CENG 6207 Advanced Soil Mechanics

ADDIS ABABA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

COLLAGE OF ARICTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING SPECILIZATION

Advanced Soil Mechanics CENG 6207 Date: November 27, 2016

Year 2015/2016 Time: 2:30Hr
FINAL EXAM
Note:
1. Solve all problems
2. No credit for incorrect answers
3. The examination is closed book but two page formulas are allowed.

1. A 5-m-thick clay layer, drained at the top only, has some sand drains. A uniform surcharge
is applied at the top of the clay layer. Calculate the average degree of consolidation for
combined vertical and radial drainage after 100 days of load application, given Cvr = Cv=
4mm2/ min, de = 2m, and rw = 0.2m.

2. Figure 1 represents a steady state one dimensional seepage situation in which the upstream
and downstream water levels are maintained constant. The container in which the soil
(permeability k = 1.2 x 10-5 m/sec, and porosity n = 0.2) has been placed consists of two
sections having different diameters. The areas of the upper (AU) and lower (AL) sections
are 28cm2 and 14cm2 respectively.
(a) Determine the rate of seepage flow through the soil.
(b) Calculate the actual velocity of flow through the upper section of soil.
(c) Plot the total head, pressure head and elevation head along the tube.

(Hint: Firstly it is necessary to establish an arbitrary datum from which the elevation head may be
measured. Let this datum be located a distance of 4cm below the lower boundary of the soil.)

Figuer.1

3. In a material with a Poisson ratio of μ= 0.33, how much stiffer is the material if its sides are
constrained (not allowed to move in or out)?

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CENG 6207 Advanced Soil Mechanics

4. Two identical samples of clay are isotropically normally compressed to an all-round

effective pressure of 200 kPa and are then allowed to swell back to an effective isotropic
pressure of 100 kPa.The first sample is then subjected to a standard drained compression
test. What is the deviator stress at failure and what is the volumetric strain experienced by
the sample at failure? The second sample is subjected to a standard undrained compression
test. What are the deviator stress and pore pressure at failure, if there is initially a back
pressure of 100 kPa?
Assume that the soil has the following critical state properties:

= 0.95, = 0.094, = 0.036, = 2.06 and = 2.12

5. Derive the relationship for bulk modulus (B): B=E/3(1-μ), Show all necessary steps and
assumptions.

6. Triaxial test data for the soil sample collected from Ayer Tena area given below in Table 1.
The cell pressure (c)=300kPa and it was zero before application. The initial height of the
sample (Lo)=100cm
∆L ( 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 15 20
change in
height,cm)
( )1
300 500 720 920 1050 1200 1250
U 120 150 150 120 80 10 -60

Estimate
a. The value of B (skempton pore pressure parameter) state where the sample is
saturated or not
b. Plot deviator Stress vs Strain
c. Plot ‘A” vs Strain

7. Explain in detail stress path for normally consolidated undrained and drained soil (use
sketch)

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