IESL College of E n g i n e e r i n g

Academic Year 2017 - Part Time Programme

Advanced Diploma Level Stage II

CE4003 - Geotechnical Engineering

Date: December 2017 Duration: Three (03) Hours From: 1.00 - 4.00 p.m.

Read the following Instructions before starting to answer the question paper

1. This question paper has eight (08) questions. Answer only Five (05) questions.

2. If you have answered more than five questions (either partly or in full) cross out the extra

answers. Otherwise, only the first five answers appearing in the answer book will be

evaluated.

3. All questions carry equal marks. Marks assigned to questions within a question are given.

4. Write the relevant numbers of the questions to which you provide answers in the cage on the cover

page of the answer book.

s. Start answering each question from a fresh page of the answer book and write the relevant question

number at the top of the page.

6. Use sketches to explain your answers wherever relevant.

7. Neat and clear handwriting and steps involved in calculations are extremely important.

8. Delete any material, which does not require the attention of the examiner, by drawing a tine over

such material.

9. Use only black/blue ink pens to write answer.

10. Marks will be deducted if the above instructions are not adhered to.
 Qt. (i) Sketch typical results to be expected in the following triaxial tests:

(a) Undrained test ( UU Test) on a sample of embankment fill (2 Marks)

(b) Consolidated - undrained test on an overconsolidated clay (2 Marks)

(c) Drained test( CD Test Jon a dense sand (2 Marks)

(ii) State two advantages of triaxial test over direct shear test. (2 Marks)

(iii) In an undrained triaxial test on a specimen of clay normally consolidated at a

cell pressure of lSOkPa, the ultimate deviator stress was 200kPa and ultimate pore

pressure was SOkPa. Draw the appropriate strength envelope and

a) Determine the parameter <I>' (3 Marks)

b) Estimate the undrained shear strength (3 Marks)

(iv) The results of two drained triaxial tests on a saturated clay are as follows:

Specimen I: O"J :::=: ca' = 80kN/m2

(llo,)r= 130kN/m 2

Specimen JI: o, = oJ' = 170kN/m'

(llo,]r= 223.5kN/m'

Determine the shear strength parameters C' and rp', (6 Marks)

Q2. [i) The Table Q2 shows the results obtained from undrained shear box tests on

specimens of sandy clay of cross section 60mm x 60mm square.

Table 02

Norma Load (kN) Shearing force at

failure [kN)

1.0 0.47

0.5 0.32

0.25 0.24

Find the apparent cohesion and angle of shearing resistance. (6 Marks)

(11) If a triaxial test is carried out on a specimen of the same soil with a cell pressure

of 140kN/m2 find the total axial stress at which failure would be expected. (6

Marks)

(iii) State two lirnitations of a shear box test. (2 Marks)

(iv) Draw a typical stress - strain curves and voild ratio vs. shear strain for both

dense sand and loose sand and briefly discuss the volume change characteristics

of cohesionless soil during shear. (6 Marks)

Q3. (i) Define Taylor's stability number with reference to analysis of slope stability

problems ( 2 Marks)

Explain how it is used in the stability analysis of slope under

a) submerged condition (2 Marks)

b) sudden drawdown (2 marks)

(ii) A new canal is excavated to a depth of Sm with banks having slopes 1:1. The

properties of soil are C= 14kN/m 2 , <j, = 20°, e = 0.65 and G = 2.70. Calculate the

factor of safety with respect to cohesion

(a) When the canal is running full (3 Marks)

(b) What will be the change in the factor of safety if the slope is changed to be at

40° to the vertical? (3 Marks)

The Taylor stability numbers are given in the Table Q3 (1) for different values of

i, for <j, = 40°

Table ca
i 30 45 60 75 90

Sn 2.11 2.08 1.99 1.85 1.61

[iii) Give the assumptions of Swedish method of analysis. (2 Marks)

(iv) An embankment has been constructed from a soil with parameters d= 18° and

C = 22kPa. Using the Swedish method of slices determine the factor of safety for the

slip circle shown in figure Q3. Initial calculations have already been performed on the

slices and are presented in table Q3 (2) (8 Marks)

Figure Q3

Table 03(21

Slice No. Area (m2) Weight Normal Tangential

W(kN) Component Component

N[kN1 T fkN1

1 11.1 215.3 214 -35

2 26.1 506.3 481 125

3 34.8 668.2 570 346

4 23.1 448.1 315 320

Q4. (i) Draw a neat sketch to indicate how an applied load is carried by a bored pile and

identify each component. (2 Marks)

(ii) Ultimate load capacity of a single pile installed in cohesive soil can be expressed

as,

Q u ::; 9CbAb + aCuAs

Identify each term in the equation. (2 Marks)

(iii) A 400mm square section concrete pile has an embedded depth of 12m in a

cohesive soil which has the following properties:

C,= 35+4.2ZkPa (Where z = depth below surface)

a = 0.4

(a) Calculate the design load capacity for the pile adopting the following factors

of safety, 3.0 against end bearing, 1.5 against shaft resistance failure and 2.5

against overall shear failure. (6 Marks)

(b) A group of these piles 20 x 20 in number is arranged in a square grid with

piles at 2.Sm centre to centre to support a thick raft foundation. Considering

both individual and block shear failure of pile group, determine the safe

carrying capacity of the pile group. Neglect the difference in weight of soil

and concrete and use the same factor of safety of 2.5 against block failure.

Take the efficiency of the pile group as 0.70. (10 Marks)

QS. (i) Terzaghi's equation for gross ultimate bearing capacity qr of a strip footing of

breadth B a n d depth z on soil of cohesion C and unit weighty is

q r = CNc + y Z Nq + O.SyB N,

Explain the significance of each of the three terms in this equation. (6 Marks)

(ii)Explain how the ultimate bearing capacity of a cohesive soil is related to its

shearing strength. (5 Marks)

(iii) I\ square footing of side dimension 4.2m is founded at a depth of 2.0m in a sand

having the following properties:

C' = 0, cj,' = 3 2 ' , ysa,= 20kN/m 3

For q i ' = 3 2 ' , Nc=35.5, Nq= 23.2, N,= 24.9

S c = l + N q ; N r.

Sci ::; 1 + tano'

S y = 0.6

Determine the ultimate bearing capacity of the footing when the water table is

(a) Well below the base (3 Marks)

(b) At level equal to that of the base (3 Marks)

(c) At the ground surface (3 marks)

 Q6. (i) State the primary objectives of a site investigation. (3 Marks)

(ii)Briefly explain how a ground investigation for a high rise building complex is

planned. (6 Marks)

(iii) The lengths of intact pieces ofrock core recovered during a drilling operation are

as follows:

3, 2, 7, 4, 3, 6, 5, 4 ,2, 2, 8, 7 inches. Length of core run is 60 inches.

(a) Determine the core Recovery and the Rock Quality Designation (3 Marks)

(b) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Rock Quality Designation

method. (3 marks)

(iv) List the general information that should be contained in a geotechnical report.

(5 marks)

(iv) A vane is lOOmm diameter and has blades 1 5 0 m m long. When pushed into a bore

hole, the torqu e required to rotate the vane is 190kNm. What is the shearing

strength of the soil? (4 marks)

2
T = C., (nD 1·1/2) { 1 + (D/3H))

Where,

T = applied Torque

D= width of vane

H= height of vane

Q7. (i) With the aid of Mohr's circle diagrams explain what is meant by active and

passive Rankine states in a cM<p soil with a horizontal surface. (5 Marks)

(ii) Derive an expression for the intensity of active pressure exerted by the above soil

at a depth behind a retaining wall with smooth, vertical back. Assume the surface

of the soil is horizontal and coincides with the top of the wall. (5 Marks)

(iii) A retaining wall is 7.25m high. The soil supported consists of 4.Sm of sand (y =

17.5 kN/m'. <j, = 35°) overlying saturated sandy clay (y = 19.2kN/m3, cp = 30°, C=

16.6 2kN/m3)

(a) Make a sketch of the distribution of active pressure on the wall, stating the

principal values. (5 Marks]

(b) Calculate the thrust per linear meter of the wall, neglecting cohesive and frictional

forces on the back of the wall. (5 Marks)

Q8. (i) Explain what is meant by normally consolidated clay stratum and an over

consolidated clay stratum. (4 Marks)

(ii) Sketch curves showing the variation of void ratio with pressure increase in each

of the above two cases and explain how the pre compression stress can be

estimated. (6 Marks)

(iii) State the model law of consolidation. (2 Marks)

(v) On a particular site a layer of clay occurs in 6.0 m thickness. In a laboratory

oedometer test on a 19.0m thick specimen of this clay, 50% consolidation was

reached after 12.0min. Determine the site settlement for 50% consolidation when

the clay layer is

(a) fully drained top and bottom (4 Marks)

(bl drained from one surface only (4 Marks)