CIVE220 School of Engineering Examiner: Prof. M.
Mousavi Nezhad
Mock Exam Paper
Bachelor of Engineering
GEOMECHANICS 2
Time Allowed: THREE HOURS
Calculators are permitted in this exam
Instructions to candidates:
Answer All Four Questions. Please note that marks are not distributed equally among
questions
If requested, graph papers will be provided in the exam.
Data & Equations:
This is a closed-book exam. Supplementary information ( Formula Sheet) that may assist you is
attached.
Clearly state any assumptions you make.
Page 1 of 8
CIVE220 School of Engineering Examiner: Prof. M. Mousavi Nezhad
Question 1. Answer all parts to the question for 24 marks.
a) Define the following concepts:
i) Total stress
[2 marks]
ii) Strain
[2 marks]
iii) Artesian aquifer
[2 marks]
iv) Plastic limit
[2 marks]
b) A sample of saturated clay was placed in a container and weighed. The weight of the sample
and the container was 6 N. The clay in its container was placed in an oven for 24 hours at
105°C. The weight reduced to a constant value of 5 N. The weight of the container is 1 N. If Gs
= 2.7, determine
(i) water content, [3
marks]
(ii) void ratio, [3
marks]
(iii) bulk unit weight, [3
marks]
(iv) dry unit weight. [3
marks]
c) A constant head permeability test is carried out on a soil specimen to determine its coefficient of
permeability (k). The flow rate is 1.2x10-4 m3 per second (s) and the manometers read heads of
1.36 m and 0.85 m. Calculate the value of k (in m/s) when the specimen is 102 mm in diameter
and the manometers are 120 mm apart.
[4 marks]
Page 2 of 8
CIVE220 School of Engineering Examiner: Prof. M. Mousavi Nezhad
End of Question 1
Question 2. Answer all parts to the question for 26 marks.
A soil profile is given in Figure Q.2. It comprises of a 3 m thick silt layer overlaying a 4 m thick
clay layer. The water table is at 3 m depth from the ground surface. The silt layer is saturated due to
capillary rise up to 1.5 m above the water table. Assume that the top 1.5 m of the silt layer is fully
dry, and below the water table soil is fully saturated.
(a) Do the calculations and sketch the variations of total vertical stress ( σ v ), pore water pressure (u),
effective vertical stress (σ 'v ) and effective horizontal stress (σ 'h) with depth and label all
important values. Assume the unit weight of water is 10 kN/m 3.
[16 marks]
(b) Using the same soil properties, calculate total vertical stress, pore water pressure and effective
vertical stress at points A and B if the ground water rises to the ground surface.
[4 marks]
(c) Experimental data over samples from the site shows that the natural water content values of silt
and clay layers are 20% and 40%, respectively. If silt has plastic limit value of 15% and liquid
limit value of 30%, and clay has plastic limit value of 25% and liquid limit value of 50%, using
Table Q.2, explain which soil is stronger.
[4 marks]
(d) Soil from the clay layer is borrowed to construct a flood dam with 50 m width and 4 m height. If
the soil permeability is 5×10-8 m/s and there is a hydraulic gradient of 0.2 across the dam, how
much water leaks through the dam every hour? [2
marks]
Page 3 of 8
CIVE220 School of Engineering Examiner: Prof. M. Mousavi Nezhad
Figure Q.2
Question 2 continued…
Consistency index IC Consistency of soil
< 0.25 Very soft
0.25 to 0.50 Soft
0.50 to 0.75 Firm
0.75 to 1.00 Stiff
> 1.00 Very stiff
Table Q.2
Page 4 of 8
CIVE220 School of Engineering Examiner: Prof. M. Mousavi Nezhad
End of Question 2
Question 3. Answer all parts to the question for 30 marks.
Page 5 of 8
CIVE220 School of Engineering Examiner: Prof. M. Mousavi Nezhad
Students are instructed to have compass and protractor to construct the Mohr circle and to
measure the angles.
a) A soil element with total stresses and shear stresses applied to its faces shown in Figure
Q. 3.a.
Figure Q.3.a
i) Draw the Mohr circle for the given stress conditions. Using the pole method determine
the major and minor principal stresses, the maximum shear stress and the planes on
which these three stresses act.
[9 marks]
ii) If the pore water pressure in the same soil element u = -30 kPa (i.e. suction), determine
the effective normal stress corresponding to the maximum shear stress point.
[1mark]
iii) Results of a laboratory compaction test on soil samples from an engineering field shows
ρ(d,max)=1.70 Mg/m3 and wopt=20%. The compaction specification requires that the
compacted fill soil at the field must have at least 95% of the maximum dry density
determined in laboratory compaction test. If the sand cone test on a compacted fill gives
a bulk density of 1.95 Mg/m 3 at the optimum moisture content, what is the relative
compaction (RC) of the soil at field? Does the compacted soil at field meet the
specification?
[8 marks]
Page 6 of 8
CIVE220 School of Engineering Examiner: Prof. M. Mousavi Nezhad
iv) For a soil profile that is shown in Figure Q3.b, for an increase in vertical effective stress
of 120 kPa at the centre of the clay layer, calculate the consolidation settlement of the
clay layer. The clay layer has an over consolidation ratio (OCR) of 2, and the water table
is at the top of the clay layer. The unit weight of water is assumed to be 10 kN/m 3.
[12 marks]
Figure Q3.b
End of Question 3
Page 7 of 8
CIVE220 School of Engineering Examiner: Prof. M. Mousavi Nezhad
Question 4. Answer all parts to the question for 20 marks.
a) Results obtained from a laboratory compaction test (standard Proctor) on a soil are given in
Table Q.4:
Table Q.4 Results of the standard Proctor test
Mass of wet soil in the mould (g) 1,500 1,700 1,940 1,962 1,820 1,492
Moisture content (%) 10.5 13 16.1 17.8 20 22.3
Note: The volume of the mould is 1,000 cm3.
From the test results given in Table Q.4:
i) Calculate the corresponding bulk and dry densities, and plot the dry density versus
moisture content, and determine the maximum dry density and optimum water content.
[6 marks]
ii) The compaction specification requires that the compacted fill soil must have at least
95% of the maximum dry density determined in part (a-i). If the sand cone test on a
compacted fill gives a bulk density of 1.9 Mg/m 3 at the optimum moisture content,
determine the relative compaction. Does the compacted soil meet the specification?
[5 marks]
3
iii) Assuming that the in situ bulk density of the borrow soil is 1.72 Mg/m and the in situ
moisture content is at the optimum moisture content, how many cubic meters of soil
from the borrow pit are needed in order to produce 2,000 m 3 of compacted fill given in
part (a-ii)? How many 20-tonne trucks are needed to transport the borrow soil? (note: 1
tonne = 1000 kg)
[4 marks]
iv) The data from a direct shear test (with plan dimensions of 50 mm × 50 mm) on dry sand
with a hanger load of 150 kg, are shown in Figure Q.4. Assuming purely frictional
behaviour, calculate the peak and ultimate friction angles of the sand according to the
data in the Figure Q.4.
[5 marks]
Figure Q.4.
End of Question 4
END OF EXAMINATION
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