CENG197 – Competency Appraisal II Particles smaller than 0.

002 = 40+n/10%
Problem Set – Geotechnical Engineering Determine the following:
a. Plasticity index
Sit.1. A soil sample having a mass of 1 800 + 3n grams and b. Indicate the activity classification for this clay
a volume of 0.001 + 0.0001n m3 was taken from the field.
It has a moisture content 12%. The density of the solid Sit. 8. The sieve analysis of three soils ang the liquid and
particles was found to be 2 500 + 3n kg/m3. Determine plastic limits of the fraction passing no.40 sieve is given in
the following: Table CCAII3.02. Use AASHTO Classification.
a. Dry density Determine the following:
b. Void ratio a. Classification of soil A with its group index
c. Degree of saturation of the soil sample b. Classification of soil B with its group index
c. Classification of soil C with its group index
Sit. 2. For a given soil, the following are known. Gs = 2.50
+ n/100, moist unit weight = 20 +n/100 kN/m3 and Sit.9. Laboratory results of a sieve analysis for three soils
moisture content of 16 + n/100%. Determine the are shown in Table CCAII3.03. Classify the soils according
following: to the Unified Soil Classification System.
a. Dry unit weight a. Soil classification of soil A
b. Void ratio b. Soil classification of soil B
c. Porosity c. Soil classification of soil C
d. Degree of saturation
Sit.10. Given soil having the particle size distribution as
Sit. 3. The total density of sand in an embankment was follows: 10+n/5 % sand, 29+n/10 % silt, 20+n/10%
found to be 1 800 + n kg/m3 and the field water content gravel and 41-2n/5 % clay. Determine the following:
was 10+n/10%. In the laboratory, the density of the a. Percentage of sand using USDA method
solids was found to be 2 500 +2n kg/m3, and the b. Percentage of silt using USDA method
maximum and minimum void ratio were 0.50 + n/100 c. Percentage of clay using USDA Method
and 0.25 + n/100, respectively. Solve for the following: d. Classification of soil using USDA Method
a. Dry density
b. Void ratio Sit. 11. A confined aquifer is shown in Figure CCAII3.11.
c. Relative density The aquifer has a hydraulic conductivity of 40+n/10
m/day and a porosity of 0.20+n/1000. The piezometric
Sit. 4. The moist weight of 0.00283 + 3n/10000 m3 of soil heads in two observation wells 1200 +2n m apart are
is 50+n/10 N. if the moisture content is 10+n/50 % and 65m and 60m from the common datum. The aquifer has
the specific gravity of soil solids is 2.50+n/100, an average width of 4 km. Determine the following:
determine the following: a. Rate of flow of water (m3/day)
a. Moist unit weight b. Seepage velocity (m/day)
b. Dry unit weight c. Time of travel from the head of the aquifer to a
c. Void ratio point 4 km downstream
d. Porosity
e. Degree of saturation Sit. 12. During a falling head permeability test, the head
f. Volume occupied by water fell from 80cm to 65 cm in 83+n seconds. The specimen
was 5cm in diameter and had a length of 50+n mm. The
Sit. 5. A soil has a liquid limit of 50+n/5 and a plastic limit diameter of the standpipe was 0.75cm. Compute the
of 20+n/5. A moisture content test performed on an coefficient of permeability of the soil.
undisturbed sample of this soil yielded the following
results: Sit. 13. The soil under a dam has four layers of soil with
Mass of soil + can before placing in oven 90+n/10g different coefficients of permeability as given in Table
Mass of soil + can after removal from oven 70+n/10g CCAII3.04 and is under normal flow. Compute for the
Mass of can 20+n/10g following:
Determine the following: a. Average vertical coefficient of permeability in
a. Plasticity index m/day
b. Moisture content b. Transmissibility of the soil when the water table
c. Liquidity index is at the ground surface in m2/day
c. Interstitial velocity of water moving through the
Sit. 6. Table CCAII3.001 shows the results of liquid and soil if it has a void ratio of 0.60 and a hydraulic
plastic limit tests. Determine the following: gradient of 0.0018 in cm/hour
a. Liquid Limit
b. Plasticity Index Sit. 14. A submerged clay layer has a thickness of
c. Liquidity Index 8+n/100 m. The water content of the soil is 50+n/10%.
The specific gravity of soil particles is 2.00+n/100.
Sit. 7. Laboratory test results for a sample of clay soil for Determine the following:
the purpose of evaluating the potential for volume change a. Saturated unit weight of the clay
(swelling, expansion) are as shown. b. Total stress at the bottom of the clay
Liquid Limit = 60+n/10 % c. Effective stress at the bottom of the clay
Plastic Limit = 20+n/10%
Sit. 15. A thick layer of clay underlies a sand layer Compute for the following:
5.00+n/92 m thick. The ground water table is located a. Angle of friction of the soil sample
2.00+n/29 m below the ground surface. The sand has a b. Shear stress on the failure plane
void ratio of 0.52. The degree of saturation above the c. Normal stress on the plane of maximum shear
water table is 0.30+n/1029. The clay has a moisture
content of 35+n/100. The specific gravity of solids for
both sand and clay is 2.70. Determine the following:
a. Unit weight of the clay
b. Total stress at a depth of 10m below the ground
surface
c. Effective stress at a depth of 10m below the
ground surface

Sit. 16. A dense silt layer has the following properties:

void ratio e = 0.50 + n/1000, effective diameter D10 =
10+n/100 μm, capillary constant C = 0.29 cm2. Free
ground water level is 8m below the ground surface.
𝑛
Assume unit weight of solids 𝛾𝑠 = 20 + 𝑘𝑁/𝑚3 .
10
Compute for the following:
a. Height of capillary rise
b. Vertical effective stress at 5m depth. Assume the
soil above the capillary zone is partially saturated
at 50%.
c. Vertical effective stress at 10m depth. Assume
that the soil above the capillary zone is partially
saturated at 50%.

Sit. 17. Two footings rest in a layer of sand 2.70m thick.

The bases of the footings are 0.90m below the ground
surface. Beneath the sand layer is a 1.80m thick layer.
Underneath the clay layer is solid rock. Water table is at a
depth of 1.80m below the ground surface. Refer to Figure
CCAII3.12. Determine the following:
a. Stress increase below footing A (1.50m x 1.50m)
at the center of the clay layer. Assume that the
pressure beneath footing A is spread at an angle
of 2 vertical to 1 horizontal.
b. Size of footing B so that the settlement in the clay
layer is the same beneath footings A and B
c. Settlement beneath footing A.

Sit. 18. A cohesionless soil is subjected to a shear test. The

normal stress and the shear stress on the failure plane at
failure were determined to be 400+n kPa and 350+n kPa,
respectively. Compute for the following:
a. Angle of friction of soil
b. Angle of the failure plane measured from the
major principal plane
c. Major principal stress

Sit. 19. A shear test was conducted on a clay sample. The

normal and shear stresses on the failure plane at failure
were determined to be 150+n kPa and 76+n kPa,
respectively. The angle of shearing resistance of the soil is
10+n/10°. Determine the following:
a. Cohesion of the clay
b. Chamber confining pressure
c. Plunger stress

Sit. 20. The results of a consolidated-drained triaxial test

conducted on a normally consolidated clay are as follows:

Chamber confining pressure = 300 +2n kPa

Deviator stress at failure = 400 +3n kPa