Scribd
Upload
10 views7 pages

Midterm Answer

The document outlines a mid-term test revision for soil mechanics, including questions on shear strength parameters, induced vertical stresses from footings, and lateral earth pressures on retaining walls. It provides specific scenarios and calculations required for analyzing soil behavior under various conditions. Useful equations related to Rankine Earth Pressures and shear strength are also included for reference.

Uploaded by

liuaiii
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
10 views7 pages

Midterm Answer

The document outlines a mid-term test revision for soil mechanics, including questions on shear strength parameters, induced vertical stresses from footings, and lateral earth pressures on retaining walls. It provides specific scenarios and calculations required for analyzing soil behavior under various conditions. Useful equations related to Rankine Earth Pressures and shear strength are also included for reference.

Uploaded by

liuaiii
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Mid-Term Test Revision

Question 1
A cohesive soil sample was collected from a certain depth of construction project site and put in a
triaxial test apparatus for multi-stages consolidated-drained test in a soil testing laboratory. The
following table listed the test results when the soil sample failed under shear during the test:
Confining Stress Deviator Stress
Stage
𝜎'3 (kPa) 𝜎'1 − 𝜎'3 (kPa)
1 75 205
2 260 415
3 450 600

(i) Determine the effective shear strength parameters (c’,  ’) by plotting Mohr-Coulomb
failure envelope from the given test results.

(ii) If the in-situ confining stress and vertical stress at a particular depth of the site are 400 and
800 kPa respectively, determine from the graph plotted in (i) whether shear failure will take
place.

Page 1/5
Question 2
The layout plan Fig. Q2 shows two footings A (6mx6m) and B (12mx6m) which exert uniform ground
bearing pressure of 200 kPa and 400 kPa respectively at their bottom. Use the Approximate
Method (Factor I3) to evaluate the induced vertical stresses at the depth of :
(i) 6 m below the bottom level of the Footing A at X; and

Question 2

Page 2/5
(ii) 3 m below ground level at Y.

6m 6m 6m 6m

Y
6m

Footing X
6m A Footing B
(200 kPa) (400 kPa)

Fig. Q2

Page 3/5
Question 3

(a) For the retaining wall shown in Fig. Q3 below, construct the distribution diagrams of
the effective ACTIVE lateral earth pressure (σ’), pore water pressure (u) and the
total lateral earth pressure (σ) acting on the wall using the Rankine’s theory.
Determine the total lateral force per unit width acting on the wall and the
corresponding location of the resultant force above the wall base.

Surcharge 20 kN/m2
Retaining wall

o
 = 19 kN/m3  = 30
2m c = 0 kPa
Groundwater Level

o
 sat = 21 kN/m3  = 40
c = 10 kPa

4m

Fig. Q3

Page 4/5
Page 5/5
Question 4

A retaining wall 6.0 m high with a vertical back is shown in Fig. Q4. Determine the total
passive lateral soil resistance per unit width to be mobilised and its corresponding
location above the wall base.

Surcharge 10 kN/m2
Retaining wall

 = 18 kN/m3
o
 = 45
c = 7 kPa
6.0 m
Fig. Q4

Page 6/5
USEFUL EQUATIONS

Rankine Earth Pressures

For  = 0,

For  = 0,
2
pa = HKa Pa = ½ H Ka
2
pp = HKp Pp = ½ H Kp

Coulomb Equation for Shear Strength

Effective Stress

For rectangular loaded area:

p = q I3, m = B/z and n = L/z

Page 7/5

You might also like