of sand cone apparatus with sand = 5.912 kg

Final mass of sand cone apparatus with sand = 2.378 kg

Mass of soil recovered from hole = 2.883 kg

Moisture content of soil from the hole = 7%

Density of the Ottawa sand =

Volume of cone below the valve =

Maximum dry unit weight =

15. Determine the moist unit weight of the sample.

a.
b.
c.
d.
16. Determine the dry unit weight of the sample.
a.
 CIE 047: Geotechnical Engineering I
P2-Periodical Exam

b.
c.
d.
17. Determine the Relative Compaction of the sample.
a. 86.726%
b. 88.247%
c. 90.245%
d. 92.147%
Situation 4 (18-20): For the given soil sample the following data were obtained, if the soil
sample datum is below 1.20 m from the soil samples. Consider the volume collected is 1,000
cubic meters every 220 seconds, the distance between points A and B = 1100 cm, between A and
C=1925 cm. Consider a soil specimen area of 100 square meters.
SOIL CONSTANTS POINT A POINT B POINT C
Velocity 2.35 m/s 3.24 m/s 4.18 m/s
Soil Pressure 63.50 KN/M^2 57.25 KN/M^2 46.70 KN/M^2
Elevation 3.50 m 4.20 m 5.50 m

18. Determine the head difference between points B and A.

a. 0.897 m
b. 0.642 m
c. 0.580 m
d. 0.316 m
19. Determine the coefficient of permeability of the soil specimen.
a. 0.975 m/s
b. 1.362 m/s
c. 1.509 m/s
d. 2.767 m/s
20. Determine the hydraulic gradient of the soil specimen.
a. 0.085
b. 0.071
c. 0.067
d. 0.047
Situation 5 (21-22): The data from the falling head test as shown in the figure conducted at a 32
degrees Celsius temperature:
Diameter of the standpipe = 6mm
Initial head = 92 cm
Final head = 85 cm
Duration of the test = 12 minutes
Length of the soil = 30 cm
Diameter of the permeameter = 40 cm
21. Determine the coefficient of the permeability.
a.
b.
c.
d.
22. Determine the corrected coefficient of permeability.
a.
b.
c.
d.
 CIE 047: Geotechnical Engineering I
P2-Periodical Exam

Situation 6 (23-24): A proposed embankment fill requires 10,000 cubic meters of compacted
soil. The void ratio of the compacted fill is 0.65. Four borrow pits are available in the table
described below:

Borrow Pit Void ratio Cost

A 0.87 325.00

B 0.75 210.50

C 1.20 175.50

D 1.15 185.00

23. Determine which among four borrow pits will require the most amount of borrow.
a. Borrow Pit A
b. Borrow Pit B
c. Borrow Pit C
d. Borrow Pit D
24. Determine which borrow pit will cost the least among the four borrow pits.
a. Borrow Pit A
b. Borrow Pit B
c. Borrow Pit C
d. Borrow Pit D

Situation 7 (25-27): The moist unit weights and degrees of saturation of a soil are given in the
following table:

S (%)

105.73 50

112.67 75

25. Determine the void ratio of the soil

a. 0.781
b. 0.801
c. 0.269
d. 0.902
26. Determine the specific gravity of the soil
a. 8.91
b. 3.01
c. 2.65
d. 5.68
27. Determine the porosity of the soil
a. 34.91%
b. 44.48%
c. 98.22%
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P2-Periodical Exam

d. 12.30%

Situation 8 (28-30): Following the results of a shrinkage limit test:

Initial volume of soil in a saturated state = 24.6 cm^3
Final volume of a soil in a dry state = 15.9 cm^3
Initial mass in a saturated state = 44.0 g
Final mass in a dry state = 30.10 g
28. Determine the shrinkage limit
a. 13.9%
b. 18.56%
c. 17.3%
d. 12.9&
29. Determine the specific gravity of grains
a. 1.23
b. 2.90
c. 3.21
d. 2.81
30. Determine the final void ratio
a. 0.89
b. 0.23
c. 2.71
d. 0.50

Situation 9 (31-33): A liquid limit test conducted on a soil sample in the cup device gave the
following results:

Number of 10 19 23 27 40
Blows, N

Moisture 60 45.2 39.8 36.5 25.2

Content, %
Two determinations for the plastic limit gave water contents at 20.30% and 20.80%.
31. Determine the liquid limit of the soil, in %
a. 27
b. 45
c. 38
d. 16
32. Determine the plasticity index, in %
a. 23.67
b. 16.21
c. 67.78
d. 17.53
33. Determine the liquidity index if the natural moisture content is 27.40%
a. 90
b. 78
c. 65
d. 39
34. Theoretically, the void ratio in soils can have the following values.
a. Less than one only
b. More than one
 CIE 047: Geotechnical Engineering I
P2-Periodical Exam

c. Can be less or more than one

d. Less than 0.50
35. In the case of soil mechanics, the following head is neglected.
a. Pressure Head
b. Velocity Head
c. Elevation Head
d. Total Head
36. In a Darcian flow, flow velocity is also called
a. Actual velocity
b. Seepage velocity
c. Discharge velocity
d. Boundary velocity

Situation 10 (37-39): A 300 mm diameter well penetrates 27 meters below the static water table.
After 24 hours of pumping at a constant rate of 69 liters per second, the water table in two
observation wells located 35 m and 95 m from the well showed drawdowns of 1.1 meter and 0.5
meter, respectively.

37. Calculate the discharge, in cubic meters per day

a. 5962
b. 5692
c. 5269
d. 6259
38. Calculate the coefficient of permeability of the soil, in m/day
a. 68.7
b. 46.3
c. 55.4
d. 60.27
39. Determine the transmissivity of the soil in, m^2/day
a. 1524
b. 1579
c. 1724
d. 1369

Situation 11 (40-42): A confined aquifer as shown in the figure below has a source of recharge
located at the top. The hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer is 40 m/day with porosity of 25%.
The piezometric (head) surface in the two observation wells 1325 m apart are elevation 65 m and
60 m, respectively from common datum. The aquifer has an average thickness of 25 m and an
average width of 4 km.
 CIE 047: Geotechnical Engineering I
P2-Periodical Exam

40. Determine the nearest value to the rate of flow through the aquifer, in cubic meters per
day
a. 13210
b. 16980
c. 11320
d. 15090
41. Determine the nearest value to the seepage velocity, in m/day
a. 0.528
b. 0.453
c. 0.679
d. 0.604
42. Determine the nearest value to the time of travel from the head of aquifer to a point 4km
downstream, in days
a. 7570
b. 8830
c. 6625
d. 5890

Situation 12 (43-45): The coefficient of permeability below a dam is 4 m/day. The water on the
upstream side is 30 meters higher than on the downstream side. To estimate the seepage below
the dam a flow net was graphically drawn such that the number of potential drops Nd = 10 and
the number of flow channels Nf = 4. The base of the dam is found 1 m below the ground.
Between the heel and the toe of the dam, a distance of 30 meters.
43. Evaluate the seepage flow per meter width of dam, in liters/min
a. 18.6
b. 33.3
c. 20.6
d. 32.5
44. Determine the uplift pressure at the heel of the dam, in kPa
a. 114
b. 265
c. 198
d. 181
45. Determine the uplift force, in kN per meter, per meter length of dam
a. 4415
b. 5615
c. 3974
d. 442
46. A quantity of seepage in each flow channel of a flow net is
a. Dependent of size of field
b. Dependent of potential drop
c. The same
d. Dependent on the number of flow channels
47. Drop in head between adjacent equipotential line is
a. Dependent of up-stream head
b. Dependent of down-stream head
c. Dependent of number of equipotential lines
d. The same
48. Identify the incorrect flow net property.
a. Flow lines and equipotential lines intersect or meet orthogonally.
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P2-Periodical Exam

b. Quantity of water flowing through each channel is the same.

c. Potential drops between any two successive equipotential lines is different.
d. Flow lines and equipotential lines are smooth curves.
49. The pressure head at the intersection of the phreatic line and any equipotential line is.
a. Unity
b. Zero
c. Greater than zero
d. Less than zero
50. A glass cylinder 5 cm internal diameter and with a screen at the bottom was used as a
falling head permeameter. The thickness of the sample was 10 cm. With the water level
in the tube at the start of the test as 50 cm above the tail water, it dropped by 10 cm in
one minute, the tail of water level remaining unchanged. Calculate the value of k
(cm/sec) for the sample of the soil.
a. 0.0372
b. 0.0714
c. 0.0123
d. 0.1054

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“Kung BIBO ka ngayon, dapat mas BIBO ka bukas.”

Prepared by:
Engr. John Paul R. Tumangan
Engr. Neal Joseph V. Maniego