Ahmad Luay Adnani

03111850060004

Problem

1.12. Rock test. A contractor engaged in building part of a sewer tunnel claimed that the rock was
harder than described in his contract with a District Council in the United Kingdom and thus more
work was required to construct the tunnel than anticipated. An independent company made tests to
verify the contractor's claim. Among these were uniaxial compressive strengths, of which 123
specimens are listed here, in meganewtons per square meter.

2.40, 22.08, 16.80, 4.80, 21.36, 9.12, 9.36, 3.60, 15.36, 15.60, 6.24, 9.84, 16.08, 30.00, 20.40, 12.96,
19.20, 10.32, 15.84, 62.40, 40.80, 4.80, 7.20, 8.88, 14.40, 14.88, 5.76, 18.72, 12.48, 11.04, 8.64,
19.20, 8.16, 18.96, 8.64, 12.00, 14.88, 17.52, 12.48, 13.44, 9.36, 11.28, 8.88, 15.12, 9.36, 17.28,
26.40, 4.32, 11.28, 7.92, 13.92, 11.76, 9.60, 8.40, 9.84, 27.60, 6.00, 14.40, 8.88, 17.04, 12.48, 9.84,
10.80, 12.24, 12.00, 13.20, 11.28, 11.76 11.76, 8.00, 9.36, 15.12, 11.52, 16.08, 10.80 14.64, 8.40,
13.44, 10.56, 9.12, 13.44, 12.72, 13.68, 11.28, 5.52, 11.04, 12.00, 7.20, 8.64, 11.76, 8.64, 7.68, 7.68,
13.92, 6.48, 7.20, 7.92, 9.60, 8.64, 9.12, 12.96, 9.36, 14.64, 9.12, 8.88, 20.40, 17.28, 8.64, 11.76, 7.92,
7.68, 11.04, 12.48, 14.40, 9.84, 9.12, 8.40, 12.00, 4.80, 12.72, 9.60, 8.64, 9.84

Draw histograms using Eqs. (1.1.1) and (1.1.2) for the class widths. What do you notice about the
histograms in general? Draw a box and whiskers plot. What evidence is there to support the
contractor’s claim?

Solution
Ranked uniaxial compressive strengths in meganewtons per square meter (from low to high):

2,40 3,60 4,32 4,80 4,80 4,80 5,52 5,76 6,00 6,24
6,48 7,20 7,20 7,20 7,68 7,68 7,68 7,92 7,92 7,92
8,00 8,16 8,40 8,40 8,40 8,64 8,64 8,64 8,64 8,64
8,64 8,64 8,88 8,88 8,88 8,88 9,12 9,12 9,12 9,12
9,12 9,36 9,36 9,36 9,36 9,36 9,60 9,60 9,60 9,84
9,84 9,84 9,84 9,84 10,32 10,56 10,80 10,80 11,04 11,04
11,04 11,28 11,28 11,28 11,28 11,52 11,76 11,76 11,76 11,76
11,76 12,00 12,00 12,00 12,00 12,24 12,48 12,48 12,48 12,48
12,72 12,72 12,96 12,96 13,20 13,44 13,44 13,44 13,68 13,92
13,92 14,40 14,40 14,40 14,64 14,64 14,88 14,88 15,12 15,12
15,36 15,60 15,84 16,08 16,08 16,80 17,04 17,28 17,28 17,52
18,72 18,96 19,20 19,20 20,40 20,40 21,36 22,08 26,40 27,60
30,00 40,80 62,40

n = 123. Median Q2 = 11,28.

Medians of the bottom and top halves of the ranked data:
Q1 = 8,64; Q3 = 14,40
r = 62,40 – 2,40 = 60,00

iqr = Q3 – Q1
iqr = 14,40 – 8,64 = 5,76
nc = 1+3,3log10 n
nc = 1+3,3log10 123 = 7,9 or

nc = rn1/3 / (2iqr)
nc = 60 × 1231/3 / (2 × 5,76) = 25,9

Sketch Histogram :
(1) Take nc = 8; class width = r/8 ≈ 8

Histogram
90

80

70

60

50
Frequency

Frequency
40

30

20

10

0
0-8 8-16 16-24 24-32 32-40 40-48 48-56 56-64 More

uniaxial compressive strengths in meganewtons per square meter

(2) Take nc = 26; class width = r/26 ≈ 3

 Histogram
45

40

35

30

25
Frequency

Frequency
20

15

10

0
e
3

or
0-

6-

-1

-2

-2

-3

-3

-4

-5

-5

-6

M
12

54

60
18

24

30

36

42

48

uniaxial compressive strengths in meganewtons per square meter

Sketch of box and whisker plot :

The Shape of Histograms and the high numbers of outlier support the contractor’s claim.