First Year

February 2010

rev 3/09

Geotechnics - Examples 2.
1. The soil profile on a site consists of a bed of sand 6m in thickness. The sand
is dry to a depth of 3m and is saturated below this depth. Determine the total
and effective vertical stresses and pore water pressures at 3 and 6m below the
ground surface if the specific gravity of the sand is 2.6 and the voids ratio is 0.4.
( 54.66, 0, 54.66; 117.72, 29.43, 88.29: units kNm-2 )
2. The soil profile on a site consists of 2m of saturated clay above a substantial
layer of saturated coarse gravel. To what level would the water pressure at the
top of the gravel have to rise before the clay becomes unstable if the top surface
of the clay may be regarded as free draining? The saturated unit weight of the
clay is 20kNm-3.
( 4m )
3. A soil profile consists of 4m of sand (dry=14kNm-3, sat=18kNm-3) over 6m of
clay (sat=22kNm-3 ) over 10m of silty sand (sat=19kNm-3 ) above rock. The
water table is 2m below the ground surface. Plot the vertical total and effective
normal stress and pore water pressure profiles with depth.
Development of a dock means that 3m of the sand is rapidly removed over a
wide area, leaving the water level at its original location. Plot the stress and
pressure profiles immediately after the sand is removed.
Describe briefly what will happen to the various soils with time.
(

Depth,m

v, kNm-2

u kNm-2

v kNm-2

Case 1

0
2
4
10
20

0
28.0
64.0
196.0
386.0

0
0
19.6
78.5
176.6

0
28.0
44.4
117.5
209.4

Case 2 - depths from original ground level.

2
3
4
10
20

0
9.8
27.8
159.8
349.8

0
9.8
19.6/-16.6
42.3/78.5
176.6

0
0
8.2/44.4
117.5/81.3
173.2

4. A soil profile consists of 3m of sand and gravels (dry=14kNm-3, sat=17kNm-3)

above 7m of clay (sat=22kNm-3 ) over permeable bedrock. The layers are
horizontally bedded. The water table is 1m below ground level. Plot the total
and effective vertical stress and pore water pressure profiles in the soil layers.
Later development involves the rapid lowering of the water table to the top of the
clay layer and the simultaneous imposition of a uniform surface surcharge of
20kNm-2 over a wide area. Plot the stress and pressure profiles immediately
after these changes have taken place.
If the gravel and silt had contained a significant amount of silt sketch and explain
the expected initial pore water pressure distibution in the top layer.
(
Depth,m
v, kNm-2
u kNm-2
v kNm-2
Case 1

0
1
3
10

0
14.0
48.0
202.0

0
0
19.6
88.3

0
14.0
28.4
113.7

Case 2

0
3
10

20.0
62.0
216.0

0
0/33.6
102.3

20.0
62.0/28.4
113.7

5. A soil profile consists of 3m of sand over 5m of clay over rock with the water
table 2m below the ground surface. The clay has a bulk unit weight of 22kNm-3,
the sand a dry unit weight of 16kNm-3 and a saturated unit weight of 19kNm-3.
Plot the total and effective vertical stress and pore water pressure profiles with
depth. Later construction involves the rapid placing of 2.5m of demolition rubble,
total unit weight 17kNm-3, over the extensive site. Plot the stress and pore
pressure profiles immediately after the placing of the rubble and describe what
will happen with time to the sand and clay layers.
(
Depth,m
v, kNm-2
u kNm-2
v kNm-2
Case 1

0
2
3
8

0
32.0
51.0
161.0

0
0
9.8
58.9

0
32.0
41.2
102.1

Case 2

0
2
3
8

42.5
74.5
93.5
203.5

0
0
9.8/52.3
101.4

42.5
74.5
83.7/41.2
102.1

6. Describe how soils are classified and described, including brief outlines of the
tests used and the reasoning behind the use of these parameters.