Geotechnical

Engineering

For

Civil Engineering
By

www.thegateacademy.com
 Syllabus

Syllabus for Geotechnical Engineering

Soil Mechanics: Origin of Soils, Soil Structure and Fabric; Three-Phase System and Phase
Relationships, index Properties; Unified and Indian Standard Soil Classification System;
Permeability-One Dimensional Flow, Darcy’s Law; Seepage Through Soils-Two-Dimensional
Flow, Flow Nets, Uplift Pressure, Piping; Principle of Effective Stress, Capillarity, Seepage
Force and Quicksand Condition; Compaction in Laboratory and Field Conditions; One-
Dimensional Consolidation, Time Rate of Consolidation; Mohr’s Circle, Stress Paths,
Effective and Total Shear Strength Parameters, Characteristics of Clays and Sand.

Foundation Engineering: Sub-Surface Investigations - Scope, Drilling Bore Holes, Sampling,

Plate Load Test, Standard Penetration and Cone Penetration Tests; Earth Pressure Theories
-Rankine and Coulomb; Stability of Slopes-Finite and Infinite Slopes, Method of Slices and
Bishop’s Method; Stress Distribution in Soils-Boussinesq’s and Westergaard’s Theories,
Pressure Bulbs; Shallow Foundations-Terzaghi’s and Meyerhoff’s Bearing Capacity
Theories, Effect of Water Table; Combined Footing and Raft Foundation; Contact Pressure;
Settlement Analysis in Sands and Clays; Deep Foundations-Types of Piles, Dynamic and
Static Formulae, Load Capacity of Piles in Sands and Clays, Pile Load Test, Negative Skin
Friction.

Analysis of GATE Papers

Year Percentage of Marks Overall Percentage

2015 15.00

2014 12.00

2013 15.00

2012 14.00

2011 18.82
15.68%
2010 20.00

2009 16.00

2008 16.66

2007 15.33

2006 14.00

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 Contents

Contents

Chapters Page No.

#1. Introduction to Soil Mechanics 1 – 11
 Origin of Soil 1
 Three Phase System 1–4
 Pycnometer Method 5
 Solved Examples 6–8
 Assignment 9 – 10
 Answer Keys & Explanations 10 – 11

#2. Index Properties and Soil Classification 12 – 26

 Water Content 12
 Determination of Specific Gravity of Soil Solids 13 – 14
 Particle Size Distribution 14 – 15
 Particle Size Distribution Curve 15 – 19
 Indian Standard Soil Classification System 19 – 21
 Solved Examples 22 – 23
 Assignment 24 – 25
 Answer Keys & Explanations 26

#3. Permeability and Seepage 27 – 45

 Permeability 27
 Discharge Velocity and Seepage Velocity 28 – 33
 Uses of Flow Nets 34 – 37
 Flow through Non-Homogeneous Sections 37
 Prevention of Erosion- Protective Filters 37 – 38
 Stress Conditions in Soil: Effective and Neutral Pressures 38 – 40
 Solved Examples 40 – 42
 Assignment 43 – 44
 Answer Keys & Explanations 45

#4. Compressibility and Consolidation 46 – 60

 Introduction 46 – 48
 Calculation of Consolidation Settlement 48 – 49
 Normally Consolidated and Over-Consolidated Clays 49 – 52
 Determination of Co-efficient of Consolidation 52 – 53
 Logarithm of Time Fitting Method 53 – 54

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 Contents

 Solved Examples 54 – 57
 Assignment 58 – 59
 Answer Keys & Explanations 60

#5. Compaction 61 – 69
 Introduction 61
 Laboratory Tests for Compaction 61 – 62
 Zero Air Voids Line 62 – 63
 Factors Affecting Compaction 63 – 65
 Effect of Compaction 65 – 66
 Solved Examples 66 – 67
 Assignment 68
 Answer Keys & Explanations 69

#6. Stress Analysis 70 – 79

 Concentrated Force: Bossiness Equations 70 – 72
 Stress Isobar or Pressure Bulb 72 – 75
 Westergaard’s Analysis 75
 Contact Pressure 75 – 76
 Solved Examples 76 – 77
 Assignment 78 – 79
 Answer Keys & Explanations 79

#7. Shear Strength 80 – 100

 Introduction 80
 Mohr’s Stress Circle 80 – 81
 Mohr’s Coulomb Failure Theory 81 – 82
 Effective Stress Principles Terzaghi’s Concept) 82 – 91
 Solved Examples 91 – 95
 Assignment 96 – 98
 Answer Keys & Explanations 99 – 100

#8. Surface Investigations 101 – 112

 Introduction 101
 Methods of Site Exploration 101
 Boring Methods 101 – 103
 Soil Samples 104 – 107

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 Contents

 Dynamic Cone Penetration Test (DCPT) 108 – 110

 Assignment 111 – 112
 Answer Keys & Explanations 112

#9. Earth Pressure 113 – 130

 Introduction 113
 Types of Earth Pressure 113 – 114
 Rankine’s Theory 115 – 120
 Solved Examples 121 – 127
 Assignment 128 – 129
 Answer Keys & Explanations 129 – 130

#10. Stability of Slopes 131 – 141

 Introduction 131
 Types of Slopes 131
 Stability Analysis 131 – 133
 Method of Analysis 133 – 137
 Solved Examples 138 – 139
 Assignment 140
 Answer Keys & Explanations 141

#11. Bearing Capacity 142 – 158

 Types of Foundation 142 – 143
 Definitions 143 – 144
 Types of Bearing Capacity Failures 144 – 145
 Terzaghi’s Analysis 145 – 148
 Skempton’s Bearing Capacity Theory 148 – 149
 Settlement Criteria of Footings 149 – 150
 Solved Examples 150 – 155
 Assignment 156 – 157
 Answer Keys & Explanations 157 – 158

#12. Pile Foundation 159 – 172

 Introduction 159
 Bearing Capacity of Piles 159 – 165
 Feld’s Rule 165 - 167
 Solved Examples 168 – 169

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 Contents

 Assignment 170 – 171

 Answer Keys & Explanations 172

Module Test 173 – 180

 Test Questions 173 – 177
 Answer Keys & Explanations 177 – 180

Reference Books 181

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 “For it matters not how small the
beginning may seem to be. What is once
well done, is well done forever”
…Henry David Thoreau

1
CHAPTER

Introduction to Soil
Mechanics
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you will know:
1. Three Phase System
2. Origin of Soil
3. Water Content Density and Unit Weight
4. Pyrometer Method

Origin of Soil
Soil is a complex material produced by weathering of solid rock. Weathering is caused by physical
agencies and geological cycle followed by transportation, denudation and upheaval.
 Residual soil which remain in place directly over parent rock.
 Transported soil is transported by physical agencies like wind, water etc.
 Water Transported soil are called alluvial, marine or lacustrine.
 Lacustrine soil find their origin in lakes.
 Alluvial soil in flowing water and marine soil in seas.
 Air blown soil are called Aeolian.
 Loess is windblown silt or salty clay.
 Accumulation of decaying and chemically deposited vegetable matter under excessive moisture
results in formation of cumulose soils (peat and muck).

Three Phase System

 Soil mass is 3 phase system consisting of solid particles, water and air.
 In dry soil, only soil particles and air voids are present. As shown in figure. Figure (a) shows the
element of natural soil and figure (b) shows elements separated into 3 phases.

ir
ter
V
olids

Water Solids (i) Volumes (ii) Weights

(a) Element of (b) Element of Separated

Natural Soil into Three Phases
Soil as a Three Phase System

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 Introduction to Soil Mechanics

Water Content, Density and Unit Weights

(a) Water Content: Ratio of weight of water to weight of solids,
w

(b) Density of Soil: Mass of soil per unit volume is called density of soil
 Bulk Density: Also known as moist density is total mass M of soil per unit of its total volume.

 Dry Density ( ): Mass of solids per unit of total volume (prior to drying) of the soil mass.

 Density of Solid ( ): Mass of soil solids ( ) per unit volume of solids

 Saturated Density: When soil mass is saturated its bulk density is called saturated density ( )
 Submerged Density: Submerged mass of solids ( ) per unit of total volume.
( )

Unit Weight of Soil Mass

 Bulk Unit Weight ( )= Total weight W of a soil mass per unit of its total volume V

 Dry Unit Weight: Weight of solids per unit of its total volume of soil mass

 Unit Weight of Solids: weight of soil solids is weight of soil solids per unit volume of solids

 Saturated Unit Weight ( ): When the soil mass is saturated, its bulk unit weight is called
saturated unit weight.
 Submerged Unit Weight ( ): Submerged unit weight of soil solids ( ) per unit of total
volume (V) of soil mass.
( )

Specific Gravity:
Specific gravity G is defined as the ratio of the weight of a given volume of soil solids at a given
temperature to the weight of an equal volume of distilled water at same temperature.

The apparent specific gravity denotes mass of soil to equal mass of water

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 Introduction to Soil Mechanics

Voids Ratio, Porosity and Degree of Saturation

Voids Ratio: Voids ratio e of a given soil sample is the ratio of the volume of voids to the volume of
soil solids in given soil mass.
hus e

Void ratios of fine grained soils are generally higher than those of coarse grained soils in general e > 0

Porosity: The porosity n of a given soil sample is the ratio of the volume of voids to the total volume
of the given soil mass.
n
Relation between e and n
e
n
( e)
n
e
n

Degree of Saturation:
Volume of water to volume of voids is called degree of saturation

For perfectly dry sample, S = 0 and for perfectly saturated sample, S = 1.

Percentage of Air Voids:

Ratio of volume of air voids to the total volume of soil mass and is expressed as percentage
n

Air Content:
Air content is defined as the ratio of volume of air voids to the volume of voids

Density Index and Relative Compaction:

e e
e e
The term density Index is applicable only for cohesionless soil.

Relative Compaction: Relative compaction is defined as

,
Where , is obtained from compaction test.

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 Introduction to Soil Mechanics

Fundamental Relationships:
 Relation between e, w, G and S
e
e
Hen e e e
The term e is known as the water voids ratio and other symbols have their usual meaning.
e
e
s
 Relation between e, nd n
n

e
e e
n , sin e e e
e
e( s)
n
e
 Relation between n , n and
n n
 Relation between , nd e (or n)

e
Also ( n)
 Relation between , nd e
tot l weight of s tur ted soil
ot l volu e of soil

( e)
e
 Relation between , , e nd
( e)
e
for ,
( )
e
for su erged
( )
e
 Relation between , nd n
d ( n)
 Relation between , , w nd n
( n )
w

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