Civil Engineering Department, ISM Dhanbad

Geotechnical Engineering I (CEC 15102)

Home Assignment I
1. A fully saturated clay sample has mass of 101.5g and a volume of 50cm 3. After oven
drying, the clay has mass 84.5g. Assuming that the volume does not change during
drying, determine i) Gs. ii) e. iii) n. iv)d.
2. A compacted sample of soil with a bulk unit weight of 19.62KN/m3 has a water
content of 15%, what are its dry density, degree of saturation and air content? Assume
Gs=2.65.
3. The natural bulk unit weight of a sandy stratum was first filled loosely in a 300cm 3
mould and then vibrated to give a maximum density. The loose dry mass in the mould
was 480g and the dense dry mass at the maximum compaction was 570g. The specific
gravity of soil solids is 2.66; find the relative density of sand in the stratum.
4. A compacted cylindrical specimen 50mm diameter and 100mm long is to be prepared
from dry soil. If the specimen is required to have a water content of 15% and
percentage of air voids is 20, calculate the weight of soil and water required in the
preparation of the soil whose specific gravity is 2.69.
5. Establish the following relationship:

d
i)

d
iii)

(1 na )Gsw
1 wGs

t
1 w

d
ii)

DR

Gsw
wGs
1
S

d . max d d . min
d d . max d . min

iv)

6. Data and observation sheet for dry density determination by core cutter method is as
follows:
Mass of core cutter + soil = 3027g; mass of core cutter = 1058g; volume of core cutter
= 1021ml. Find the values of bulk density and bulk (total) unit weight. The data as
obtained in the laboratory of the soil sample as collected are: mass of container =
20.76g; mass of container + wet soil = 61.24g; mass of container + dry soil = 56.36g.
What are the values of dry density and dry unit weight of soil in-situ?
7. Soil was compacted in a cylindrical mould of volume 1l (with all particles larger than
20mm removed) by rammer (2.5kg mass falling freely through 300mm; the soil is
compacted in three layers each layer receiving 25 number of blows with the rammer).
The following results were obtained:
Mass(g)
Water Content (%)

2010
12.8

2092
14.5

2114 2100 2055

15.6 16.8 19.2

The value of Gs is 2.67. Plot the dry density of the soil - water content curve and find
the maximum value of the dry density and specify the corresponding optimum water
content.
8. The following results were obtained from liquid limit and plastic limit tests:
Number of blows (N)
Moisture content (%)

1
5
4
2

20

28

40.8

39.
1

Plastic limit test PL (wp) = 18.7%

a) Draw the flow curve and find the values of liquid limit (w l) and flow index
(If).
b) What is the plasticity index of the soil?
9. The following observations were made for determining the dry density by sand
replacement method:
a) Mass of sand (+ cylinder) before pouring = 10550g.
Mean mass of sand filling the cone = 445g.
b) Volume of calibrating container = 1000ml.
Mean mass of sand filling calibrating container = 1450g.
c) Mass of wet soil from the hole = 2234g.
Mass of sand (+ cylinder) after pouring in the hole = 8512g.
Find the bulk density of the standard sand and the soil. What is the value of the dry
unit weight? Water content was found to be 13%.
10. The following data is obtained from a sieve analysis:
IS sieve

100
mm

75
mm

19
mm

10
mm

4.7
5m
m
85

2
mm

1
mm

0.6
mm

425

300

33
49
140 160 142
118 82
Mass
retained
(g)
Draw the gradation curve. Also estimate the values of Cc and Cu.

212

150

75

56

35

Question Bank:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.

What do you understand by soil and soil mechanics?

Classify soil as per their origin and mode of transportation and also by structure.
What are Atterbergs limits? Define them and what is their engineering significance?
What is the theoretical basis of hydrometer analysis? What are its limitations? How
the effect of the limitations are minimized or removed?
With a neat sketch describe plasticity chart. How fine grained soils are classified as
per unified and Indian classification system?