A ground profile consists of 5m of coarse gravel overlying 5m of unfissured clay overlying very

permeable weathered granite.

The water table in the gravel is 1m below ground level.
Bulk unit weights are: gravel above the water table 18 kN/m
3
, gravel below the water table
20kN/m
3
, clay (saturated) 22 kN/m
3
and water 10 kN/m
3
.
The ratio of horizontal effective stress to vertical effective stress is 0.30 (gravel) and 0.65 (clay).
i) Calculate the values of water pressure and vertical and horizontal stress (total and
effective stress) at the following depths: 1m, 5m (in the gravel), 5m (in the clay) and 10m
(in the clay) under hydrostatic conditions. Draw the water pressure and soil stress
distributions with depth.
ii) A wide excavation is made rapidly to 2m depth. Calculate the values of water pressure
and stresses at 5m (in the gravel), 5m (in the clay) and 10m (in the clay) in the short term
and long term. Draw the water pressure and soil stress distributions with depth. The
excavation is kept pumped dry. Assume no change in the water pressures in the
weathered granite.
iii) The excavation continues downwards. The excavation is kept pumped dry. Calculate the
depth of excavation (D) at which the base of the excavation will blow up due to hydraulic
failure at the base of the clay at 10m depth. Assume water pressure at 10m depth in the
weathered granite is governed by the water table at 1m depth in the gravel outside the
excavation