SAB 1713 1

FINAL EXAMINATION
SEMESTER I, SESSION 2010/2011
COURSE CODE

SAB 1713

COURSE

SOIL MECHANICS

PROGRAMME

SAW

DURATION

2 HOURS 30 MINUTES

DATE

NOVEMBER 2010

INSTRUCTION TO CANDIDATES:
1. ANSWER ALL FOUR (4) QUESTIONS.
2. ASSUME APPROPRIATE CONDITIONS OR PARAMETERS FOR ANY
AMBIGUITIES ARISE IN THE QUESTIONS.
3. SUBMIT

ALL

RELEVANT

SHEETS/PLOTS

TO

BE

MARKED

TOGETHER WITH ANSWER BOOKLET.

WARNING!
Students caught copying/cheating during the examination will be liable for
disciplinary actions and the faculty may recommend the student to be expelled from
the study.
This examination question consists of (8) printed pages only.

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Q1.

(a)

Answer the followings:

i)
For fine-grained soil, what is the general significance of
plasticity index (PI) measurement?
ii)
If as a geotechnical engineer, you were asked to consider a
structure on clayey soil deposit with a liquidity index (LI
=

of 1.20, what can you say on the characteristic or

behaviour of the soil?

(6 marks)
(b)

For moist soil sample, the followings are given: total volume = 1.2 m3;
total mass = 2350 kg; moisture content = 8.6%; specific gravity of soil
solids = 2.71. Determine the followings:
i)
Moist unit weight
ii)
Dry unit weight
iii)
Void ratio
iv)
Porosity
v)
Degree of saturation
vi)
Volume of water in the soil sample
(14 marks)
(20 marks)

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Q2.

(a)

Proctor compaction tests were done on soil sample in laboratory and

the data are shown in Table Q2a. Given volume of mould = 1000 cm3;
Gs = 2.65; and w = 1000 kg/m3.
Table Q2a

Wet mass of soil in the mould (kg)

Moisture content (%)

1.79 1.94 2.038 2.15 2.20 1.98

8.5 10.7 13.0 14.5 16.5 18.5

With relevant calculations:

i)
Find and show the maximum dry density (MDD) and the
optimum moisture content (OMC) on the compaction curve.
ii)
Plot the air-void lines for Sr =100 %, 95 % and 90 %
(15 marks)
(b)

Classify the following soils using the Unified Soil Classification

System (Figure Q2b) when:
i)
% passing sieve no.4 = 71; % passing sieve no.200 = 11; LL =
32; PI = 10; Cu = 4.8; and Cc = 2.9
ii)
% passing sieve no.4 = 89; % passing sieve no.200 = 65; LL =
44; and PI = 21.
(10 marks)
(25 marks)

SAB 1713 4

Q3.

(a)

To build an underwater foundation, a temporary sheet pile wall system

has been constructed as shown in Figure Q3a, and the soil has been
excavated to a depth of D = 4 m. The water level H at rear of
sheet pile is 3 m. The corresponding flownet for this problem is also
shown in Figure Q3a.
i).
ii).
iii).
iv).

At what rate is water being pumped out of the excavation to

maintain the water level shown?
What is the vertical effective stress at point A?
What is the factor of safety against heaving in the critical
regions around the sheetpiles?
How high H would water have to be on the rear of the sheetpile
wall to create an unstable situation in the critical regions?
(Assume that the water level in the excavation remains as
shown in Figure Q3a.)
(24 marks)

(Note: Show all your calculation steps for Q3a on page 5 and then
submit the relevant page together with the answer booklet).
(b)

A clay soil sample with diameter 100 mm and length 150 mm is tested
for its permeability in laboratory. A set of data from the falling head
test are tabulated in Table Q3b. Calculate the average value of
coefficient of permeability, k.
Table Q3b
Diameter of
pipe (mm)
5.00
9.00

Head elevation (mm)

Initial reading

Final reading

Period of time
(s)

1200
800
1200
900
700

800
400
900
700
400

82
149
177
169
368
(6 marks)
(30 marks)

SAB 1713 5

Figure Q3a
(Note: Detach and submit this page together with your answer booklet).
Show your calculations below

SAB 1713 6

Q4.

(a)

Explain the meaning of short term and long term shear strength
parameters.
(5 marks)

(b)

A series of consolidated undrained triaxial test is carried out on a soil

sample. The results are shown in Table Q4b:

Cell pressure
(kN/m2)

Table Q4b
Stress at failure
(kN/m2 )

200
400
600

118
240
352

i)
ii)
iii)

Pore water pressure at

failure
(kN/m2 )
110
220
320

Draw the appropriate Mohr-Circles and the failure lines for

total stress and effective stress conditions.
Obtain the corresponding shear strength parameters for both
total stress and effective stress conditions
Analyse for the normal and the shear stresses on the failure
planes of both stress conditions
(20 marks)
(25 marks)

SAB 1713 7

APPENDIX

EQUATIONS
The symbols indicate parameters usually used.
;

;
;

i =

Fs (heave) =

k = 2.303

k=

;
;

w = in decimal point.

v = ki ;

q = kH

SAB 1713 8

Figure Q2b: Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) Char

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