First Year.

rev 3/09

Geotechnics - Examples 1.
1. A soil has a voids ratio of 0.5 and the particles have a specific gravity of 2.6.
Determine the dry, saturated and submerged unit weights. Determine also the unit
weight if the voids are 50% saturated.
( dry=17.00kNm-3, sat=20.27kNm-3, sub=10.46kNm-3, (50%sat)=18.64kNm-3)
2. The total volume of a saturated sample of soil is 1x105 mm3 and it has a mass of
161.5g. After drying the mass of the soil is 100.0g. Determine :
a) the specific gravity of the soil solids (2.6)
b) the voids ratio of the soil (1.6)
c) the dry density of the soil (1000kgm-3)
3. A dry sample of sand, e=0.42, is to be prepared in a direct shear box apparatus
with a sample container 60x60x40mm. If the soil solids specific gravity is 2.65
determine the mass of sand needed to prepare the sample and the samples dry unit
weight and porosity.
If the sample is later 95% saturated with water find its total unit weight and moisture
content.
How would the moisture content of a clay be found?
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(dry=18.31kNm , mass=269g, =30%, tot=21.06kNm , mc=15.1% )

4. A soil sample, prepared for a consolidation test, was in the form of a disc 100mm
in diameter by 20mm thick. It weighed 339.9g. A portion of the soil left over from
the preparation weighed 47.30g before and 42.28g after oven drying. Find the total
and dry unit weights of the soil, its voids ratio and the volume of air in the sample.
Also determine its saturated unit weight. The soil solids specific gravity is 2.65.
(tot=21.23kNm-3, dry=18.97kNm-3, e=0.37, A=4.0%(6.28cm3), sat=21.62kNm-3 )
5. A soil sample 200mm long was cut from a 100mm diameter core extruded from a
sample tube. The sample weighed 3.411kg, and a sub-sample weighed 21.06g
before and 18.35g after oven drying. Given that the soil solids specific gravity is
2.69 find the bulk and dry unit weights of the soil, its degree of saturation, porosity
and moisture content.
Discuss briefly whether strength tests on such a sample will give identical behaviour
to that expected in the field.
( bulk=21.30kNm-3, mc=14.8%, dry=18.55kNm-3, =29.6%, S=94% )