CE 3700-Geotechnical Engineering: Exam No.

3 (Fall 2019)

Your Name (please print

PART A: TRUE-OR-FALSE QUESTIONS (2 points each; no partial points)

Read each statement carefully. Then, circle either T (true) or F (false) as your answer.

A-1: During consolidation, effective stress decreases.

A-2: The compression index can be less or greater than the swell index.
A-3: The larger the coefficient of consolidation, the faster is the consolidation.
A-4: Peak internal friction angle cannot be less than the ultimate friction angle.
A-S: The stress-strain plot of a dense sand is similar to that of a normally consolidated clay. J
T @·
A-6: Sensitivity of a clay can be less than 1.0. T j
PART B: MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (2 points per question; no partial points)
Read each question statement carefully. Then, circle only one item as your answer.

B-1: The person who unsuccessfully challenged Karl Terzaghi on the consolidation theory was
a) William Rankine /
@li Paul FiHunger V
c) Joseph Bousinnesq
d) Charles Coulomb
B-2: The time rate of consolidation is influenced by ...
- a) The clay layer's hydraulic conductivity
b) The clay layer's thickness
Drainage condition,,.available to the clay layer
(g))' All of the above v .
B-3: In the field, soils most often fail in ...
a) tension b) compression c) bending
B-4: Some soils develop cohesion because of ...
a) Electro-static forces that develop between soil particles
Fundamental forces' that develop between soil particles ·
X ®) Chemicals (ex. carbonate) that can act as cementing agents precipitate [-1)
~ All of the above .
B-5: In the direct shear test, the soil sample . . .
is forced to fail along a preset vertical plane
I
is forced to fail along a preset horizontal plane
c) fails naturally along its weakest plane
d) is forced to fail along a 45° diagonal plane where shear stress is the largest

1
)
B-6: In the conventional triaxial compression test, the soil sample · · ·
a) is forced to fail along a preset vertical plane
!U is forced to fail along a preset horizont~ lane
(e)) fails naturally along its weakest plane • h 1 est
d) is forced to fail along a 45° diagonal plane where shear stress is t e arg
B-7: The best available instrument for monitoring a soil slope is · · ·

X @ a tilting sensor
b) TOR cable and cable tester
·

[ - 2..) /-ct> Inclinometer probe and its casing

None of the above

PART C: TRADITIONAL PROBLEMS

Present your solutions on blank sheets neatly and logically. State clearly each assumption that
you decide to make. Do not provide more than one final solution for each problem. Reference
materials (definitions, equations, tables, and charts) are attached.

C-1 (35 points): A project site has the following subsurface conditions (see the table below). The
~oundwater table . is located at the depth of 4 ft. The planned construction work is going to
mcrease the effective stress in the clay layer by the average of 4 psi. A relatively undisturbed
sample was taken from this clay layer and tested in the laboratory. According to the test,
Specimen thickness= 1.0 inch Time for 50% consolidation= 15.0 mins~
."','.· ' ;..~ "'
. ~. 41, ;Additionat Nol~'
Sand e = 0.65; Gs= 2.65
Sand (saturated) 4 sat= 120
3
Clay (saturated) 5 e = 0.90; LL= 46;
4 Sand (saturated) 2 cf
5 Bedrock intact

Part a : Calculate the maximum compression (in inches) that the clay layer in the field will have
when it is fully consolidated. Assume that the clay is normally consolidated (OCR= 1.0).
Part b: Determine the coefficient of consolidation (in2/min) for the clay material.
Part c: Estimate the time (in days) required for the clay layer in the field to reach 80%
consolidation.

Part d: Estimate the amount of settlement (in inches) that the clay layer in the field will have at
the end of the first 2 months (60.83 days) due to the planned construction work.
Part e: Recalculate the maximum compression of the clay with the knowledge that OCR is 1.20.

C-2 (24 points): A silty sand specimen was saturated and consolidated inside a triaxial test
chamber under an all-around chamber pressure of 25 psi. Then, the axial stress was increased
without allowing any drainage. The soil specimen failed when the deviatoric stress was equal to
25 psi. The pore-water pressure at failure was recorded to be 15 psi.
Part a: Determine the undrained internal friction angle «j>.

2
 -,

Part b: Detennine the drained internal friction angle ~•.

Part c: What deviatoric str ·11 ti .
its drainage r ess WI all the same soil specimen if it were loaded very slowly with
me open and the chamber pressure is kept at 20 psi?

C-3 (15 points): A soil slope exists with the following properties:

H = 3.0 m, Slope Angle p = 50°, y = 15.7 kN/rn 3, ~• = 10°, and c' = 28.7 kPa.

A trial failure surface is set up so that it starts out at the toe of the slope and goes up at an angle
a. of 30°. Determine the factor of safety against slidiri°failure along this trial failure plane.
Based on the calculated factQr of safety, state clearly what will happen to the soil slope along the
trial plane.

100 points max.

Defmitions & Formulas for Exam No. 3 (Fall 2019)

Dr = relative density(%)= [(emax - e)/(emax - Cmin)] x 100

emax = maximum void ratio
Cmin = minimum void ratio
Yd-max = maximum dry unit weight
Yd-min = minimum dry unit weight
Cu = coefficient of uniformity= Dw010
Cc = coefficient of curvature or gradation= (D30)2/(010 x D60)
D10, D30, D60 = particle diameters corresponding to 10%, 30%, and 60% finer on grain size curve
e = void ratio= VvNs
Vv = volume of voids
Vs = volume of solids
w = water content(%)= (Ww!Ws) x 100
Ww = weight of water
Ws = weight of solids
W = total weight
Gs = specific gravity= Wsl(VsYw)
Yw = unit weight of water (62.4 lb/ft:3 or 9.81 kN/m3)
Pw = density of water (1.0 g/crn3 or 1,000 kg/m3)
LL = liquid limit
PI = plasticity index = LL - PL
PL = plastic limit
S = degree of saturation(%)= (VwNv) x 100

3
 Va = volume of air
Vw = volume of water
V Rtotal volume
y = moist unit weight of soil= WN
Yd = dry unit weight of soil= WsN = y/(1 + w) = Gsyw/(l + e)
Gs w= Se
Ys = unit weight of solids = WsNs
n =porosity= VvN = e/(1 + e)
Yzav = zero-air-void unit weight= Ywl(w + 1/Gs)

k = hydraulic conductivity= coefficient of permeability= q/(i A) from Darcy's law

i = hydraulic gradient= h/L = dh/dL
L = length of flow in soil= soil specimen length (taken in the flow direction)
q = discharge flow rate
A = cross-sectional area of soil specimen (taken perpendicular to the flow direction)
h = hydraulic head
k = 2.303 aL/(A t) x log(h1/hi)
t = elapsed time
a = cross-sectional area of the standpipe
h1 = head at time t = 0
h2 = head at time t = t
k = 2.303 q log(r1/r2)/[1t(hi2 - hi)]
r1 = radial distance to observation well 1
r2 = radial distance to observation well 2
h1 = height of water in observation well I
h2 = height of water in observation well 2

a' = effective stress = cr - u

a = total stress
u = pore water pressure
Upward seepage flow cr' = zy' - izyw ,
ic = critical hydraulic gradient = y'lyw,
where y' = submerged unit weight = Ysat - Yw

Cc = compression index= !J.e/11 log p = (e1 - ei)/(log P2 - log p1) = 0.009(LL- 10) for
undisturbed normally consolidate clay
e1, ei = void ratios
PI, P2 = effective stresses
Cs = swell index = about 20% of Cc
/1lf = settlement due to primary consolidation of saturated clay layer(= Sp)

4
 7

'Pro bl em C-1 o/roo

60= l/-psi • I
\

h ==- 1. \ri U;=50'I.. ...... . =I:,""'"' Cc= a,ooq(L1--10)-,,o .ooq(J.1-t;' - lci)..-0. 3:z..4-

t--\\ = \D-32.4-) ( ~;,:~; L~j ('Ci. 15e;i'-t-·4- eii .--:') ; : ~.Jf-11\th . r

1

t. +o ,q . '5.££ ,p~r 1
- - --- - - -
\ t-,_ \-1 --=- "a..H# in .. i~)

Iv -:c- Cvt ~ r Ue::~ OJ. ~ Tv~O.ICf1-

l HdS
Cv ,:: = ~ t . L ~ o:·00~32.23 in'
-I::; (l ~thJ.,) ~ h

c)
hr LJe-gD% :) Tv= 0. 66?-
[-2]
- i

c-2
<:tPhj 5ewvct
6, =~,)Jo,= ,,,,,...(•<+f"5) '
2~~1 . \- 2'?p1I::, :;_;fl,' -\-o,,,,'- ( Lf',+~)

(45+~ \
(6J\_ =- 'l5rsi \} 2t;+'.lt;
- 2.t;
-:::
2 )

\,!.\-Pt =- +Pm (46+% )

(u;.1- = 1ffs-i
ttm-'( I .414) =- 1H" -\-%_
54;,.,-115= /
\ ( \~ .Lft:= 4> /
~I - -- ,'€j;s- -- -
c) ;f-
61 :: 26~i

\.r6
' J)+o' = o'1
'/ , 3 ~ (tµ;+4.!)
2

6
( ,), fa,,,,,,-I 'i,,1) ,t,,,' / ~,· + ''}')- (2'1,;-l<p;)
\~ j)(
[-SJ
r

rx=-Jo ·

H,,,d- f::; d
007 >1zt~ 1tie Me 4:f-Jtr (

- = c'. L + (weaso<)-m,,i
~f ~I

W Sl1t 0<

2.

--1---~
:>- ( 2- i.-::,. kP,.) ·C61n) + (63 .ohz . ~j (?o'))t-c:#1 {lo') -::_ s. -:ft
l63, 0 8 ~) s,., ('.?o 0
)

r - oJ
 Afi == H L\e/(1 + eo)

== ~ ~ l o g ( ~ )
l+e0 o-'
o for er'o == er'c

H
== ~~Iog(~)+.s!!..1o8
o o-o I+ eo
(0-~ +6.a')
---;;,- for er'o < er'c< (er'o+ 6.er')
== thickness of clay layer c

L\e, L\a' == change in 'd ·

eo a'0 == initial . vo1 . ratio ' change m · ffi .
e ective stress
,' void ratio, initial effective stress
ac == pre-consolidation pressure
OCR == overconsolidation ratio= er'Jcr'o
Tv == time factor = Cv t/(H )2 ( h . .
_ dr see t e table below for the relationship between Tv and U)
Cv = coefficient of consolidation= kf(yw mv)
t = consolidation time
Rm- = maximum drainage distance= H (single drainage) or H/2 (double drainage)
mv = coeff. of volume compressibility= avl(l + eo)
av = coeff. of compressibility= 6.e/6.cr'
U (%) = overall degree of consolidation (average for the entire clay layer)= St/Sp
St = amount of consolidation settlement reached at time t (before U becomes 100%)
Dz(%)= local degree of consolidation (evaluated at one point)= (uo-uz)/uo
uo = initial excess pore water pressure at a location
Uz = pore water pressure at a location after time t

Variations of Time Factor Tv with Degree of Consolidation U

-· ,, ... 2 . 0.0003 36 0.102 70 0.403

4 0.00126 38 0.113 72 0.431
6 0.00283 40 0.126 74 0.461
8 0.00502 42 0.138 76 0.493
1O 0.00785 44 0.152 78 0.529
12 0.0113 46 0.166 80 0.567
14 0.0154 48 0.181 82 0.610
16 0.0201 50 0.197 84 0.658
18 0.0254 52 0.212 86 0.712
20 0.0314 54 0.230 88 0.774
22 0.0380 56 0.248 90 0.848
24 0.0452 58 0.267 92 0.938
0.286 94 1.055
26 0.0531 60
0.307 96 1.219
28 0.0615 62
0.329 98 1.500
30 0.0707 64
0.352 99 1.781
32 0.0803 66
0.377 100 +oo
34 0.0907 68

5
- L
t = shear strength = VmaxiA = c + cr tan
Vmax = max. shear force
A = area (to be sheared)
C = cohesion
= angle of internal friction
= normal stress= P/A (where P = force, A= area)
cr
= major principal stress= Gd+ cr3 = 0'3 tan2(45° + ~/2) + 2c tan(45° + ~/2)
cr1
= deviatoric stress = stress applied by the loading piston
C1d
= minor principal stress = chamber pressure or confining pressure
<13
= major effective principal stress = O'd + cr' 3 = cr' 3 tan2( 45° + ~• /2) + 2c' tan(45° + ~• /2)
cr11
= effective-stress angle of internal friction (or drained internal friction angle)
= effective-stress cohesion (or drained cohesion)

(a' +a') +(a' -d,)

c'
1 3 1 3
cr' = normal effective stress on incline = cos20
2 2

= shear stress on incline= ( o; ;o', }in20

0 = counterclockwise angle taken from the true horizontal
Qu = unconfined compression strength = 2cu
Cu = undrained shear strength of wet clay

Fs = tan cj,'/tan for infinite slope in granular soil

. • ' \· .

Fs = factor of safety against slope stability failure

~I = drained internal friction angle
= slope angle (taken from the true horizontal).

Fs = c'L + (W cos a )tan¢'

Wsina for soil wedge stability analysis

L = length of failure surface = Hfsin a

H = slope height
a = orientation of the failure surface (taken from the true horizontal)
W = weight of soil wedge= H2 y (cot a - cot P)/2
= slope angle (taken from the true horizontal)