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The pore-water pressures in overconsolidated clay can be positive when it is

subjected to a stress higher than its pre-consolidation pressure.


(i) True
(ii) False

At t = 0 (i.e., immediately after the stress is applied), the excess pore-water


pressure, Δu at any depth, Δh will be equal to the applied loading Δσ, or Δu =
(Δh)(γ w )= Δσ
(i) True
(ii) False

Two fine-grained soils; A and B have liquid limit, wL values equal to 50 and 60
respectively. Note that the plastic limit, wP values for the soils A and B are 25 and
35 respectively. For such fine-grained soils, the compression index, Cc of will not
be the same; however, the swelling index, Cs will be the same. Assume Soil A is
normally consolidated clay and Soil B is over consolidated clay.
(i) True
(ii) False

Rankine’s theory is used widely in comparison to Coulomb’s theory because of


its simplifying assumption, in which the wall is assumed smooth, that yields
conservative results and prompts safer designs in engineering practice.
(i) True
(ii) False

The bearing capacity of a fine-grained soil such as clay for long term condition
depends on the effective shear strength parameters c’ and φ’ values and the
location of the ground water table.
(i) True
(ii) False

The passive earth pressure coefficient is always greater than active earth
pressure coefficient and also equal to unity or greater than unity.
(i) True
(ii) False

Excavations in clayey soils loose strength with time.


(i) True
(ii) False

A sand with a higher angle of internal friction, φ' exerts a higher Pa on a retaining
structure compared to a saturated clay with no angle of internal friction (i.e., φ u =
0).
(i) True
(ii) False
Elastic settlements predominantly occur below foundations constructed on
sands rather than saturated clays
(i) True
(ii) False

For design of shallow foundations on sand, a weighted averaging has to be made


after correction of the measured N-values from SPT from the zone between the
base of the foundation and a depth of twice the width of the foundation with
greater weightage being to values closer to the base of the foundation.
(i) True
(ii) False
The parameter that has the greatest influence on the bearing capacity of a
coarsegrained soil such as sands is the angle of internal friction, φ’.
(i) True
(ii) False

The ultimate bearing capacity of a fine-grained soil such as clay for the long term
condition depends on the shear strength parameters c’ and φ’ values and the
location of the ground water table conditions.
(i) True
(ii) False

The soil has to undergo lateral deformation before the soil reaches a state of
active or passive condition.
(i) True
(ii) False

Excavations lose strength with time and embankments gain strength with time.
(i) True
(ii) False

The pore-water pressures are likely to be negative in typical overconsolidated


clay samples when they are subjected to shear loading in a triaxial test apparatus
with a confining pressure lower than their pre-consolidation pressure.
(i) True
(ii) False

There will be no excessive settlement in a foundation if it is designed for ultimate


bearing capacity of the soil.
(i) True
(ii) False

The degree of saturation of a compacted specimen at optimum moisture content


is always lower than 100%.
(i) True
(ii) False

Sands and gravels typically exhibit angle of internal friction, φ’ greater than 25°.
(i) True
(ii) False

Boussinesq’s equation used for calculating the vertical stress distribution below
the footings is not valid at a depth value equal to zero.
(i) True
(ii) False
Two fine-grained soils; A and B have liquid limit, wL values equal to 60 and 40
respectively. Note that the plastic limit, wP values for the soils A and B are 20 and
20 respectively. For such fine-grained soils, the compression index, Cc of will be
the same.
(i) True
(ii) False

A pocket penetrometer can be directly used in the field for quickly determining
the plastic limit of the soils.
(i) True
(ii) False

Only in some exceptional cases, passive earth pressure coefficient can be greater
than active earth pressure coefficient.
(i) True
(ii) False

Rankine’s theory is used widely in comparison to Coulomb’s theory because of


its simplistic assumption in which the wall is assumed smooth that yields
conservative results and prompts safer designs in engineering practice.
(i) True
(ii) False

A sand with a higher angle of internal friction, φ' exerts a lower Pa on a retaining
structure compared to a saturated clay with no angle of internal friction (i.e., φu =
0).
(i) True
(ii) False

The compression index, Cc for an over consolidated clay (i.e., Soil A) was
determined from consolidation tests. The same clay (i.e., Soil A) was mixed with
water at a content higher than its liquid limit and subjected to a loading below the
preconsolidation pressure. The Cc value of the prepared normally consolidated
clay is lower than the Cc value of the over consolidated clay specimen (i.e., Soil
A).
(i) True
(ii) False

The pore-water pressure in an over consolidated clay sample is always negative.


(i) True
(ii) False

The direct shear test apparatus is a versatile equipment and can be used for
determining the shear strength of soils under different loading conditions for all
soils including sands and clays (i.e., UU, CU and CD conditions).
(i) True
(ii) False

The stress versus strain relationship of an overconsolidated clay is similar to that


of a loose sand.
(i) True
(ii) False

At liquid limit value, the shear strength of Kaolinite is higher than


Montmorillonite.
(i) True
(ii) False

The influence of upward seepage on the effective stress can be neglected.


(i) True
(ii) False

The stress versus strain behavior of an overconsolidated clay is similar to that of


a loose sand.
(i) True
(ii) False

For heavily overconsolidated clays, the swelling index can be greater than the
compression index.
(i) True
(ii) False
Vane shear apparatus can be used for determining the in-situ shear strength of
(i) Soft clays only
(ii) Soft clays and soft sands
(iii) All types of clayey soils but not for sands
(iv) All soils

The settlements in saturated clays are mainly attributed to


(i) Deformation of soil grains
(ii) Compression of water within the voids
(iii) Expulsion of water from within the voids

(Immediate settlement, Primary consolidation settlement, Secondary


consolidation settlement) can be neglected in fine-grained soils

The consolidated undrained triaxial test result with pore-water pressure


measurements can be used to estimate (effective, total, both effective and total)
shear strength parameters.

The settlement of a normally consolidated clay layer can be (overestimated,


underestimated) if the calculation is based on the oedometer tests using a
disturbed soil sample.

To determine the short term stability of an embankment constructed with clay,


the total shear strength parameters (i.e. cu and φu) can be determined by:
(i) Conducting consolidated drained direct shear tests on identical specimens
(ii) Conducting consolidated drained triaxial shear tests on identical specimens
(iii) Conducting consolidated undrained (CU ) triaxial shear tests with pore-pressure
measurements during the shearing stage on identical specimens
(iv) Conducting any one of the above tests (i.e., (i), (ii) or (iii)
(v) None of the above

It is more reliable to determine the FS for long term stability conditions for an
expansive soil slope using:
(i) Peak shear strength parameters
(ii) Residual shear strength parameters
(iii) Critical state shear strength parameters
(iv) None of the above. The long term FS is not dependent on the shear strength
parameters

Which one of the below is not an assumption in the 1-D consolidation theory
proposed by Terzaghi?
(i) Homogeneous and 100% saturation
(ii) Drainage at both the top and bottom of the compressible layer
(iii) Soil grains and water are incompressible
(iv) Unique relationship between the volume change and effective stress
(v) mv and k vary with respect the effect stress
Lateral earth pressure under active conditions on the back of a smooth vertical
retaining wall with a horizontal slope clay backfill under saturated conditions and
loaded under undrained conditions will be zero at a depth of

The bearing capacity theory proposed by Skempton is valid for


(i) sands under undrained loading conditions
(ii) sands under both drained and undrained loading conditions
(iii) saturated clays under both drained and undrained loading conditions
(iv) saturated clays under undrained loading conditions only

Water content at which no further volume change occurs with further reduction in
water content is defined as
(i) Shrinkage limit
(ii) Plastic limit
(iii) Liquid limit
(iv) Plasticity index

Compaction is NOT a function of


(i) Compaction effort (energy)
(ii) Compaction water content
(iii) Soil type
(iv) Unit weight of sand used in the sand cone test
(v) Dry density

Which one of the tests below has a different drainage condition than the others?
(i) Consolidated drained triaxial test on a fully saturated clay
(ii) Vane shear test on a fully saturated clay
(iii) Unconfined compression test on a fully saturated clay

To determine the long term stability of an embankment constructed with clay, the
effective shear strength, c’ and φ’ parameters can be determined by:
(i) Conducting consolidated drained direct shear tests on identical specimens
(ii) Conducting consolidated drained triaxial shear tests on identical specimens
(iii) Conducting consolidated undrained (CU ) triaxial shear tests with pore-pressure
measurements during the shearing stage on identical specimens
(iv) Conducting any one of the above tests (i.e., (i), (ii) or (iii)
(v) None of the above

To determine the initial stability of a footing on saturated clay


(i) The shear strength parameters of the soil under undrained loading conditions are
required
(ii) The shear strength parameters of the soil under drained loading conditions are
required
(iii) The shear strength parameters of the soil under both undrained and drained loading
conditions are essential
(iv) The shear strength parameters should be determined from plate load test.

The pore-pressure parameters A and B can be determined by:


(i) direct shear test and triaxial shear test equipment
(ii) triaxial shear test equipment only
(iii) direct shear test and unconfined compression test equipments
(iv) None of these equipments. More sophisticated equipment with data acquisition set
up is necessary.

Three different over consolidated clay specimens were tested for the pore-
pressure parameter, Af. The Af values of these clay specimens were respectively;
0.5, 0.9 and 0.3 respectively. Which one of these soils has been subjected to
higher stresses in their past history?
(i) Soil specimen with Af value = 0.5
(ii) Soil specimen with Af value = 0.9
(iii) Soil specimen with Af value = 0.3

Lateral earth pressure under active conditions on the back of a smooth vertical
retaining wall with a horizontal slope clay backfill under saturated conditions and
loaded under undrained conditions will be zero at a depth of
(i) z = 0
(ii) z = 2cu/γ
(iii) z = 3cu/γ
(iv) z = 4cu/γ

SPT results can be used in the estimation of the following


(i) bearing capacity of soils
(ii) settlement of soils
(iii) strength of soils
(iv) all the above

The bearing capacity theory originally proposed by Karl Terzaghi is valid for only
continuous strip footing assuming
(i) punching shear failure conditions under undrained loading conditions
(ii) general shear failure conditions under drained loading conditions
(iii) local shear failure conditions under both drained and undrained loading conditions
(iv) none of the above conditions
The concept of floating or compensated foundation is commonly used in the
design of
(i) isolated or individual column footings
(ii) raft or mat foundations
(iii) pile foundations
(iv) can be applied for all the foundations

Several parameters are listed below for increasing the load carrying capacity of a
coarse-grained soil; which one of the following is more effective than others.
(i) increase the width of the foundation
(ii) increase the depth of the foundation
(iii) increase the thickness of the foundation
(iv) by raising the ground water table to the natural ground level

For design of shallow foundations on sand, a weighted averaging has to be made


after correction of the measured N-values from SPT from the zone
________________________________ with greater weightage being to values
closer to the base of the foundation. In the above sentence, fill up the blank with
one of the following statements below:
(i) between the base of the foundation and a depth equal to the width of the foundation
(ii) between the base of the foundation and a depth equal to twice the width
(iii) between the base of the foundation and a depth equal to three times the width of
foundation
(iv) none of the above; this value has to be calculated from the shear strength
parameters and should not be based on SPT values.

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