Tutorials 1-12: Tutorial Sheet 1
Tutorials 1-12: Tutorial Sheet 1
Tutorials 1-12: Tutorial Sheet 1
Tutorials 1-12
TUTORIAL SHEET 1
1. 127.62 gm of a dried soil were subjected to a mechanical analysis with the following result:
Sieve analysis gave the following quantities
Retained on sieve 2.36 mm 0 gm
0.60 mm 42.1 gm
0.21 mm 24.2 gm
0.075 mm 16.6 gm
Hydrometer, sedimentation analysis gave
Amounts finer than 0.03 mm 28.3 gm
0.003 mm 17.2 gm
Draw the grading curve and classify the material according to the Mississippi River Commission triangular
classification chart.
2. Draw a grading curve for each of the soils A to F and classify each according to the Unified Classification System.
The values given in the table are the percentages finer than the given particle size.
Particle size A B C D E F
(mm)
6.00 100 100
2.00 100 100 100 75 85 100
0.60 98 99 95 55 75 94
0.425 95 94 86 46 69 89
0.212 92 89 77 30 60 63
0.150 86 82 50 19 48 37
0.075 83 76 12 4 35 10
0.05 82 74 32 9
0.01 57 38 25 8
0.002 36 23 0 0 10 8
Liquid limit 67 40 Nonplastic 55 40
Plastic limit 27 12 Nonplastic 35 15
Also classify all the soils by the MRC triangular chart system.
3. What are the purposes of an engineering soil classification?
4. Would a soil classified as SM be suitable for a large fill over which an airport runway is to be built?
SOIL MECHANICS CIVL 2410
TUTORIAL SHEET 2
1. A perfectly dry sand sample completely fills a cylinder. Determine the void ratio, e, of the sand in terms of the volume of the
cylinder, V; the specific gravity of the soil grains Gs; the unit weight of water gw; and the dry weight of the sand enclosed in
the cylinder, Ws
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the cylinder, Ws
2. An undisturbed specimen of clay is taken from a sampling tube the volume of which is 0.013 m3. The weight of the specimen
is 250 N and the moisture content is 21.1%. Calculate the dry unit weight. If the specific gravity of the particles is 2.68, find
the void ratio and the percentage saturation.
3. Prove that the percentage air voids (100 Va/V) is given by
where gd is the dry unit weight, gw is the unit weight of water, m the % moisture content and Gs the specific gravity of the
particles. If a sand deposit has a porosity of 0.35 and Gs = 2.60, what is the percentage air voids when the sand is dry and
when the moisture content is 10%?
4. The mass of an ovendried sample of clay is 11.26 gm and its volume is 5.83 cm3. If the specific gravity of the soil particles is
2.67 determine the shrinkage limit of the soil. The shrinkage limit is the moisture content the soil would have had if fully
saturated at its minimum volume.
5. In a compaction test a bulk unit weight of 16 kN/m3 was measured at a moisture content of 8%. What would the moisture
content have been if the soil had been fully saturated. Assume Gs = 2.70.
6. In a compaction test the optimum moisture content (OMC) = 11.0%, and the maximum dry density = 1.98 t/m3. At the OMC
the degree of saturation = 91%. Determine the greatest dry density that it is possible for this soil to have when the moisture
content is 11%.
SOIL MECHANICS CIVL 2410
TUTORIAL SHEET 3
1. On the application of the standard compaction test to a soil, the results tabulated below were obtained. Obtain an estimate of
the optimum moisture content, maximum dry unit weight and draw the line of zero air voids relating dry unit weight and
moisture content. Assume the specific gravity is 2.75.
Moisture content (%) Bulk unit weight (kN/m3)
7.4 18.5
8.8 19.9
10.0 20.9
12.2 21.2
15.2 20.6
17.2 20.3
2. Explain the purposes of compaction for
a. a road base layer
b. Clayey soil to be used to construct an impermeable base layer a for a waste liquid retention pond.
3. A stratum of sand 2.5 m thick overlies a stratum of saturated clay 3 m thick. The water table is 1 m below the surface. For
the sand, Gs = 2.65, e = 0.50 and for the clay Gs = 2.72, e = 1.1. Calculate the total and effective vertical stresses at depths of
1 m, 2.5 m and 5.5 m below the surface assuming that the sand above the water table is completely dry.
4. The same soil stratum as in the previous question lies 2 m below the surface of a lake. Taking the properties to be the same as
before, calculate the total and effective vertical stresses at depths of 1 m, 2.5 m and 5.5 m below the soil surface.
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5. In a deep deposit of clay the water table lies 3 m below the soil surface. Calculate the total and effective stresses at depths of
1 m, 3 m and 5 m below the surface. Assume that the soil remains fully saturated above the water table, and that gsat =
16.5 kN/m3.
SOIL MECHANICS CIVL2410
TUTORIAL SHEET 4
1 (a) Figure 1 shows the flow lines in a soil layer under an impermeable concrete dam with an impermeable cutoff wall at
its upstream end. The soil is underlain by a relatively impermeable rock.
Draw a square flow net using only these flow lines and hence calculate the flow under the dam for the case when the
soil is homogeneous and isotropic with equal vertical and horizontal permeabilities. Take the permeability to be, k =
5.0 x 104 m/sec, and the retained water height to be 9.25 m.
(b) If the cutoff wall was at the downstream rather than the upstream end of the dam, what would happen to the flow net
and hence the flow. (Hint. You do not need to draw anything)
(c) Figure 2 shows the flow lines for the same situation but with cutoff walls at both ends of the dam. Complete the flow
net and hence calculate the flow. For this case determine the upthrust due to the water pressures on the base of the
dam. (Hint: Consider the symmetry before drawing the flow net and calculating the upthrust. Note also that the base
of the dam is 1.2 m below the soil surface).
2. A vertical sheet pile wall, shown in Figure 3, is used as a cutoff in an isotropic sand deposit of uniform thickness. The
horizontal permeability of the sand is 15 m/day. Calculate the seepage and the lateral hydrostatic forces on the wall due to the
water.
Assume that the sand layer is underlain by an impermeable rock. The water levels on the two sides of the wall are 2.75m and
0.75m above the soil surface.
3. A retaining wall 5 m high with a vertical back is provided with a drain as shown hatched in Figure 4. The wall rests on an
impermeable stratum. The backfill is saturated, with the water table established at its upper horizontal surface and rain falls at
such a rate that this level is maintained. Draw the flow net and compare the thrust on the wall from the water with the case
with no drain.
Figure 1
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Figure 2
Figure 4
Figure 4
SOIL MECHANICS CIVL2410
TUTORIAL SHEET 5
1. A soil layer 2 m deep overlays an impermeable stratum and is drained by horizontal drainage pipes 0.15 m in diameter at 2 m
centres placed at a level 0.6 m above the impermeable stratum. Heavy rain falls on the ground surface so that the drainage
pipes are running to capacity. Draw the flow net and calculate the flow in each pipe per metre run of crosssection if the
permeability of the soil is 5 x 105 m/s both horizontally and vertically.
2. A symmetrical homogeneous earth highway embankment 55 metres wide at the base, 12 metres high and with side slopes of
30 degrees, is to be constructed on an impermeable rock base in a region where heavy seasonal rainfalls occur. Draw the flow
net for the embankment (when subjected to heavy rainfall) and determine the minimum rainfall required to maintain this flow
net. The average permeability of the soil is 35 x 107 m/s.
3. For the rockfill dam shown in Figure 1, draw the flow net and calculate the daily seepage loss. Assume the core material is
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3. For the rockfill dam shown in Figure 1, draw the flow net and calculate the daily seepage loss. Assume the core material is
homogeneous but anisotropic, with a permeability in the horizontal direction of 28 x 108 m/s and in the vertical direction of 7
x 108 m/s. Assume the rockfill material is infinitely pervious.
4. Discuss the factors that affect the accuracy of flow quantities calculated from flow nets. If the permeability of a small soil
sample, extracted from within the area of the flow net, is measured in the laboratory would you expect it to provide good
Figure 3
predictions of the flow quantities?
5. Challenge question
Figure 2 shows a plane section of the basement of a long building founded on a silty clay layer 18 m thick. Under the silty
clay there is a highly permeable sandstone aquifer. The clay is overlain by a 2 m thick gravel layer with the water table 1 m
below the top of the gravel. Initially the water pressures are everywhere in hydrostatic equilibrium with the water table.
To reduce the upthrust on the building it is proposed to pump water from the basement of the building.
(a) Calculate the upthrust on the building if the basement floor is impermeable. What will the upthrust be when pumping
commences ?
(b) Sketch an approximate flow net when water is being pumped from the basement, and hence determine the quantity of
water flowing into the building. It may be assumed that the head in the sandstone aquifer remains constant, and the
permeability of the silty clay, k = 105 m/s.
(c) Sometime later water is pumped from the sandstone aquifer so that the head in the aquifer is lowered by 4 m. Sketch a
second flow net for this situation, and determine the change in the quantity of water entering the basement.
Figure 1
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Figure 2
SOIL MECHANICS CIVL 2410
TUTORIAL SHEET 6
1. A clay has properties C c = 0.4, Cr = 0.05. Determine the final void ratio for the following situations:
a) Initially s¢ = 50 kPa, e = 1.2, s¢pc = 100 kPa, Finally s¢ = 90 kPa
b) Initially s¢ = 50 kPa, e = 1.2, s¢pc = 100 kPa, Finally s¢ = 190 kPa
c) Initially s¢ = 50 kPa, e = 1.2, s¢pc = 50 kPa, Finally s¢ = 90 kPa
d) Initially s¢ = 50 kPa, e = 1.2, s¢pc = 100 kPa, Finally s¢ = 30 kPa
e) Initially s¢ = 50 kPa, e = 1.2, s¢pc = 50 kPa, Finally s¢ = 30 kPa
2. The following results were obtained from an oedometer test carried out on a sample of clay. The data of void ratio (e) and
effective stress (s¢) were determined after equilibrium had been reached for each applied load. Draw a graph and hence
calculate the compression index of the soil (Cc), the recompression index (Cr) and the preconsolidation stress (s¢pc).
e s¢
(kPa)
0.705 18
0.698 36
0.688 72
0.673 144
0.645 288
0.600 576
0.550 1152
0.500 2304
0.508 576
0.518 144
0.532 36
0.540 18
3. Using the data from Question 2 determine values of mv, the coefficient of onedimensional compressibility, and draw a graph of
the relation between mv and effective stress. Use this graph to comment on the elasticity of the soil, and the applicability of
elastic solutions for settlement estimation
4. Using the graphed relation between e and s¢ from Question 2, calculate the maximum differential settlement of a flexible
rectangular foundation with dimensions 3 m x 6 m located on the surface of a 4.5 m layer of the clay. The stress on the
foundation is 500 kPa. The clay overlies an incompressible stratum. For the purpose of calculation, divide the clay into three
layers, each 1.5 m thick. (Use influence curves for stresses beneath corners of rectangles). The water table is 1 m below the
surface and the saturated unit weight of the soil is 17 kN/m3. It may be assumed that the clay remains fully saturated above the
water table.
5. Use Newmark's influence chart to find the vertical stresses caused by a flexible hexagonal shaped foundation with all sides 3 m
long carrying a uniform load of 500 kPa, at depths of 1.5, 3 and 4.5 m beneath a corner of the foundation.
SOIL MECHANICS CIVL 2410
TUTORIAL SHEET 7
1. A soil deposit consists of 2 m of gravel overlaying an 8 m thick deposit of an overconsolidated clay overlaying rigid
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1. A soil deposit consists of 2 m of gravel overlaying an 8 m thick deposit of an overconsolidated clay overlaying rigid
permeable sandstone. The gravel has a unit weight of 22 kN/m3 when saturated and a unit weight of 18 kN/m3 when dry. The
properties of the clay are uniform throughout the layer and indicated below:
Void Ratio e 1.2
Specific Gravity Gs 2.7
Preconsolidation pressure s¢pc 70 kPa
Compression Index Cc 0.1
Recompression Index Cr 0.02
Consolidation coefficient cv 0.5 m2/year
Calculate the settlement under the centre of a square tank of side 5 m exerting an average pressure of 175 kPa constructed on
the ground surface after a long period of time and estimate the time for 75% of this settlement to occur. Assume that initially
the water table is at the surface of the gravel but that after construction it is lowered to the surface of the clay. The clay should
be divided into two equal sublayers.
2. Calculate the vertical effective stress at the centre of a 5m thick clay layer, free to drain from its upper and lower
boundaries, 2 years after the application of a sudden uniform increase in total stress of 100 kPa. At the centre of the layer the
initial (total) vertical stress = 100 kPa, the initial pore pressure = 30 kPa, and cv = 1 m2/year.
3. As part of an airport development land is reclaimed in an estuary by placing sand fill in shallow water. At the site 5 m of a
compressible silty clay lie over impermeable shale bedrock, and the upper surface of the silty clay is 1 m below the water level
in the estuary. Sufficient sandy fill is rapidly placed so that after 18 months its surface is to be 1.5 m above the water level,
which may be assumed to be unchanged. Determine what depth of sand fill must be placed.
It may be assumed that the bulk unit weight of the sand is 20 kN/m3 above and below the water table, and that settlements of
the sand may be ignored. The void ratio of the clay layer at its middepth is 1.10 before any fill is placed. The soil is normally
consolidated with a compression index of 1.0, and in an oedometer test of a 20 mm thick sample 50 per cent consolidation was
achieved in 12 minutes. The specific gravity of the clay particles is 2.70.
4. For the site in Question 3 a large building is constructed after the sand fill has been in place for 18 months that exerts a uniform
pressure of 50 kPa.
Calculate the final settlement of the building due to consolidation of the clay. It may be assumed that the dimensions of the
building are large relative to the thickness of the sand and clay.
SOIL MECHANICS CIVL 2410
TUTORIAL SHEET 8
1. An 8 m layer of saturated clay overlays rigid impermeable bedrock. A granular fill having a unit weight of 20 kN/m3 is
placed on the surface at a rate of 0.5 m/month for a period of 6 months to preload the soil. After a further period of 1 year 2
m of fill is removed. Assuming cv = 2 m2/year and mv = 0.0005 kPa1, calculate the pore pressure distribution and
settlement after another six months have elapsed.
2. A bed of overconsolidated clay of depth H with oneway drainage is loaded at time T v= 0 with a load of 100q per unit
area. The load is held constant until Tv= 0.125 when a load of 50q per unit area is removed and thereafter the load remains
constant.
Use a numerical method to obtain a graph of settlement versus Tv for 0 £ Tv £ 0.125 assuming that the coefficient of
volume decrease, mv, is known.
3. A specimen of clay 50 mm thick has been set up in an hydraulic oedometer and is under equilibrium with an effective vertical
stress of 100 kPa, and a pore pressure of 50 kPa. The specimen is subjected to a sudden increase in vertical stress of 120 kPa
while being allowed to drain from only the bottom boundary. Use a numerical method to determine the pore pressure variation
with time at the top boundary for a period of 50 minutes from the application of the 120 kPa stress increase. Compare this
estimate with that obtained from the charted solutions in the data sheets. If a pore pressure transducer was used to measure the
pore pressure at the top boundary would you expect to see the response predicted by the numerical method, explain briefly
why?
Properties of the clay are cv = 10 mm2/min and mv = 0.001 m2/kN.
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4. Challenge question
Use a numerical method to determine the solution to Questions 1 and 2 in Tutorial Sheet 7.
Explain why a different solution is obtained, and the implications for the numerical method.
SOIL MECHANICS CIVL 2410
TUTORIAL SHEET 9
1. A cylindrical specimen of a sandy soil is in equilibrium with an applied isotropic stress of 200 kPa, and has a pore pressure
of 50 kPa. Then without allowing drainage the axial stress is increased by 20 kPa and the radial stress reduced by 20 kPa.
Assuming the soil can be treated as an elastic material with E´ = 5 Mpa, n´ = 0.2, calculate:
4. the resulting axial and radial strains
(ii) the excess pore pressure
(iii) the volume strain during consolidation if the soil is subsequently allowed to drain
2. A square rigid footing of side 3 m is to be used to support a column carrying a load of 1.5 MN. The ground conditions at
the site comprise a 15 m deep firm clay layer, overlying competent impermeable rock. The clay has properties E´ = 10
Mpa, n´ = 0.2, and the rock may be assumed to be rigid. Calculate:
(i) the immediate settlement
(ii) the final, long term settlement
(iii) the settlement after 2 years if cv = 3 m2/yr
3. An oil tank 10m in diameter is founded at a site where 3 m of soft clay overlie a deep gravel layer. Calculate the final
settlement, and the settlement after 5 years, of the centre of the tank if the oil provides a uniform stress of 100 kPa:
(i) assuming settlement is purely onedimensional (use a single layer)
(ii) allowing for 3D effects
The water table is 1 m below the surface and the soil properties are
Cc = 0.4, Cr = 0.1, OCR = 1.5, e = 1.2, cv = 0.2 m2/yr, E´ = 2 Mpa, n´ = 0.35, Gs = 2.6
Also compare mv estimated from 1D analysis with that estimated from the elastic parameters. Would you expect these
values to agree?
SOIL MECHANICS CIVL2410
TUTORIAL QUESTIONS 10
1. Undrained triaxial tests with pore pressure measurement have been performed on three samples of a particular soil, after
consolidation to different cell pressures. What information (strength parameters) can be obtained from the results given below?
Cell pressure Failure Deviator Failure Pore
Stress Pressure
(kPa) (kPa) (kPa)
24 31 12
48 76 18
72 104 30
2. A soil has an apparent cohesion c’ = 5 kPa and an angle of friction f’ = 35o. A sample of this soil is consolidated in a triaxial
cell by applying an axial stress s1 = 100 kPa, a cell pressure s3 = 70 kPa and a pore pressure u = 20 kPa. The sample is then
failed by increasing the axial stress under undrained conditions (s3 remains constant).
Calculate the axial stress at failure if the pore pressure at failure u = 10 kPa.
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Calculate the axial stress at failure if the pore pressure at failure u = 10 kPa.
3 A saturated compacted gravel was tested in a large shear box, 300 mm x 300 mm in plan. What properties of the gravel can be
deduced from the following results?
Normal load Peak Shear Load Ultimate Shear Load
(N) (N) (N)
4500 4500 3520
9200 7890 7190
13800 11200 10780
4. Two sandy samples are obtained from a site at depths of 1 m and 5 m. They are tested in a shear box with normal stresses
similar to those in situ (20 kPa for 1m sample, 100 kPa for 5m sample). When a line is drawn through the peak shear stresses
values of c = 5kPa and f = 40o are obtained.
a. Explain the significance of the negative cohesion
b. Would it be sensible to use these c, f values for a sample at 3m
c. What value of c would you expect if a line had been drawn through the ultimate strengths if the samples had similar grading
and mineralogy
SOIL MECHANICS CIVL 2410
TUTORIAL SHEET 11
1. A saturated sample of clay 50 mm diameter by 100 mm long was extracted from the ground. The sample was installed in a
triaxial apparatus without allowing drainage and a cell pressure of 350 kPa applied. A back pressure of 200 kPa was set and the
drainage taps opened. After leaving it for some time the sample reached equilibrium with no net flow of water into or out of
the sample. The drainage taps were then closed and the sample was sheared undrained to failure. The following data were
recorded:
DF (N) 0 49 74 112 150 181
Dh (mm) 0 1 2 5 10 20
Du (kPa) 0 17 27 47 75 100
where DF, Dh, Du are respectively the changes in deviator load, axial displacement, and pore pressure.
(a) Calculate the deviator stress and axial strain
(b) Plot deviator stress versus axial strain and pore pressure versus axial strain (Note that this is the conventional way of
presenting triaxial test results)
(c) Draw the total and effective stress Mohr circles at failure
(d) Determine the undrained strength su and friction angle f´ assuming that c´ = 0.
2. A specimen of clay has been compressed to a state where t = 0, s¢ = 150 kPa, u = 0, and the void ratio, e = 1.2. Determine the
ultimate undrained strength, su and the excess pore pressure at ultimate conditions (a) if the total stress remains constant, (b) if
the total stress changes are such that Dt = Ds.
The Critical State Line for this clay is given by t = s¢ tan f¢, e = G - l ln s¢, and f¢ = 21o, G = 2.0, l = 0.20.
3. Two identical soil samples have been onedimensionally consolidated in a simple shear apparatus under an effective stress s¢ =
300 kPa, with a void ratio e = 0.50. The two samples were then subjected to standard tests to failure (keeping the total stress
constant), one drained and the other undrained, and the following information was recorded.
Drained Undrained
t gxy ev t gxy Du
(kPa) (kPa) (kPa)
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gxy
(kPa) (%) (%) (kPa) (%) (kPa)
0 0 0 0 0 0
120 1 0.25 86 1 29
250 2.5 0.5 150 2.5 20
225 5 1.25 205 5 0
210 10 1.5 225 10 35
202 20 1.6 240 20 56
Estimate the critical state parameters f¢, G, l.
What can you deduce about the initial state of the soil, and suggest giving your reasons what type of soil the samples were
composed of.
4.(Challenge)
A lightly overconsolidated sample is tested undrained in a simple shear test, and at failure the excess pore pressure is zero.
Sketch the shear stress, t, shear strain, g, response and the volume strain, ev, shear strain response you would expect an identical
sample to follow in a drained test. Explain your answer.
Assume that the total normal stress remains constant in both drained and undrained tests.
SOIL MECHANICS CIVL2410
TUTORIAL SHEET 12
1. A vertical wall 9 m high retains soil level with the top of the wall. If the soil is a saturated clay with cu = 20 kN/m2, fu = 0, gsat
= 19 kN/m3, use Rankine's method to calculate the magnitude and line of action of the active earth force on the wall,
(a) assuming the soil can provide tension
(b) assuming the soil can provide no tension
(c) allowing for rain water collecting in the tension cracks.
in each case sketch the pressure distribution on the wall.
2. The same wall as in Question 1 retains sand for which f´ = 30o, c´ = 0, gdry = 18 kN/m3, gsat = 20 kN/m3. Use Rankine's
method to obtain the magnitude and line of action of the active earth force on the wall, if the water table lies:
(a) at the upper soil surface
(b) below the bottom of the wall
(c) halfway up the wall
In each case sketch the pressure distribution on the wall.
3. The figure below shows a 8 m high sea wall at a location where 4 m of sand overlie a deep clay deposit. The water table in the
soil is at the same level as the sea level on the other side of the wall. Tests have been performed to determine the relevant soil
properties. For the sand gdry = 17 kN/m3, gsat = 19 kN/m3, and a series of shear box tests gave the following results at failure
Shear stress Normal stress
t s
(kN/m2) (kN/m2)
16 20
37 50
72 100
A series of triaxial tests were performed on samples of the clayey soil (gsat = 16.5 kN/m2). This has included 3 undrained
unconsolidated tests in which pore pressures were measured and one consolidated undrained test. The stresses at failure are
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unconsolidated tests in which pore pressures were measured and one consolidated undrained test. The stresses at failure are
given below.
Test type Cell pressure Deviator stress Pore pressure
s3 s1 s3 u
(kN/m2) (kN/m2) (kN/m2)
Unconsolidated Undrained 0 50 34.4
Unconsolidated Undrained 50 50 15.6
Unconsolidated Undrained 100 50 65.6
Consolidated Undrained 200 90 127.2
By determining the soil strength parameters calculate, using Rankine's method, the minimum force required to maintain the
stability of the wall:
(a) in the short term
(b) in the long term
4. A 10 m high wall retains dry gravel with a dry unit weight gd = 22 kN/m3. Show that for a trial wedge with a failure plane,
passing through the toe of the wall, at 20o to the vertical the minimum force that the wall must provide is 212 kN/m if for
the gravel c¢ = 0, f¢ = 38o and between the gravel and the wall c¢w = 0, f¢w = 32o.
5. A vertical gravity retaining wall, 12 m high, is to retain a clayey soil for which cu = 25 kN/m2, fu = 15o and the bulk unit
weight gb = 19 kN/m3. The soil surface is horizontal and level with the top of the wall. The water table is horizontal and
level with the bottom of the wall. Determine the magnitude and direction of the minimum force on the wall for a trial
wedge whose slip surface rises from the bottom of the wall at 70o to the horizontal. Assume that the angle of wall friction
is 10o and the wall adhesion is 15 kN/m2.
Hint: You need to consider the possibility of tension cracks.
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