CE361 Soil Mechanics I
HOMEWORK #3
Due Date: 1 November 2024
Q1. (15p) Estimate the horizontal to vertical permeability ratio of these four strata. H1= H2= H3= H4=2.5m
Q2. (15p) Write a 500-word essay on aquifers.
Q3. (20p) A pumping test was conducted to determine the average permeability of sand deposit 22m thick overlying
impermeable clay. The discharge from the pumping well was 5 x10-4 m3/s. Drawdowns in the observation wells located
13m and 30m from the centerline of the pumping well were 2.0m and 1.2m, respectively. Groundwater table was reached
at 3m below the ground surface. Determine the permeability of the sand. Estimate the effective grain size using Hazen’s
equation.
Q4. (20p) Consider the following soil profile:
a. Calculate an equivalent horizontal permeability through the profile. Which layer controls the horizontal flow rate?
b. Calculate an equivalent vertical permeability through the profile. Which layer controls the vertical flow rate?
Q5. (15p) In a two-dimensional seepage problem, show that the Laplace equation of flow is given by:
2h 2h
k x 2 +k y 2 =0
x y
where h(x,y) is the total head at a point in the flow direction.
Q6. (15p)Flow lines and equipotential lines constitute flow nets used to study the subsurface movement of fluids.
a) Explain the physical factor the flow lines represent and what the equipotential lines indicate.
b) Explain how to draw the flow nets.