BITS-PILANI HYDERABAD CAMPUS

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

SOIL MECHANICS (CE F243)
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION (Closed Book)

NAME: ______________________________________________ID: ____________________

Full Marks : 10 Time : 30 minutes

PART A

Q. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Option

1. Write the correct option in the box provided above. Each correct answer carries 1
mark. Each wrong answer carries -0.5 mark. You can do the rough work on the 1st page
of your answer book. [10 x 1 = 10]

(i) Consider a two-dimensional flow through isotropic soil along x direction and z direction. If h
is the hydraulic head, the Laplace’s equation of continuity is expressed as
h h h h h h
a) + =0 b) + + =0
x z x x z z

2h 2h 2h 2h  2h

c) + =0 d) 2 + + =0
x 2 z 2 x xz z 2
(ii) A soil has specific gravity of its solids equal to 2.65. The mass density of water is 1000
kg/m3. Considering zero air voids and 10% moisture content of the soil sample, the dry
density (in kg/m3) is
a) 2095.0 b) 2086.6 c) 2112.2 d) 2075.5

(iii) A concentrated load of 500 kN is applied on an elastic half space. The ratio of the increase in
vertical normal stress at depths of 2m and 4m along the point of the loading, as per
Boussinesq’s theory, is
a) 1:4 b) 4:1 c) 2:1 d) 1:2

(iv) Construction of a new building founded on a clayey soil was completed in January 2010. In
January 2014, the average consolidation settlement of the foundation in clay was recorded as
10 mm. The ultimate consolidation settlement was estimated in design as 40 mm.

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 Considering double drainage to occur at the clayey soil site, the expected consolidation
settlement in January 2019 (in mm) will be
a) 22.0 b) 1.50 c) 2.20 d) 15.0

(v) A core cutter of 130 mm height has inner and outer diameters of 100 mm and 106 mm,
respectively. The area ratio of the core cutter (in %) is
a) 11.00 b) 12.36 c) 11.66 d) 11.36

(vi) A fine-grained soil has 60% (by weight) clay content. The soil behaves as semi-solid when
water content is between 15% and 28%. The soil behaves fluid-like when the water content is
more than 40%. The ‘Activity’ of the soil is
a) 3.33 b) 0.42 c) 0.30 d) 0.20

(vii) If the water content of a fully saturated soil mass is 100%, the void ratio of the sample is
a) less than specific gravity of soil
b) equal to specific gravity of soil
c) greater than specific gravity of soil
d) independent of specific gravity of soil

(viii) For a saturated cohesive soil, a triaxial test yields the angle of internal friction (φ) as zero.
The conducted test is
a) Consolidated Drained (CD) test b) Consolidated Undrained (CU) test
c) Unconfined Compression (UC) test d) Unconsolidated Undrained (UU) test

(ix) A long slope is formed in a soil with shear strength parameters: c' = 0 and φ' = 34°. A firm
stratum lies below the slope and it is assumed that the water table may occasionally rise to
the surface, with seepage taking place parallel to the slope. Use γsat = 18 kN/m3 and γw = 10
kN/m3. The maximum slope angle (in degrees) to ensure a factor of safety of 1.5, assuming
a potential failure surface parallel to the slope, will be
a) 11.3 b) 45.3 c) 44.7 d) 12.3

(x) Following statement are made on compacted soil, where DS stands for soil compaction on
Dry Side of OMC and WS stands for soil compacted on Wet Side of OMC. Identify incorrect
statement:
a) Soil structure is flocculated on DS and dispersed on WS
b) Construction of pore water pressure is low on DS and High on WS
c) Soil on drying, shrinkage is high on DS and Low on WS
d) On addition to water, swelling is high on DS and low on WS

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 BITS-PILANI HYDERABAD CAMPUS
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
SOIL MECHANICS (CE F243)
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION (Closed Book)

Full Marks : 70 Time : 2 hours 40 minutes

PART B

Answer all questions. Any data, if assumed, should be clearly stated. Separate marks are
allotted for each step. Relevant formulae are provided in page 7-8.

Question No. 1

(a) A sample of clay has the liquid limit and shrinkage limit of 60% and 25% respectively. If the
sample has a volume of 10 ml at the liquid limit, and a volume of 6.40 ml at the shrinkage
limit, determine the specific gravity of the soil solids. ρw = 1gm/cc [5]

(b) A soil sample with a grain specific gravity of 2.67 was filled in a 1000 ml container by
rainfall pouring method and the dry weight of the sample was found to be 14.75 N. The
container was then filled with soil and vibrated in a vibrating table for 15 minutes and the
weight was found to be 17.70 N. The void ratio of the soil in the natural state was found to be
0.63. Determine the density index of the soil in its natural state. [5]

Question No. 2

(a) A non-homogeneous soil deposit consists of a silt layer sandwiched between a fine sand layer
at top and a clay layer below. Permeability of the silt layer is 10 times that of the clay layer
and one-tenth that of the sand layer. Thickness of the sand layer is 2 times the thickness of
the sand layer and two-third of the thickness of the clay layer. Find the ratio of the equivalent
horizontal and vertical permeability of the soil deposit. [5]

(b) An open ended steel barrel of 1m height and 1m diameter is filled with saturated fine sand
having coefficient of permeability of 10-2 m/sec. The barrel stands on a saturated bed of
gravel. Find the time required for the water level in the barrel to drop by 0.75m. [3]

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Question No. 3

The following results are obtained from a standard compaction test on a sample of soil. If the
volume of compaction mould is 0.950 m3, draw the compaction curve and report the maximum
dry density and the optimum moisture content. [7]

Water Content 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.20 0.22

Weight of Wet Soil (kN) 16.8 18.5 19.1 18.7 18.7 18.5

Calculate the void ratio, the degree of saturation and the theoretical maximum dry density (G =
2.70) for each water content. Also plot the zero air voids density line and 90% saturation curve.
Unit weight of water = 10 kN/m3.

Present the calculations in a tabular form.

Question No. 4

(a) Following are the results obtained from a series of CU tests on a soil sample:
cCU = cCU΄ = 0
φCU = 15°, φCU΄ = 30°
A sample of this soil was tested in a CU test under a cell pressure of 150 kN/m2. Determine
(i) Deviatoric stress at failure
(ii) Pore water pressure at failure
(iii)Minor principal effective stress at failure
(iv) Major principal effective stress at failure [2+3+1+1=7]

(b) An in-situ vane shear test was conducted in a clay soil at the bottom of a borehole. A torque
of 153 Nm was required to shear the soil. What was the undrained strength of clay? The vane
was 100mm in diameter and 150mm long. [3]

(c) A c-φ soil has an unconfined compressive strength of 120 kN/m2. In a triaxial compression
test, a specimen of the same soil, when subjected to a cell pressure of 40 kN/m 2 failed at a
deviatoric stress of 160 kN/m2. Determine the shear strength properties of soil. [5]

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Question No. 5

(a) Consider a square shaped area ABCD on the ground with its centre at M as shown in figure.
Four concentrated vertical loads of P = 5000 kN are applied on this area, one at each corner.
Find the vertical stress increment due to these loads according to Boussinesq’s equation, at a
point 5m right below M. [3]
P
B
B P
B
C
P M
B
A P
4m
B
4m D

(b) A long strip footing of width 2m carries a load of 200 kN/m2. Calculate the maximum stress
at a depth of 5m below the centre line of the footing by Boussinesq method. Compare the
results with 2:1 distribution method and find the percentage difference. [3]

(c) The plan of a foundation is shown in the following figure. The uniform load intensity on the
soil is 50 kN/m2. Determine the vertical stress increment due to the foundation at a depth of
5m below point O1 using Boussinesq influence charts. m = B/z and n = L/z. [4]

2m 2m

O1

3m

1m

3m

12m

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Question No. 6

(a) The compression curve (void ratio, e vs. effective stress, 𝜎v´) for a certain clayey soil is a
straight line in a semi-logarithmic plot and it passes through the points (e = 1.2; 𝜎v´ = 50 kPa)
and (e = 0.6; 𝜎v´ = 800 kPa). Determine the compression index of the soil. [2]

(b) A 20 m thick clay layer is sandwiched between a silty sand layer and a gravelly sand layer.
The layer experiences 50mm total settlement in 6.5 years. If the coefficient of consolidation
of the layer is 0.003 cm2/sec, estimate the time (in years) in which the deposit will experience
a settlement of 30mm. [3]

(c) A saturated soil stratum 4m thick lies above an impervious stratum and below a pervious
stratum. It has a void ratio of 1.50 at an initial stress of 150 kN/m2. [2+3]

(i) Compute the final settlement due to an increase in stress by 50 kN/m2. Take compression
index = 0.20.
(ii) What would be the time required for 50% consolidation to take place if the coefficient of
permeability is 3 x 10-4 cm/sec?

Question No. 7 [10]

A retaining wall of height 8m high carries a surcharge load of 30 kN/m2. The backfill has 2
layers: top sand layer (4m thick) and bottom stiff silty gravel (4m thick). The saturated unit
weight of gravel is 22 kN/m3 and internal angle of friction of 40°.

In the initial state, the sand (top layer) is loose and has a void ratio of 0.5, dry unit weight of 17.8
kN/m3 and internal angle of friction of 30°. Subsequently, the sand is compacted to a state where
the void ratio is 0.4, dry unit weight of 18.8 kN/m3 and internal angle of friction of 35°. The
water table is at the ground level in both cases.

Find the ratio of initial to final total lateral pressure according to Rankine’s earth pressure theory,
if the wall is restrained against lateral yielding.

Your solution should be supported by proper earth pressure diagrams. Take γw = 10 kN/m3.

How does the point of application shift in the 2nd case compared to the 1st one?

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 Relevant Formulae and Graphs

 G + Se 
1)  bulk =   w
 1+ e 
Ms
2) G =
 wVs

G w
3) e = −1
d
emax − enat
4) RD =
emax − emin

Nf
5) For Flow Net Q = kH
Nd

Cv t h e C  0 + 
6) Tv = ; = ; Sc = c H log10
H2 h0 1 + e0 1 + e0 0

 D 2 H D3 
7) T = c  + 
 2 6 

8) k = k H i i
; kv =
H i

H
h
H
i
k i

9) For rectangular loading,  = q  I

B L
m= ;n =
z z
q
For strip loading,  = ( 2 + sin 2 )

3Q z3
For point loading,  =
2 ( r 2 + z 2 )5/2
10)  1 + sin   1 + sin 
1 =  3   + 2c
 1 − sin   1 − sin 

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  20 
Correction factor for overburden pressure ( CN ) = 0.77 log10   ; p in kg/cm 2
11)  p
Correction factor for dilatancy ( N  ) = 15 + 0.5 ( N  − 15 )

  2
12) For U z  60%, Tv =  U z
4
For U z  60%, Tv = 1.781 − 0.933log (100 − U z % )
e k (1 + e0 )
Cc = ; Cv =
2 av w
log10
1
Factors of Safety in slope stability analysis
13) tan   tan   h  tan c +  z cos 2  tan
FS = ; FS = ; FS = 1 − w  ; FS =
tan   t tan   t z  tan  t z cos  sin 

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