Homework 3:

• All work must be handwritten.

• No typed homework will be accepted.
• All Questions must be answered.
• Mr. Bester will keep your homework. Make copies for yourself.
• Successful submission of your homework = +2 marks on test 3.
• Write your name and student number on top. No name = 0.
• Due date Friday 2023.07.28 before 12h00 in 2-118. Late submission = 0.

Question 1:

A soil profile is shown in the Figure below. Calculate the total stress, pore water pressure effective
stress at points A, B, and C. Draw all graphs.

Dry Sand A
3 meter у(dry) = 17 kN/m³
B
W.T.

Saturated Sand
7 meter у(sat) = 20 kN/m³

C
Clay

Question 2:

A cut is made in a stiff, saturated clay that is underlain by a layer of sand. What should be the height
of the water, h, in the cut so that the stability of the saturated clay is not lost?

у sat (saturated clay) = 20 kN/m³

у sat (sandy) = 18 kN/m³
Height 1 (7m) = 8 m
Height 2 (5m) = 7 m
Height 3 (2m) = 2 m

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 Height 4 (4,5m) = 4 m

Question 3:

A soil profile is shown in Figure 9.23. Given:

H1 = 2 m
H2 = 1 m
H3 = 2 m
Gs = 2.6
e= 0.5
sand
Zone of capillary rise
Gs = 2.65
e= 0.5
Degree of saturation = S = 50%
w= 40%
Gs = 2.7
Clay

2
Calculate and Plot the variation of σ, u and σ' with depth.

Question 4:

Calculate the vertical and shear stress under point A at a depth of 1.5 meters.

The loading of 1-5 is 200 kN/m² and 6-16 is 220 kN/m².

12 13 14 15 16

9 10 11
A
6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5

Influence Load Vertical Shear

Y Z
Squares Area X (m) r R factor (P) stress stress
(m) (m)
(Ip) (KN) (Kpa) (Kpa)

Question 5:

An embankment is shown in Figure. Determine the stress increase under the embankment at points
A1 and A2. Use the tables from the book.

3
 q= 20 kN/m³
13 5 13
meter meter meter

4 meter 4 meter

4 9
A2 meter A1

Question 6:

Consider the inclined strip load shown in Figure 10.15. Determine the vertical stress Δσz at A and B.
The total width of the strip is 4.5 meters.

4
Question 7:

5
A rigid shallow foundation 2 x 2 meters in plan is shown in the Figure. Calculate the elastic settlement
at the centre of the foundation.

us = 0.3 Z= 5 meter
Δσ = 700 kN/m²
NGL

2 meter

2 x 2
meter

Es (kN/m²) Es = modulus of elasticity

us = Poisson’s ratio of soil
8000
6000

9000

Question 8:

The following are the results of a laboratory consolidation test:

Pressure
Void
σ' Remarks
Ratio, e
(kN/m²)
20 0.94 Loading
45 0.93 Loading
95 0.89 Loading
195 0.82 Loading
395 0.7 Loading
795 0.62 Loading
1595 0.53 Loading
795 0.545 Unloading
395 0.565 Unloading
195 0.51 Unloading

A) Calculate the compression index and the ratio of Cs/Cc

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Question 9:

Calculate the settlement of the 3-meter thick clay layer that will result from the load carried by a 2-
meter square foundation. The clay is normally consolidated. Use the weighted average method [Eq.
(11.76)] to calculate the average increase of effective pressure in the clay layer.

950 kN

2x 2 meter

1.5 meter
3 meter
Dry Sand: у(dry) = 16 kN/m³
WT

Sand: у(sat) = 18 kN/m³

3 meter

Clay: у(sat) = 17.3 kN/m³

3 meter
eo = 1
LL = 40

Question 10:

Following are the results of four drained direct shear tests on an overconsolidated clay.

Diameter of specimen = 60 mm
Height of specimen = 30 mm

Shear Residual
Normal Ƭf = Ƭr =
Normal force at shear
stress S(peak) S(residual)
Test no. force failure, force,
(σ') /A /A
(N) S(peak) S(residual)
(kN/m²) (kN/m²) (kN/m²)
(N) (N)
1 155 162.5 49.2
2 255 204.9 61.6

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 3 355 262.6 107.9
4 555 368.4 149.5

Question 11:

The results of two drained triaxial tests on a saturated clay follow:

Specimen I:
σ3 = 63 kN/m²
(Δ σd)f = 117 kN/m²
Specimen II:
σ3 = 145.6 kN/m²
(Δ σd)f = 203.385 kN/m²

Determine the shear strength parameters.

Question 12:

A soil profile is shown in Figure 12.49. The clay is normally consolidated. Its liquid limit is 60, and its
plastic limit is 20. Estimate the unconfined compression strength of the clay at a depth of 10 m
measured from the ground surface. Use Skempton’s relationship from Eq. (12.46) and Eqs. (12.61) and
(12.62).

у= 16 kN/m³
3 meter
WT

7 meter

w= 33 % 2 meter
Gs = 2.7

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Question 13:

Refer to Figure 12.48 in your book. Vane shear tests (tapered vane) were conducted in the clay layer.
The vane dimensions were 61.5 mm (d) x 129 m (h), and iT = iB = 45°. For a test at a certain depth in
the clay, the torque required to cause failure was 21 N.m. For the clay, liquid limit was 50 and plastic
limit was 19. Estimate the undrained cohesion of the clay for use in the design by using each equation:

a. Bjerrum’s λ relationship (Eq. 12.62)

b. Morris and Williams’ λ and PI relationship (Eq. 12.63)
c. Morris and Williams’ λ and LL relationship (Eq. 12.64)