Tutorial Practice Questions #3: Review Questions
The following questions will be solved during the tutorial hours by the student groups and then
reviewed by the TA.
Soil Characterization Questions:
Question 1) A soil has a bulk density of 1.91 Mg/m3 and a water content of 9.5%. The value of Gs
= 2.7. Calculate the void ratio and degree of saturation of the soil. What would be the values of
density and water content if the soil was fully saturated at the same void ratio?
Question 2) The wet density of a sand in an embankment was found to be 1.85 Mg/m3 and the field
water content was 12%. In the laboratory, the density of soils was found to be 2.71 Mg/m3 and the
maximum and minimum void ratios were 0.65 and 0.38, respectively. Calculate the in-situ relative
density of the sand.
Soil Classification Question:
Question 3) Classify the following soils according to the USCS method:
a) A sample of well-graded gravel with sand has 73% fine to coarse subangular gravel, 25%
fine to coarse subangular sand, and 2% fines. The maximum size of the particles is 75 mm.
The coefficient of curvature is 2.7, while the uniformity coefficient if 12.4
b) A dark brown, wet, organic-odor soil has 100% passing the No. 200 sieve. The liquid limit
is 32% and the plastic index is 21%.
c) A soil with 61% fine sand, 23% silty fines, and 16% fine subrounded gravel size. The
maximum particle size is 20 mm. The liquid limit is 33% and the plastic limit is 27%.
d) A material which has 74% fine to coarse subangular reddish sand and 26% organic and
silty dark brown fines. The liquid limit is 37% while it is 26% when oven dried. The plastic
index is 6.
e) A soil reported by the U.S. Dept. Of Interior (1990) has only 6% nonplastic silty fines,
while it has everything else! It has gravel content of 78% with fine to coarse subrounded
to subangular gravel particles, and 16% fine to coarse subrounded to subangular sand. The
maxmimum size of the subrounded boulders is 500 mm. The uniformity coefficient is 40,
while the coefficient of curvature is only 0.8.
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Tutorial Practice Questions #3: Review Questions
Soil Compaction Questions:
Question 4) A soil has been compacted in an embankment at a bulk density of 2.15 Mg/m 3 and a
water content of 12%. The value of Gs = 2.65. Calculate the dry density, void ratio, degree of
saturation and air content. Would it be possible to compact the above soil at a water content of
13.5% to a dry density of 2.00 Mg/m3?
Question 5) Two choices are available as borrow sites as below:
Property Site A Site B
In-situ density 18.07 kN/m3 18.86 kN/m3
Void ratio during transport 0.92 0.95
In-situ water content 25% 20%
Cost to excavate $0.26/m3 0.13/m3
Cost to haul $0.39/m3 0.53/m3
Maximum Proctor dry density 17.60 kN/m3 17.28 kN/m3
We need to fill a 150,000 m3 depression and the fill material must be compacted to 95% of the
standard Proctor (maximum) density. A final 10% moisture content is desired in either case.
a) Determine the minimum volume of borrow soil from each site needed to fill the depression.
b) What is the minimum volume of material from each site to haul?
c) What soil would be cheaper to use?
Question 6) In a field density test, using the water ring method, the wet mass of soil removed from
a small hole in the fill was 1.50 kg. The mass of water required to fill the hole was 0.75 kg and the
field water content was found to be 22%. If the density of soil solids is 2,650 kg/m3, what are the
dry density and degree of saturation of the fill?
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