Geotechnical Engineering

PROBLEM SET 1

Situation 1. For a moist soil, the following are given: Volume: 1.1m3, weight = 20.04 kN, water content =
8.6% and Gs = 2.63.

1. Determine the porosity.

a. 0.54 b. 0.35 c. 1.54 d. 0.61
2. Determine the degree of saturation.
a. 0.42 b. 0.65 c. 0.15 d. 0.37
3. Determine the volume occupied by air.
a. 1.44 b. 0.147 c. 0.186 d. 0.223

4. Calculate the porosity of a soil sample that has a bulk density of 1.35 g/cm3. Assume the particle
density is 2.65 g/cm3.
a. 49% c. 51%
b. 96% d. 67%

Situation 2. A sample of soft saturated clay has a volume of 100 cu.cm and weighs 175 g. The oven dry
weight is 120 g.

5. Compute the void ratio

a. 1.27 b. 1.33 c. 1.22 d. 1.14
6. Determine the specific gravity of the clay.

a. 2.66 b. 2.11 c. 2.49 d. 2.90

Situation 3. A dry sand is placed in a container having a volume of .0089 cm3. The dry unit weight of the
sample is .014 g. Water is carefully added to the container so as not to disturb the condition of the sand.
When the water is filled, the combined weight of soil plus water is .0174 g.

7. Determine the void ratio of the soil in the container

a. 0.38 b. 0.62 c. 0.42 d. 0.65

8. Determine the dry unit weight of the soil sample.

a. 15.44 kN/m3 c. 18.56 kN/m3

b. 16.78 kN/m3 d. 17.21 kN/m3

 9. Determine the saturated unit weight of the soil sample.

a. 15.44 kN/m3 c. 19.20 kN/m3

b. 16.78 kN/m3 d. 17.21 kN/m3

Situation 4. In a core-cutter test of a steel cylinder having a mass of 1472 g. an internal diameter of 102
mm and a length of 125 mm was rammed into an in-situ soil mass. After removing and trimming the
ends flat, its mass was found to be 3482 g. The moisture content of the soil was later found to be 16.4%
and the sp.gr. of the soil is 2.70.

10. Determine the bulk density of the soil.

a. 1.64 g/cc c. 1.69 g/cc

b. 1.97 g/cc d. 1.75 g/cc

11. Determine the dry density of the soil sample.

a. 1.64 g/cc c. 1.69 g/cc

b. 1.97 g/cc d. 1.75 g/cc

Situation 5.
Size (mm) Percent Finer Size (mm) Percent Finer
0.425 100 0.0062 60
0.033 90 0.0035 50
0.018 80 0.0018 40
0.01 70 0.001 35

12. Using USDA system, determine the percentages of gravel, sand, silt and clay

a. 0%, 6%, 52%, 42% c. 0%, 8%, 50%, 42%

b. 0%, 10%, 40%, 50% d. 0%, 9%, 43%, 48%

13. Using AASHTO system, determine the percentages of gravel, sand, silt and clay

a. 0%, 6%, 52%, 42% c. 0%, 8%, 50%, 42%

 b. 0%, 10%, 40%, 50% d. 0%, 9%, 43%, 48%

Situation 6. Given the particle size distribution of the soil: Gravel =20%, Sand = 8%, Silt = 48%, Clay = 24%

14. Compute the modified percentage of sand using USDA method

a. 11% c. 10%

b. 12 % d. 9%

15. Compute the modified percentage of silt using USDA method

a. 59% c. 58%

b. 60 % d. 61%

16. Compute the modified percentage of clay using USDA method

a. 30% c. 29%

b. 31 % d. 28%

Situation 7. A soil sample has a natural water content of 22.5% and it is known to have a specific gravity
of 2.6. In order to determine the moist density of soil, a portion of soil weighing 224g is put in a 500 cm 3
container. It is filled 382 cm3 of water to fill the container.

17. Compute the void ratio of the soil.

a. 0.82 c. 0.68

b. 0.89 d. 1.04

18. Compute the porosity of the soil.

a. 45.05% c. 47.09%

b. 40.48% d. 50.98%

19. Compute the degree of saturation of soil.

a. 71.43% c. 65.73%
 b. 86.03% d. 56.25%

20. Soil is classified as coarse grained soil if more than _______ percent retained on a No. 200 sieve.

a. 40 c. 60

b. 50 d. 70
 Geotechnical Engineering

PROBLEM SET 2
SITUATION 1: A laboratory test was conducted to determine the shrinkage limit of a soil sample. The
following data were obtained:
Mass of dish = 12.78g
Mass of dish plus wet soil = 39.57g
Mass of dish plums oven dried soil = 34.71g
Volume of shrinkage dish = 14.63cc
Volume of oven dried soil pat = 12.70cc

1. Determine the shrinkage limit.

a. 13.36 %
b. 14.47 %
c. 11.21 %
d. 15.37 %
2. Determine the shrinkage ratio.
a. 1.64
b. 1.87
c. 1.73
d. 1.59

3. A soil sample was determined in the laboratory to have a liquid limit of 52% and a plastic limit of
18.2%. If the water content is 45%, what is the characteristic of the soil?
a. Dense
b. Liquid
c. Plastic
d. Brittle solid
SITUATION 2: Sand cone equipment is used to determine an in-place unit weight (field density test) on a
compacted earth fill. A sand is used in the cone and is known to have a bulk density of 1670 kg/m 3. The
laboratory moisture unit weight curve indicates a dry unit weight of 25 kN/m3 and an optimum moisture
content of 12%.
Soil sample dug from the test hole:
Wet weight of soil sample: 3100g
Dried weight of soil sample: 2530g
Weight of sand to fill the test hole: 1737g
4. Compute the field water content.
a. 25
b. 21
c. 19
d. 23
5. Compute the in place dry unit weight of the tested soil (kn/m3)
a. 29.24
b. 23.86
 c. 25.64
d. 28.70
6. Compute the percentage of compaction of the tested soil.
a. 94.45
b. 95.54
c. 94.55
d. 95.45

SITUATION 3: The laboratory test results of a Standard Proctor Test are given in the following table:
Weight of moist soil (g) Moisture Content (%)
1483 12
1620 14
1720 16
1830 18
1770 20
1730 22
Volume of mold = 943.3 cc
7. Determine the maximum dry unit weight of compaction (kN/m3)
a. 15.34
b. 15.42
c. 16.13
d. 14.75
8. Determine the void ratio at the optimum moisture content, Gs = 2.57
a. 0.536
b. 0.563
c. 0.653
d. 0.635
9. Determine the optimum moisture content.
a. 16
b. 18
c. 20
d. 22
10. Determine the degree of saturation at the optimum moisture content.
a. 70.84
b. 72.85
c. 86.31
d. 82.16

SITUATION 4: A balloon-type apparatus is used to perform a field density test. The volume of the test hole
determined by reading the water level graduations on the apparatus cylinder before and after digging the
test hole is 0.0007 cu.m. The wet weight of soil obtained from the test hole is 0.0145kN. The water content
is determined to be 32% by drying a small sample on a field stove. If the tested soil is a compacted fill
whose maximum density from laboratory compaction tests is 15.87 kN/m3.
11. Compute the wet unit weight (kN/m3).
a. 20.72
 b. 20.71
c. 20.70
d. 20.68
12. Compute the dry unit weight (kN/m3).
a. 15.67
b. 15.68
c. 15.69
d. 15.70
13. Compute the percent compaction.
a. 98.88%
b. 98.74%
c. 98.80%
d. 98.93%

SITUATION 5: A clay has the following Atterberg Limits: Liquid Limit = 60. Plastic Limit = 40, Shrinkage Limit
= 25. The clay shrinks from 15 cu.m to 9.57 cu.m when the moisture content is decreased from the liquid
to the shrinkage limit.
14. What is the specific gravity?
a. 2.52
b. 2.72
c. 2.95
d. 3.22
15. What is the plasticity index?
a. 35
b. 30
c. 20
d. 25
16. What is the liquidity index if the moisture content is 52%?
a. 0.40
b. 0.48
c. 0.54
d. 0.60

17. From a hydrometer analysis to determine the particle sizes, it is found that 45% of the sample
consists of particles smaller than 0.002mm. From this information, indicate the activity
classification.
a. 0.32
b. 0.44
c. 0.54
d. 0.68

SITUATION 6: The maximum and minimum dry densities of a sand were determined on the laboratory to
be 1682 kg/m3 and 1510 kg/m3, respectively. In the field, if the relative density of compaction of the same
sand is 70%:
18. What is relative compaction?
 a. 0.94
b. 0.95
c. 0.96
d. 0.97
19. What is the dry density in the field (kg/m3)?
a. 1581
b. 1598
c. 1615
d. 1632
20. The backfill material for a vibroflotation project has the following grain sizes: D 10 = 0.11 mm, D20
= 0.19 mm, D50 = 1.3 mm. Determine the suitability number.
a. 16
b. 17
c. 18
d. 19
 Geotechnical Engineering

PROBLEM SET 3

SITUATION 1: A glass container with pervious bottom containing fine sand in loose state (void ratio = 0.8)
is subjected to hydrostatic pressure from underneath until quick condition occurs in the sand. If the
specific energy of sand particles = 2.65, area of cross section of sand sample = 10 cm2 and height of sample
is 10cm.

1. Compute the head of water required to cause quicksand condition (cm)

a. 9.17
b. 10.15
c. 8.25
d. 4.53
2. Compute the seepage force acting from below (N).
a. 0.9
b. 1.0
c. 0.8
d. 0.4
3. For the test arrangement shown in the figure, calculate the volume (m3) of water discharged in
20 minutes. The cross-sectional area of the soil is 4000 mm2 and k = 4.0 mm/s

a. 20.15
b. 22.02
c. 22.85
d. 23.04
4. A deposit of cohesionless soil with a permeability of 3 x 10-2 cm/s has a depth of 10 m with an
impervious ledge below. A sheet pile wall is driven into this deposit to a depth of 7.5m. The wall
extends above the surface of the soil and a 2.5 m depth of water acts on one side. Determine the
seepage quantity per meter length of the wall (cm3/s).

a. 2.89
b. 2.14
c. 2.50
d. 2.96
5. An Earth dam is built on an impervious foundation with a horizontal filter at the base near the
toe. The permeability of the soil in the horizontal and vertical directions are 3x10-2mm/s and 1x10-
2
mm/s respectively. The full reservoir level is 30m above the filter. A flow net constructed for the
transformed section of the dam, consists of 4 flow channels and 16 head drops. Estimate the
seepage loss per meter length of the dam (m3/s/m).
a. 1.299x10-4
b. 3.159x10-3
c. 2.112x10-4
d. 9.150x10-2
6. A river bed consists of a layer of sand 8.25 m thick overlying impermeable rock; the depth of water
is 2,50m. A long cofferdam 5.50m wide is formed by driving two lines of sheet piling to a depth of
6.00m below the level of the river bed, and excavation to a depth of 2.00m below bed level is
carried out within the cofferdam. The water level within the cofferdam is kept at excavation level
by pumping. If the flow of water into the cofferdam is 0.25 m3/hr per unit length, what is the
coefficient of permeability of the sand (m/s)?
 a. 2.57x10-5
b. 3.12x10-5
c. 4.12x10-4
d. 6.10x10-4
7. Determine the coefficient of permeability from the following data (mm/s):
Length of sand sample = 25cm
Area of cross section of the sample = 30cm2
Head of Water = 40cm
Discharge = 200 ml in 110 s.

a. 0.38
b. 0.75
c. 0.55
d. 0.89

SIRUATION 2: The discharge of water collected from a constant head permeameter in a period of 15 mins
is 500 ml. The internal diameter of the permeameter is 5cm and the measured difference in head between
two gauging points 15 cm vertically apart is 40 cm.
8. Calculate the coefficient of permeability
a. 0.106
b. 0.551
c. 0.191
d. 0.775
9. If the dry weight of the 15 cm long sample is 4.86 N and the specific gravity of the solids is 2.65,
calculate the seepage velocity (mm/s).
a. 0.106
b. 0.551
c. 0.191
d. 0.775
 10. In a constant-head permeability test, a soil sample is compacted into a round PVC pipe and placed
into the tanks as shown. After sufficient time is allowed for saturation of the soil, the test is
conducted under standard temperature-pressure (STP) condition for 4 hours. A total of 227 grams
of water is decanted into measuring vessel during the test.

Determine the coefficient of permeability (cm/s).

a. 4.176 x 10-5
b. 5.317 x 10-5
c. 2.745 x 10-5
d. 6.056 x 10-5
11. A glass cylinder 5cm internal diameter and with a screen at the bottom was used as a falling head
permeameter. The thickness of the sample was 10cm. With the water level in the tube at the start
of the test was 50cm above the tail water, it dropped by 10cm in one minute, the tail water level
remaining unchanged. Calculate the value of k(cm/s) for the sample of the soil.
a. 0.0372
b. 0.0714
c. 0.0123
d. 0.1054
12. In a falling head permeability test, head causing floe was initially 50 cm and it drops 2 cm in 5
minutes. How much time (minutes) required for the head to fall to 25 cm?
a. 84.9
b. 78.1
c. 70.9
d. 95.1
13. A sample in a variable head permeameter is 8 cm in diameter and 10 cm high. The permeability
of the sample is estimated to be 10 x 10-4 cm/s. If it is desired that the head in the stand pipe
should fall from 24cm to 12cm in 3 min., determine the size (mm) of the standpipe which should
be used.
a. 12
b. 13
c. 14
d. 15
SITUATION 3: A horizontal stratified soil deposit consists of three layers each uniform in itself. The
permeabilities of these layers are 8 x 10-4 cm/s, 52 x 10-4 cm/s and 6 x 10-4 cm/s, and their thickness are 7,
3, 10 m respectively.
14. Find the effective average permeability of the deposit in the horizontal direction (mm/s).
a. 13.6 x 10-3
b. 15.4 x 10-3
c. 7.7 x 10-3
d. 1.1 x 10-2
15. Find the average permeability of the deposit in the vertical direction (mm/s).
a. 13.6 x 10-3
b. 15.4 x 10-3
c. 7.7 x 10-3
d. 1.1 x 10-2
 Araullo University

Phinma Education Network

Cabanatuan City

Problem Set No. ___

Soil Properties/Atterberg’s Limits/Permeability

Submitted by:

Submitted to:

ENGR. JOHN HAROLD P. SANTOS

 1ST PAGE – Front Page (Handwritten)
2nd Page – Questions (Printed)
3rd Page – Solution (Handwritten)
Last Page – Summary of Answers; Letters only
(Handwritten)

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