UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

SECOND SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS

MAY/JUNE 2013
PROGRAMME

BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering Part-Time

MODULE NAME

Geotechnical Engineering 1
Friday

DATE

MODULE CODE

10 May 2013

TIME

9:30 11:30 Hrs

NO. OF
QUESTIONS SET

CIVE 2218(3)

DURATION
NO. OF QUESTIONS
TO BE ATTEMPTED

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Answer All questions.
Table 1 is attached.

CIVE 2218/

2 hours
4

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 1 CIVE 2218/CIVE 2218(3)

Answer All questions.

Question 1
(i)

A sample of dry soil was mixed uniformly with 30% by weight of water. The soil
was then compacted in a cylindrical mould having a volume of 1 litre. The mass
of soil required to fill the mould was 1.45 kg.
The specific gravity of the soil particle was 2.70.
For the compacted soil, determine
(a)

the dry density in Mg/m3,

[4 marks]

(b)

the void ratio,

[4 marks]

(c)

the degree of saturation,

[4 marks]

(d)

(ii)

the water content necessary for complete saturation of the compacted soil
in the mould.
[4 marks]

During a constant head permeability test, the following data were obtained:
Diameter of specimen = 100 mm
Distance between standpipe tapping points = 150 mm
Quantity of water collected in 2 minutes = 500 cm3
Difference in standpipe water levels = 70 mm.
(a)

Calculate the coefficient of permeability of the soil.

[6 marks]

(b)

Give a brief explanation on ONE limitation of the constant head

permeability test.
[3 marks]

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GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 1 CIVE 2218/CIVE 2218(3)

Question 2
A one-dimensional consolidation test on a specimen obtained from a layer of silty clay
soil.
Each increment of pressure was maintained for 24 hr. A maximum pressure of 400 kPa
was applied, after which the pressure was removed and the specimen was allowed to
swell for 24 hr.
The void ratio of the specimen at the end of each loading was as follows:

(i)

Void ratio

1.455

25

1.449

50

1.438

100

1.420

200

1.390

400

1.350

1.360

Determine
(a)
(b)

(ii)

Pressure (kPa)

the overconsolidation ratio of the soil if its in-situ effective stress is 60 kPa,
[7 marks]
the compression index of the soil.
[7 marks]

When the pressure was increased from 100 to 200 kN/m2, the following results
were obtained:
Time (min)

Cumulative
Settlement
(mm x 10 -2)

6.4

9.4

12.8

16

15.8

25

18.8

36

20.6

49

21.8

64

22.5

81

22.9
(continued next page)
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GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 1 CIVE 2218/CIVE 2218(3)

Question 2 - (continued)
(a)

If the average thickness of the specimen during consolidation was 18.4mm,

use the root-time method to determine the coefficient of consolidation of
the soil.
[7 marks]
Values of time factor, Tv, against degree of consolidation for two-way
drainage are given in Table 1.

(b)

Determine the primary consolidation settlement of the specimen.

[4 marks]

Question 3
(i)

Differentiate between unconsolidated-undrained and consolidated-undrained

triaxial tests in terms of laboratory testing procedures.
[5 marks]

(ii)

In a series of consolidated-undrained triaxial tests on a saturated soil, the

following results were obtained:
Cell pressure (kPa)
Deviator stress (kPa) at
failure
Porewater pressure
(kPa) at failure

250
192

400
341

550
504

180

254

322

(a)

Use the method of Mohr circles to determine the shear strength parameters
for the soil.
[10 marks]

(b)

At the end of another test on a specimen of the same soil, consolidated at a

cell pressure of 300 kPa, the deviator stress at failure was 230 kPa. For the
specimen, use a graphical method to determine
(i)
(ii)

the porewater pressure at failure;

[5 marks]
the normal and shear stress on the failure plane, in terms of effective
stress.
[5 marks]

Question 4
(i)

Soils A and B have coefficients of permeability of 2 x 10 -4 m/s and 8 x 10 -5 m/s

respectively. These two soils form adjacent layers each 2 m thick. Calculate the
equivalent coefficient of permeability in directions parallel and perpendicular to
the layers.
[12 marks]

(ii)

A stratum of clay 4m thick overlies a stratum of sand. The water table in the clay
is at ground level. The level of water in a standpipe driven through the clay
stratum into the sand stratum is at 2m above the ground surface.
Use graph papers to draw scaled diagrams indicating the distribution of total
stress, porewater pressure and effective stress to a depth of 8m below ground
level.
[13 marks]
Saturated unit weight of clay = 18 kN/m3
Saturated unit weight of sand = 20 kN/m3
END OF QUESTION PAPER

/sg

Page 3 of 3

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 1 CIVE 2218/CIVE 2218(3)

Degree of
consolidation

Tv

0.1

0.008

0.2

0.031

0.3

0.071

0.4

0.126

0.5

0.197

0.6

0.287

0.7

0.403

0.8

0.567

0.9

0.848
Table 1

Page 4 of 3