CVNG 3005 Foundation Engineering

2010-2011 Semester 1
Tutorial 1 2010-09-23

(1) (a) Compute an estimate of the minimum Factor of Safety against undrained and drained
Bearing Capacity failure for a 2.3 m square footing founded at 1.5 m depth within the soil
profile illustrated in Figure Qu. 1a. The footing is loaded with an axial column load of 1800
kN and a moment of 600 kNm (from earthquake conditions). Use the data provided in Figure
Qu. 1a and Figure Qu. 1b. Use the methods of Terzaghi, Meyerhof and Vesic for your FS
computations.

(b) If the consolidation test for a sample taken from the middle of the Silty Clay 1 (Figure Qu.
1a) reveals; Cr/(1+e0r) = .015, Cc/(1+e0c) = 0.25 and P'c = 100 kN/m2 and for a sample from
the middle of Silty Clay 2: Cr/(1+e0r) = .011, Cc/(1+e0c) = 0.19 and P'c = 150 kN/m2,
determine the expected settlement of the 2.3 m square footing for the column loading in
section (a) accompanied by a drawdown in the water table to the top of the lower sand layer.
Assume that the settlement contribution of the sands within the soil profile to be negligible.

(2) A contractor wishes to construct an embankment fill for a roadway over a swamp profile by
placing four 1 m lifts of compacted sand fill as indicated in Figure Qu 2. The 1st lift is placed
instantaneously with additional 1 m lifts placed at six month intervals.

(a) Determine the minimum Factors of Safety against shear failure at slice No. 4 (counting from
the right) for both drained and undrained conditions at 0, 6, 12, 18 and 36 months after
construction. Consolidation analysis of the profile indicates that the excess pore pressure
dissipation at the base of this slice is given by:
ut = u0.e-kt, where
ut = excess pore water pressure at time t (months),
u0 = initial excess pore water pressure at time t = 0
k = 0.09 a numerical exponent
t = time in months.

(3) A contractor wishes to construct an embankment fill for a roadway over a swamp profile as
indicated in Figure Qu 2. If it is assumed that all the fill is placed instantaneously, determine
the initial pore pressure response at the base of each slice and the drained and undrained
Factors of safety for the slip circle given.

CVNG 3005 Foundation Engineering 1/3 Derek Gay 2020-09-23

 SPT (blows/ft)
1 10 100 1000 10000
0

15
Silty Sand φ' = 34º
3
γ = 19 kN/m
15

2
Silty Clay 1 φ' = 20º, c' = 5 kN/m
5 4 3
γ = 16 kN/m

2
Silty Clay 2 φ' = 20º, c' = 10 kN/m
8 3
γ = 18 kN/m
Depth (m)

10

15
Fine Sand φ' = 36º
3
γ = 20 kN/m

25
15

60 Gravel and Sand

3
γ = 20 kN/m

60
20

soil layer Water Table BH1

Figure Qu. 1a
Terzaghi Bearing Capacity Factors

Figure Qu. 1b

Figure Qu. 2