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Problem Set #2 PDF

This document contains 10 multi-part soil mechanics problems involving computing effective stresses, total stresses, consolidation settlement, shear strength parameters, and more for various soil profiles with water tables and applied loads. The problems involve concepts such as effective stress principle, preconsolidation pressure, compression index, consolidation settlement, shear strength, and triaxial testing results.

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IM AM THE ONE
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
176 views

Problem Set #2 PDF

This document contains 10 multi-part soil mechanics problems involving computing effective stresses, total stresses, consolidation settlement, shear strength parameters, and more for various soil profiles with water tables and applied loads. The problems involve concepts such as effective stress principle, preconsolidation pressure, compression index, consolidation settlement, shear strength, and triaxial testing results.

Uploaded by

IM AM THE ONE
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1. A soil profile is shown in the figure. A zone of capillary rise of 2.

5
m is on the sand layer overlying clay. In this zone, the average
degree of saturation is 60%.

a) Compute the effective stress right below B.


b) Compute the effective stress at C.
c) Compute the effective stress at D.

2. A clay formation having a depth of 4 m underlies a sand formation having a depth of 3 m. The dry unit
weight of sand is 16.5 kN/m3 and the saturated unit weight of clay and sand are 20.4 kN/m 3 and 19.6
kN/m3 respectively. The ground water table is at the interface of the sand and clay.

a) Compute the effective stress at the bottom of clay.


b) Compute the effective stress at if water rises to the ground the bottom of the clay surface.
Saturated unit weight of sand is 19.6 kN/m3.
c) Compute the effective stress at the bottom of clay if water rises 2 m above the ground surface.

3. From the figure shows a soil formation with the given soil
properties and water level is 3 m below the ground surface.

a) Find the total stress at the mid-layer of clay.


b) Find the effective stress at the mid-layer of clay.
c) If a load of 4000 kN is applied on the 2mx2m square
footing on the ground surface, find the stress
increase assuming a stress distribution of 1 horizontal
to 2 vertical at the mid-layer.

4. A thick layer of clay underlies a sand formation having a thickness of 5 m. The groundwater is located 2
m below the ground surface. Specific gravity of sand and clay is 2.65 with sand having an average void
ratio of 0.52. The clay has a water content of 42%.

a) Compute the saturated unit weight of clay.


b) Compute the total stress at a depth of 10 m below the ground surface.
c) Compute the effective stress at a depth of 10 m below the ground surface.

5. A solid formation shown in the figure has its ground water table
located at 2 m below the ground surface. The ground surface is
subjected to a uniformly distributed load of 40 kPa.

a) Compute the primary compression index.


b) Compute the primary consolidation settlement of the
normally consolidated clay layer.
c) Compute the secondary settlement of the clay layer.

6. Assume a buried stratum of clay 1.83 m thick will be subjected to a stress increase of 33.6 kPa at the
center of the clay. The magnitude of the pre construction soil overburden pressure P o=48 kPa at the center
of the clay layer. A laboratory compression test indicates that the clay has a pre consolidation pressure of
72 kPa. Compression index is 0.30 and the value of swell index is 0.05. Void ratio of clay is 1.50.
a) Compute the settlement dur to primary compression of clay.
b) If full consolidation settlement (primary compression settlement) will require approximately 8
years, compute the settlement due to secondary compression of clay over a period of 20 years
time span. Assume secondary compression index=0.008.
c) Estimate the total settlement to be expected over a 20 year time span considering the effects of
secondary compression.

7. A square footing having a dimension of 3m x 3m carries an axial load of 15000 kN. The bottom of the
footing is 2 m from the ground surface consisting of a layer of sand overlying a 4m layer clay. The water
table is located 2 m below the ground surface.

Dry unit weight of sand=16.5kN/m3


Saturated unit weight of clay=20kN/m3
Void ratio of clay=0.80
Liquid limit of clay=50%
a) Compute the increase in the vertical pressure.
b) Compute the overburden pressure at the midpoint of the clay.
c) Compute the primary consolidation settlement.

8. A consolidated drained tri-axial test was conducted on a normally consolidated clay. The results were
as follows:

Chamber confining pressure=300 kPa


Deviator stress=400 kPa
a) Compute the angle of friction of the clay sample.
b) Compute the shear stress on the failure plane.
c) Compute the effective normal stress on the plane of max. shear.

9. A cohesive soil specimen has a shearing resistance equal to 28֯ and a cohesion of 30 kPa. If the maximum
shearing stress of the soil sample is equal to 70 kPa.

a) Compute the lateral pressure in the cell for a failure to occur.


b) Compute the maximum principal stress to cause failure.
c) Compute the normal stress at the point of maximum shear.

10. A normally consolidated clay is subjected to a consolidated-drained tri-axial test with a confined
pressure of 48 kPa and a total axial pressure of 90 kPa.

a) Compute the angle of friction.


b) Compute the angle that the failure plane makes with the major principal plane.

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