Foundation Design (CE352A)

Course Instructor: Dr. P. Ghosh

ASSIGNMENT 1: SOLUTIONS
Question 1. [2 marks]
Write short notes for the following.
a) Disturbed and undisturbed samples
b) Representative and non-representative samples
Solution:
a) Disturbed and undisturbed samples:
Depending upon the degree of disturbance caused during sampling operations, samples are
divided into two different categories such as disturbed and undisturbed samples. A disturbed
sample is one in which the natural structure of the soil gets modified partly or fully during
sampling, while an undisturbed sample is that in which the natural structure and other physical
properties remain preserved. A truly undisturbed sample can perhaps never be obtained as
some little degree of disturbance is absolutely inevitable even in the best method of sampling
devised till date.
Undisturbed samples may be defined as those in which the material has been subjected
to minimum disturbance so that the samples are suitable for strength tests and consolidation
tests. Tube samples and chunk samples are considered to fall into this category.
b) Representative and non-representative samples:
Disturbed samples may be further subdivided into non-representative and representative
samples. Non-representative samples consist of mixture of materials from various soil or rock
strata or are samples from which some mineral constituents have been lost or got mixed up.
Soil samples obtained from auger borings and wash borings are non-representative samples.
These are suitable only for providing qualitative information, such as major changes in
subsurface strata.
Representative samples contain all the mineral constituents of the soil, but the structure of
the soil may be significantly disturbed. The water content may also have changed. They are
suitable for identification and for the determination of certain physical properties such as
Atterberg limits and grain specific gravity.

Question 2. [2 marks]
A thin-walled tube sampler has an external diameter of 60 mm and a wall thickness of 2.5 mm. Do
you recommend the sampler for obtaining undisturbed soil samples? Why?
Solution:
External diameter of the sampler, De = 60 mm
Wall thickness = 2.5 mm
Therefore, internal diameter. Di = (60 - 2× 2.5) = 55 mm
 (𝐷𝑒2 − 𝐷𝑖2 ) (602 −552 )
Area ratio, 𝐴𝑟 (%) = × 100 = × 100 = 19.01% < 10%
𝐷𝑖2 552

A sample is generally considered as undisturbed if the area ratio (Ar) is less than or equal to 10%.
Here the area ratio is greater than 10%, and the sample disturbance will not be insignificant. So,
the sampler is not recommended for obtaining undisturbed samples.

Question 3. [2 marks]
SPT test was supposed to be done at a construction site of coarse-grained soil for which a bore
hole of 152 mm in diameter was dug. While performing the test, an automatic trip hammer and a
standard sampler were used. The blow counts for the SPT test at a depth of 6 m, at every 152 mm,
are 7, 13, and 16. Determine the N value for the given depth. Also, find the corrected N value after
applying the corrections for rod length, sampler type, borehole size, and energy ratio to 60% (as
per ASTM D 1586).
Solution:
The N value is nothing but the sum of the blow counts for the last 0.304 m of penetration.
Therefore, adding the last two blow counts, we get
N = 13 + 16 = 29
Now let’s apply the correction factors as per ASTM D 1586.
Correction factor for rod length,
CR = 0.05L + 0.61; for 4 m ≤ L ≤ 6m
= 0.05 × 6 + 0.61 = 0.91
Correction factor for the standard sampler, CS = 1
Correction factor for borehole of diameter 152 mm, CB = 1.05
For the donut automatic trip hammer, the 60% rod energy ratio correction factor,
CE = 0.8 to 1.4; (Let’s use CE = 1)
So, the corrected N value can be given as:
Ncorrected = CRSBE N = 0.91 × 1.0 × 1.05 × 29 = 27.7 ≈ 28

Question 4. [1 mark]
A soil deposit of saturated and overconsolidated clay has a field density of 17.8 kN/m3. The cone
penetration test performed at a depth of 5 m in the same site gave a tip resistance (qc) of 7.2 MPa.
Determine the unconfined compressive strength of the soil (as per ASTM D 3441).
Solution:
From the test result, we have the tip resistance, qc = 7.2 MPa
Now, the unconfined compressive strength (qu) of the soil can be determined as follows:
We know,
𝑞𝑐 = 525.1 + 1.076 𝑞𝑢 (qc and qu are in kPa)
𝑞𝑐 − 525.1 7.2×103 −525.1
So, 𝑞𝑢 = = = 𝟔𝟐𝟎𝟑. 𝟒 𝒌𝑷𝒂
1.076 1.076

Question 5. [2 marks]
A plate load test was conducted in a pit of 3.75 m × 3.75 m × 1.5 m on a uniform deposit of sand.
The size of the plate was 300 mm × 300 mm. From the test, the ultimate bearing capacity for the
plate was found to be 250 kPa. A square footing of 2 m × 2 m in size is to be founded on the same
soil deposit. Find the ultimate bearing capacity of the foundation. Also, find the allowable bearing
capacity for a factor of safety against shear failure of 3.
Solution:
The size of the plate = 0.3 m × 0.3 m (i.e., Bplate = 0.3 m)
Ultimate bearing capacity of the plate, qult,plate = 250 kPa
Size of the square foundation = 2 m × 2 m 9 (i.e., Bfoundation = 2 m)
Now, the ultimate bearing capacity of the foundation can be determined as follows:
𝐵𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 2
𝑞𝑢𝑙𝑡,𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 𝑞𝑢𝑙𝑡,𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒 ( ) = 250 × = 𝟏𝟔𝟔𝟔. 𝟕 𝒌𝑷𝒂
𝐵𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒 0.3
Now, the factor of safety against shear failure is 3. Therefore, the allowable or safe bearing
capacity of the foundation can be determined as follows:
𝑞𝑢𝑙𝑡,𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 1666.7
𝑞𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒,𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = = = 𝟓𝟓𝟓. 𝟓 𝒌𝑷𝒂
𝐹𝑜𝑆 3

Question 6. [1 mark]
Write at least two limitations of the plate load test.
Solution:
• Size effects are very important. Since the size of the test plate and the size of the prototype
foundation are very different, the results of a plate load test do not directly reflect the
bearing capacity of the foundation. The bearing capacity of footings in sands varies with
the footing size; thus, the scale effect gives rather misleading results in this case.
• Consolidation settlements in cohesive soils, which may take years, cannot be predicted, as
the plate load test is essentially a short-term test. Thus, the plate load test does not have
much significance in the determination of allowable bearing pressure based on settlement
criterion with respect to cohesive soils.
• Results from the plate load test are not recommended for the design of strip footings since
the test is conducted on a square or circular plate, and shape effects enter.
• The load test results reflect the characteristics of the soil located only within a depth of
about twice the width of the plate. This zone of influence in the case of a prototype footing
will be much larger, and unless the soil is essentially homogeneous for such a depth and
more, the results could be terribly misleading.