Bahir Dar University - Faculty of Civil and Water Resources Engineering
Department of Civil Engineeribg Soil Mechanics – I (Assignments)
Worksheet-I
1. A soil mass in its natural state is partially saturated having a water content of 17.5% and a void ratio of 0.87.
Determine the degree of saturation, total unit weight, and dry unit weight. What is the weight of water required to
saturate a mass of 10 m3 volume? Assume Gs = 2.69.
2. A sample of sand above the water table was found to have a natural moisture content of 15% and a unit weight of
18.84kN/m3. Laboratory tests on a dried sample indicated values of emin= 0.50 and emax = 0.85 for the densest and
loosest states respectively. Compute the degree of saturation and the relative density. Assume Gs = 2.65.
3. A saturated sample of undisturbed clay has a volume of 19.2 cm3 and weighs 32.5 g. After oven drying, the
weight reduces to 20.2 g. Determine the following:(a) water content, (b) specific gravity, (c) void ratio, and (d)
saturated density of the clay sample.
4. The natural water content of a sample taken from a soil deposit was found to be 11.5%. It has been calculated that
the maximum density for the soil will be obtained when the water content reaches 21.5%. Compute how much
water must be added to 100KN of soil (in its natural state) in order to increase the water content to 21.5%.
Assume that the degree of saturation in its natural state was 40% and G = 2.7
5. An earthen embankment under construction has a total unit weight of 20 KN/m3 and a moisture content of 10
percent. Compute the quantity of water required to be added per 10 m3 of earth to raise its moisture content to 14
percent at the same void ratio.
6. A 2m high embankment is compacted to a relative density of 40% and it is found that the minimum and the
maximum void ratios are 0.4 and 0.8 from laboratory result conducted on a sample from the embankment
material. Standard proctor compaction test on the material showed that the maximum dry density is 1.59 g/cc at
12% water contentand then,
A. Determine the specific gravity of the embankment?
B. Determine the degree of saturation of the embankment at its densest state?
C. What percentage of the maximum dry density is attained at field (in-situ) compaction?
D. Determine the reduction in the height of the embankment if the relative density is raised to 70%.
7. Following the results of sieve and hydrometer analysis;
A. Calculate and draw a particle-sized distribution curve for each analysis individually
1 By Melkamu Ab.
Bahir Dar University - Faculty of Civil and Water Resources Engineering
Department of Civil Engineeribg Soil Mechanics – I (Assignments)
B. Calculate the adjusted percentage finer of the hydrometer analysis and draw the combined particle size
distribution curve if 50gm dry soil used for hydrometer analysis.
C. If a hydrometer test has the following results: Gs= 2.73, temperature of water: 23.50C and L = 9.2cm at 60
minutes after the start of sedimentation. What is the diameter D of the smallest-size particle that have settled
beyond the zone of measurement that time (that is, t= 60 min)?
D. Calculate the coefficient of uniformity and curvature? What is the grading of the soil?
E. Calculate the effective and average size of the soil sample.
F. What are the percentages of gravel and sand from the sieve analysis only?
G. Calculate the percentage of sand, silt and clay from the combined gradation curve.
8. The following data were recorded from a liquid limits on clay using the Casagrande cup device for the soil in
question No.
If the natural moisture content and plastic limit are 25% and 15% respectively, then
A. Determine the liquid limit
B. Liquidity index
C. Consistency index
D. Classifying the soil using Textural Classification, AASHTO and USCS systems and
E. Rate the soil as a highway sub-grade material? (i.e. Group Index)
9. The shrinkage limit of the soil in the previous question (2) was found to be 10%. Let at some state the degree of
saturation of the soil was found to be 70% and its volume to be 25cc. Calculate the volume of air and water out of
the total volume at this state? Take Gs=2.72
2 By Melkamu Ab.
Bahir Dar University - Faculty of Civil and Water Resources Engineering
Department of Civil Engineeribg Soil Mechanics – I (Assignments)
10. A drainage pipe became completely blocked during a storm by a plug of sand 1.5 m long, followed by
another plug of a mixture of clays, silts, and sands 0.5 m long. When the storm was over, the water level
above ground was 1 m. The hydraulic conductivity of the sand is 2 times that of the mixture of clays,
silts, and sands.
a. Plot the variation of pressure, elevation, and total head over the length of the pipe.
b. Calculate the pore water pressure at (1) the center of the sand plug and (2) the center of the mixture
of clays, silts, and sands.
c. Find the average hydraulic gradients in the sand and in the mixture of clays, silts, and sands.
11. Determine the pressure head, elevation head, and total head at A, B, and C for the arrangement shown in
the figure. Take the water level at exit as datum.
Assignment-I: 1, 3, 7, 8, 9 & 10
3 By Melkamu Ab.
Bahir Dar University - Faculty of Civil and Water Resources Engineering
Department of Civil Engineeribg Soil Mechanics – I (Assignments)
Worksheet-II
1. A sheet pile wall is used to store water for the purpose irrigation as shown in the figure. The
upstream and downstream water levels are 4m and 1m from the ground surface. The
permeability and other physical properties of the soil are given with the figure.
a) Determine the total seepage quantities under the sheet pile wall?
b) Determine the effective stresses at point A, B and C? (Take = 17 / 3)
c) Determine the lateral pore water pressure distributions and resultant forces on the front and
back face of the sheet pile wall? (Use appropriate scale)
d) Calculate the maximum hydraulic gradient? (Use appropriate scale)
e) Is the structure susceptible to piping effect? If no what is the F.S?
2. A long embankment is located on a soil profile consisting of 4 m of medium clay followed by 8 m of medium to-
dense sand on top of bedrock. A vertical settlement of 5 mm at the center of the embankment was measured
during construction. Assuming all the settlement is elastic and occurs in the medium clay; determine the average
stresses imposed on the medium clay under the center of the embankment using the elastic equations. The elastic
parameters are E =15 MPa and v= 0.3.
3. An embankment with total unit weight 17
KN/m3 and 45 degree sloping sides is
constructed on a clay soil with E=15000kPa
and v=0.45 as shown in the figure below.
Assume the ground water table is much
below the bottom of the embankment.
Determine the state of stress at a point 1m
below
4 By Melkamu Ab.
Bahir Dar University - Faculty of Civil and Water Resources Engineering
Department of Civil Engineeribg Soil Mechanics – I (Assignments)
i. The toe of the embankment at both ends and
ii. Center of the embankment
4. Three foundations are located next to each other in figure 5. Determine the stress increases at A, B and C at a
depth of 2 m below the ground surface?
5. A soil, 100 mmX150 mmX20 mm high, is subjected to simple shear deformation. The normal force in the Z
direction is 1 kN and the shear force is 0.5 kN .The displacements at the top of the soil in the X and Z directions
are ∆ = 1 mm and ∆ = 1 mm. Calculate:
(a) The shear and normal stresses
(b) The axial and shear strains
6. Calculate the six strains for the state of stresses shown in the figure 2
shown. Consider E=210Gpa and v=0.3. The figure is a cube with 100
mm side.
Figure 2
7. A soil profile consists of a clay layer underlain by a sand layer, as shown in Figure 4. If a tube is inserted into the
bottom sand layer and the water level rises to 1m above the ground surface, determine the vertical effective
stresses and pore water pressures at A, B, and C.
Figure 4
5 By Melkamu Ab.
Bahir Dar University - Faculty of Civil and Water Resources Engineering
Department of Civil Engineeribg Soil Mechanics – I (Assignments)
8. The Overconsolidation ratio of saturated clay at a depth of 5 m is 6.0, and its water content is 38%. It is
believed that the clay has become overconsolidated as a result of erosion. Calculate the thickness of the
soil layer that was eroded. Assume that the ground water level is at the ground surface for both the past
and present conditions.
9. An oedometer test on a saturated clay soil gave the following results: Cc=0.2, Cr =0.04, OCR = 4.5. The
existing vertical effective stress in the field is 130 kPa. A building foundation will increase the vertical
stress at the center of the clay by 50 kPa. The thickness of the clay layer is 2 m and its water content is
28%. (Gs=2.70)
a. Calculate the primary consolidation settlement
b. What would be the difference in settlement if OCR were 1.5 instead of 4.5?
Assignment-II: 1, 4, 7& 8
6 By Melkamu Ab.