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Assignment 1

The document provides 10 problems related to soil mechanics involving concepts like Mohr's circle, shear strength, effective stress, and triaxial testing. Problem 1 asks to determine the angle between two planes and principal stresses using Mohr's circle. Problem 2 involves determining the cohesion and friction angle of a soil from direct shear test data and calculating shear strength. Problem 3 similarly involves determining friction angle and principal stresses from direct shear test results.

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EYU Eyuel Abrham Arba
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© © All Rights Reserved
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35 views

Assignment 1

The document provides 10 problems related to soil mechanics involving concepts like Mohr's circle, shear strength, effective stress, and triaxial testing. Problem 1 asks to determine the angle between two planes and principal stresses using Mohr's circle. Problem 2 involves determining the cohesion and friction angle of a soil from direct shear test data and calculating shear strength. Problem 3 similarly involves determining friction angle and principal stresses from direct shear test results.

Uploaded by

EYU Eyuel Abrham Arba
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Soil Mechanics-II Assignment-1

1) You are given two planes A and B. Plane A is under a normal stress of 1600KPa and a shear
stress of 100KPa while plane B is under a normal stress of 400KPa and a shear stress of 300KPa.
Using Mohr’s circle, determine; the angle between plane A and B. Also determine the principal
stresses.
2) An embankment is going to be constructed using a soil. A sample of this soil was tested in a
large shear box with dimensions 300mm x 300mm in plan and the gave the results shown below.

Normal Force Shear Force


(N) (N)
4500 4500
9200 7890
13800 11200

A) Determine the value of the effective cohesion & effective friction angle of the soil.
B) Calculate the shear strength on a horizontal plane at a point 10m below the surface of the
embankment, if the bulk unit weight of this soil is 23KN/m3 and the pore pressure at that
point is 180KPa.
3) A sample of sandy soil in a direct shear test fails when the normal stress is 600KPa and the shear
stress is 400KPa. Find the angle of internal friction and the principal stresses, if the Mohr failure
envelop passes through the origin of the stress. Also show the orientation of the principal planes.

4) A saturated sample of clay 50 mm in diameter & 100 mm long was extracted from the ground. The
sample was installed in a triaxial cell without allowing drainage and a cell pressure of 350KPa
applied. A back pressure of 200KPa 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 during the shearing stage:

∆P (N) 0 49 74 112 150 181


∆h (mm) 0 1 2 5 10 20
∆u (KPa) 0 17 27 47 75 100

Where ∆P, ∆h, ∆u are respectively the changes in deviator load, axial displacement, and pore
pressure.

A) Plot deviator stress versus axial strain and pore pressure versus axial strain diagrams.
B) Draw the total and effective stress Mohr circles at failure.
C) Determine the undrained shear strength Su.
D) Determine the friction angle φ´ assuming c´ = 0.

Unity University 1 of 2 Prepared by: Feysel N.


Department of Civil Engineering
Soil Mechanics-II Assignment-1

5) A retaining wall supports a clay soil as shown in the figure below. Four triaxial tests were
performed on samples of this soil. The tests are three undrained unconsolidated tests and one
consolidated undrained test. The stresses at failure are given in the table below.

Calculate the shear strength on the horizontal plane AB;


A) In the short-term.
B) In the long-term.

6) The following results were obtained from a CU triaxial test on a normally consolidated clay. Plot
the Mohr circles in terms of total stresses and effective stresses and determine the respective
shear strength parameters.
Cell pressure Deviator stress Pore pressure
Sample No. σ3 σ1 - σ3 u
[KPa] [KPa] [KPa]
1 250 152 120
2 500 300 250
3 750 455 350
7) A sample of sand, when subjected to a CD triaxial test, failed at a deviator stress of 400 KPa. It
was observed that the failure plane made an angle of 30° with the vertical axis of the sample.
Estimate the value of the cell pressure to which this specimen would have been subjected.

8) A specimen of sandy soil, when subjected to a CD triaxial test failed at major and minor
principal stresses of 120 KPa and 50 KPa respectively. At what value of deviator stress would
another sample of the same soil fail, if it were subjected to a confining pressure of 75 KPa?

9) In an unconfined compression test, the following results were obtained. Diameter of


sample=37.5mm, length of sample=75mm, Axial load at failure=300N, deformation of
sample=12mm. Determine the unconfined compressive strength of the soil.

10) When an unconfined compression test was conducted on a specimen of silty clay, it gave a
strength of 150 KPa. Determine the shear strength parameters of the soil if the angle made by the
failure plane with the vertical axis of the specimen was 35°.

Unity University 2 of 2 Prepared by: Feysel N.


Department of Civil Engineering

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