Ministry of Higher Education Mid Term Exam.

Zagazig High Institute of Eng. & Tech Course Name: Soil Mechanics (1)
Level Degree: 3rd No. of pages : 2
Date: 25/11/2015 Department: Construction and building
Engineering
No. of Questions: 4 Term No. : 1
Allowed Time: 90 Minutes Course Code: : CBE 302

Model Answer of Mid Term Exam (Soil Mechanics2)

November 2015-2016

Question # 1: (10 Degrees)

1. Define: Soil shear strength- active earth pressure- passive earth pressure.

Soil Shear strength

The resistance of soil to movement between particles
Or the ability of soil to resist sliding along internal surfaces within the soil mass.
Active Earth pressure
The action of soil against a retaining structure. In Active state, soil expands and
pressures on wall, then wall moves away from soil.
Passive earth pressure
Reaction of soil against a retaining structure. In passive state, soil is compressed (due
to movement of wall as a reaction of active sate), then wall moves toward the soil.

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 Ministry of Higher Education Mid Term Exam.
Zagazig High Institute of Eng. & Tech Course Name: Soil Mechanics (1)
Level Degree: 3rd No. of pages : 2
Date: 25/11/2015 Department: Construction and building
Engineering
No. of Questions: 4 Term No. : 1
Allowed Time: 90 Minutes Course Code: : CBE 302

2. Direct shear test on a sandy clay sample was performed, and the following data are
obtained:
Normal Load (N) 360 720 1080 1440
Shear Load (N) 260 380 520 640
Area of shear box is 36 cm square, determine the following:
 Shear strength parameters
 Would failure occur on a plane within this soil at a point where the normal stress
is 320 kN/m2 and the corresponding shear stress is 138 kN/m2?
Solution
N(N) S (N) 𝝈 (𝒌𝑷𝒂) 𝝉 ( 𝒌𝑷𝒂)
360 260 360 ∗ 104 260 ∗ 104
= 100 = 72.22
36 ∗ 1000 36 ∗ 100
720 380 200 105.56
1080 520 300 144.44
1440 640 400 177.78

480

400

320
1- 𝒄 = 𝟑𝟒 𝒌𝑷𝒂
τ kPa

∅ = 𝟐𝟎 240

160

80

0
0 80 160 240 320 400 480
σ kPa

2- For a plane at a point where the normal stress is 320 kN/m2 and shear stress is 138
kN/m2 Failure would not occur

2
 Ministry of Higher Education Mid Term Exam.
Zagazig High Institute of Eng. & Tech Course Name: Soil Mechanics (1)
Level Degree: 3rd No. of pages : 2
Date: 25/11/2015 Department: Construction and building
Engineering
No. of Questions: 4 Term No. : 1
Allowed Time: 90 Minutes Course Code: : CBE 302

Question # 2: (8 Degrees)
Results of consolidated-undrained triaxial test on a compacted soil at failure are as follows:
Cell pressure kg/cm2 0.70 3.50
2
Total vertical pressure kg/cm 3.04 8.95
2
Pore water pressure kg/cm -0.3 +1.17
Determine the effective and total shear strength parameters.
𝝈𝟑 𝒌𝒈/𝒄𝒎𝟐 𝝈𝟏 𝒌𝒈/𝒄𝒎𝟐 𝒖 𝒌𝒈/𝒄𝒎𝟐 𝝈′𝟑 𝝈′𝟏
0.7 3.04 -0.3 1 3.34
3.5 8.95 1.17 2.33 7.78

10

6 Effective
τ kPa 2
𝜏 𝑘𝑔/𝑐𝑚

Total
4

0
0 2 4 6 8 10
σ kPa 𝜎 𝑘𝑔/𝑐𝑚2

𝑬𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒄′ = 𝟎. 𝟎 − ∅′ = 𝟑𝟑𝟎

𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒄 = 𝟎. 𝟕 𝒌𝒈/𝒄𝒎𝟐 − ∅ = 𝟐𝟎𝟎

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 Ministry of Higher Education Mid Term Exam.
Zagazig High Institute of Eng. & Tech Course Name: Soil Mechanics (1)
Level Degree: 3rd No. of pages : 2
Date: 25/11/2015 Department: Construction and building
Engineering
No. of Questions: 4 Term No. : 1
Allowed Time: 90 Minutes Course Code: : CBE 302

Question # 3: (16 Degrees)

1. Using Mohr circle, show how the at rest, active and passive earth pressure can generate
and cause failure.
𝝉
At rest earth pressure Failure Envelope

Mohr circles does not touch the failure envelope

Avtive earth pressure 𝝈𝒉 𝝈𝒗 𝝈

𝜎ℎ Lateral earth pressure reduces from at rest condition till failure

𝜎𝑣 is constant

𝝉
Failure Envelope

𝝈𝒉𝒇 𝝈𝒗 𝝈
Decreasing
𝝈𝒉

Passive earth pressure

𝜎ℎ Lateral earth pressure increases from at rest condition till failure
𝜎𝑣 is constant

𝝉
Failure Envelope

𝝈𝒉𝒇 𝝈
𝝈𝒗
Increasing 𝝈𝒉

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 Ministry of Higher Education Mid Term Exam.
Zagazig High Institute of Eng. & Tech Course Name: Soil Mechanics (1)
Level Degree: 3rd No. of pages : 2
Date: 25/11/2015 Department: Construction and building
Engineering
No. of Questions: 4 Term No. : 1
Allowed Time: 90 Minutes Course Code: : CBE 302

2. For the given wall, and using Rankine’s theory, determine:

a. The Distribution of the earth pressure along the wall.
b. The magnitude and point of application of the active force from the base of the wall.

Sandy clay
5m γ= 1.7 t/m3
C=1.25 t/m2
Φ = 280
4m

1 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛 ∅ 1 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛 28
𝐾𝑎 = = = 0.361
1 + 𝑠𝑖𝑛 ∅ 1 + 𝑠𝑖𝑛28 2.45 m

e0 = −2c√k a = −2 ∗ 1.25 ∗ √0.361 = −1.502 𝑡/𝑚2 /𝑚′

2.55 m
𝑒1 = −1.502 + 0.361 ∗ 1.7 ∗ 5 = 1.57 𝑡/𝑚2 /𝑚′ E1

𝑒2 = 1.57 + 0.361 ∗ 0.7 ∗ 4 = 2.58 𝑡/𝑚2 /𝑚′

E2
𝑒𝑤 = 1 ∗ 4 = 4 𝑡/𝑚2 /𝑚′
Ew
2𝑐 2 ∗ 1.25
𝑧𝑐 = = = 2.45 𝑚 E3
𝛾√𝑘𝑎 1.7√0.361

Item Calculation of pressure t/m2/m’ Moment arm Moment t.m/m’

(m)
𝐸1 0.5 ∗ 2.55 ∗ 1.57 = 2 4.85 9.7
𝐸1 1.57 ∗ 4 = 6.28 2 12.56
𝐸1 0.5 ∗ 4 ∗ (2.58 − 1.57) = 2.02 1.33 2.69
𝐸𝑤 0.5 ∗ 4 ∗ 4 = 8 1.33 10.67
𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 18.3 t 35.62

18.3 ∗ 𝑦 = 35.62
𝒚 = 𝟏. 𝟗𝟓𝒎

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 Ministry of Higher Education Mid Term Exam.
Zagazig High Institute of Eng. & Tech Course Name: Soil Mechanics (1)
Level Degree: 3rd No. of pages : 2
Date: 25/11/2015 Department: Construction and building
Engineering
No. of Questions: 4 Term No. : 1
Allowed Time: 90 Minutes Course Code: : CBE 302

Question # 4: (5 Degrees)
A thin layer of silty clay exists at a depth of 15 m below ground surface. Soil above this
layer is silt with saturated density of 19.84 kN/m3. Ground water table was approximately
near the ground surface. Triaxial Shear test on the undisturbed silty clay give the following
results:
𝑐𝑐𝑢 = 48.3 𝑘𝑃𝑎 - ∅𝑐𝑢 = 130 − 𝑐𝑑′ = 41.4 𝑘𝑃𝑎 − ∅′𝑑 = 230
Estimate the shearing resistance of the silty clay on a horizontal plane when shear builds up
very slowly

Solution G. W. T. G.S.

For silt layer

Silt
𝛾𝑠𝑢𝑏 = 𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡 − 𝛾𝑤 = 19.84 − 10 = 9.84 𝑘𝑁/𝑚2 𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡 = 19.8 𝑘𝑃𝑎
15 m
𝜎𝑡 = 𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡 ∗ ℎ = 19.84 ∗ 15 = 297.6 𝑘𝑃𝑎

𝜎 ′ = 𝛾𝑠𝑢𝑏 ∗ ℎ = 9.84 ∗ 15 = 147.6 𝑘𝑃𝑎 Silty clay

𝑐𝑐𝑢 = 48.3 𝑘𝑃𝑎
For shear to build up very slowly, ∅𝑐𝑢 = 130
Resistance is calculated based on effective stresses 𝑐𝑑′ = 41.4 𝑘𝑃𝑎
∅′𝑑 = 230
Pore water pressure =0.0

𝜏 = 𝑐 ′ + 𝜎 ′ tan ∅′
𝜏 = 41.4 + 147.6 tan 23 = 41.4 + 62.7 = 104.05 𝑘𝑃𝑎

𝝉 = 𝟏𝟎𝟒. 𝟎𝟓 𝒌𝑷𝒂