CE 312 Geotechnical Engineering

PROBLEM SET
1. For a constant head permeability test on a fine sand, the following data are given;
 Length of specimen =16cm
 Diameter of specimen =9.6cm
 Constant head difference =50cm
 Volume of water collected at 4min =420cc
 Void ratio of the soil specimen =0.55
a. Determine the coefficient of permeability of the soil in cm/s.
b. Determine the discharge velocity in cm/s.
c. Determine the seepage velocity in cm/s.
2. For a constant head laboratory permeability test on a fine sand, the following values are
given:
 Length of specimen =300cm
 Diameter of specimen =200mm
 Constant head difference =400mm
 Volume of water collected at 4min =420 cu. cm
 Void ratio of the soil specimen =0.55
a. Determine the coefficient of permeability of the soil in cm/s.
b. Determine the discharge velocity in cm/s.
c. Determine the seepage velocity in cm/s.
3. In a constant head permeability test in the laboratory, the following are given:
Length of the soil specimen =25 cm
Cross sectional area of the specimen =105 cm2
If the value of the hydraulic conductivity is 0.014 cm/sec and the flow rate of 120 cm 3/min
must be maintained through the soil, determine the following:
a. Head difference across the specimen
b. Discharge velocity under the test condition
c. Seepage velocity if the porosity of soil sample is 0.20.
4. The following data are gathered from a falling head test
 Diameter of standpipe =6 mm
 Initial head =92 cm
 Final head =85 cm
 Duration of the test =12 min
 Length of the soil sample = 30cm
 Diameter of the permeameter =40cm
a. Determine the coefficient of permeability in cm/min at 20°𝐶
b. Determine the hydraulic gradient.
c. Determine the rate of flow of water in the soil
d. Compute the seepage velocity if the porosity of the soil is 0.25.
5. For a variable head permeability test, the following are given:
 Length of the soil specimen =200mm
 Area of specimen =1000mm2
 Area of standpipe = 40 mm2
 Head difference at time t=0 =500mm
 Head difference at time t=3mins =300mm
a. Compute the hydraulic conductivity of the soil in cm/sec
b. Compute the seepage velocity if the porosity of soil is 0.25
c. What was the head difference at time t=100s.
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6. For a falling head permeability test, the following are given. Length of specimen is 380mm,
area of the specimen = 6.5 cm2, hydraulic conductivity of soil specimen is 0.175 cm/min.
a. What should be the area of the stand pipe for the head to drop from 650 cm to 300cm
in 8 mins?
b. Compute the interstitial velocity under test condition if the soil specimen has a void ratio
of 0.50 in cm/sec
c. Compute the head difference at time equal to 6min
7. For a falling head permeability test, the following data were recorded
 Length of the soil specimen =500mm
 Area of specimen =16cm2
 Area of standpipe = 0.97 cm2
 Head difference at time t=0 =760mm
 Head difference at time t=6mins =410mm
The test was conducted at a temp of 20°𝐶with a unit weight of water equal to 9.789 kN/m3
and the viscosity of water at 20°𝐶is 1.005 × 10−3 𝑁 ∙ 𝑠⁄ 2
𝑚
a. Compute the hydraulic conductivity of the soil
b. Compute the absolute permeability of the soil
c. What is the head difference at time t=4min?
8. CE Board May 2012
For a constant laboratory permeability test on a fine sand, the following are given:
 Length of the specimen =17cm
 Diameter of the specimen =5.5cm
 Constant head difference =40cm
 Weight of water collected =50g
 Duration of water collection =12 sec
Find the hydraulic conductivity
9. CE Board May 2012
The results of a constant head permeability test for a fine sand and sample having a diameter
of 150mm and a length of 150mm are as follows:
 Constant head difference =40cm
 Time of collection of water =83sec
 Weight of water collected = 392g
Find the hydraulic conductivity for the soil
10. CE Board May 2012
For a falling or variable head permeability test, the following are given:
 Length of soil specimen =12 cm
 Cross sectional area of the standpipe =0.018 cm2
 Diameter of soil specimen =7.5 cm
 Time of collection of water =65 sec
 Head difference at time t=0 =70cm
 Head difference at time t=65sec =40cm
 Temperature of the water =14°𝐶
Find the coefficient of permeability of the given soil at 14 °𝐶

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