Civil & Environmental Engineering Department

Final Review
1. A sample of soil is subjected to a stress system as shown in the figure. Determine, a. Magnitude and angle of inclination (from horizontal) of the major and minor principal stresses. b. Maximum shear stress. c. Stress on a horizontal plane.

EGCE 324 Soil Mechanics

Fall 2011

Dr. Siva K. Sivathasan, PE, GE, DGE

Civil & Environmental Engineering Department

2. A rectangular foundation 6m x 2m carries a column load of 3200 kN near the surface of a soil mass as shown in the following figure. Determine the vertical stress at a depth of 2 m below the base of footing at a point A shown in the figure. Use any method suitable to you for such calculation.

EGCE 324 Soil Mechanics

Fall 2011

Dr. Siva K. Sivathasan, PE, GE, DGE

Civil & Environmental Engineering Department

3. Assume that a buried stratum of clay 1.83m thick will be subjected to a stress increase of 33.6 kPa at the center of the layer. The magnitude of the pressure before the stress increase is 48 kPa at the center of the layer. A laboratory consolidation test indicates that the clay is over-consolidated, with maximum vertical stress of 72 kPa. The values of Cc and Cr are 0.3 and 0.05, respectively. What change in thickness results in the clay layer due to the stated conditions?

EGCE 324 Soil Mechanics

Fall 2011 A

Dr. Siva K. Sivathasan, PE, GE, DGE

Civil & Environmental Engineering Department

4. The soil profile at a site for a proposed office building consists of a layer of fine sand 10.4m thick above a layer of soft Normally Consolidated (NC) clay 2m thick. Below the soft clay is a deposit of coarse sand. The ground water table was observed at 3m below ground level. The void ratio of the sand is 0.76 and the water content of the clay is 43%. The building will impose a vertical stress increase of 140 kPa at the middle of the clay layer. Estimate the primary consolidation settlement of the clay. Assume the soil above the water table to be saturated, Cc = 0.3, and Gs = 2.7.

EGCE 324 Soil Mechanics

Fall 2011

Dr. Siva K. Sivathasan, PE, GE, DGE

Civil & Environmental Engineering Department

5. A 20 story building in downtown LA was constructed on 2500 ft2 area. Load of the building was 5000 kips. That building was dismantled to construct a 50 story tall building on the same foundation area. A soil exploration was done before the design of the new 50 story building and the geotechnical parameters are shown in the following figure. Please calculate the total consolidation settlement due to the construction of new building.

EGCE 324 Soil Mechanics

Fall 2011

Dr. Siva K. Sivathasan, PE, GE, DGE

Civil & Environmental Engineering Department

EGCE 324 Soil Mechanics

Fall 2011

Dr. Siva K. Sivathasan, PE, GE, DGE