DPP 1

Geotechnical engineering
1. A soil sample has a porosity of 40 per cent. The specific
gravity of solids is 2.70. Calculate (a) voids ratio, (b) dry
density, (c) unit weight if the soil is 50% saturated and (d) unit
weight if the soil is completely saturated.
2. An undisturbed sample of soil has a volume of 100 cm3
and mass of 190 g. On oven drying for 24 hours, the mass is
reduced to 160 g. If the specific gravity of grains is 2.68,
determine the water content, voids ratio and degree of
saturation of the soil.
3. The in-situ percentage voids of a sand deposit is 34 per
cent. For determining the density index dried sand from the
stratum was first filled loosely in a 1000 cm3 mould and was
then vibrated to give a maximum density. The loose dry
mass in the mould was 1610 g and the dense dry mass at
maximum compaction was found to be 1980 g. Determine
the density index if the specific gravity of the sand particles
is 2.67.
4. The mass specific gravity (apparent specific gravity) of a
soil equals 1. 64. The specific gravity of solids is 2.70.
Determine the voids ratio under the assumption that the soil
is perfectly dry. What would be the voids ratio, if the sample
is assumed to have a water content of 8 per cent ?
5. A natural soil deposit has a bulk unit weight of 18.44 kN/m3 and
water content of 5 per cent. Calculate the amount of water
required to be added to 1 cubic metre of soil to raise the water
content to 15 per cent. Assume the voids ratio to remain constant.
What will then be the degree of saturation ? Assume G=2.67.
6. A soil sample is partially saturated. Its natural moisture
content was found to be 22% and bulk density 2 g/cm3. If the
specific gravity of solid particles is 2.65 and the density of water
be taken as 1 g/cm3. Find out the degree of saturation and the
void ratio.
7. A natural soil sample has a bulk density of 2g/cm3 with
6% water content. Calculate the amount of water required
to be added to one cubic metre of soil to raise the water
content to 15% while the voids ratio remains constant. What
is then the degree of saturation ? G=2.67.
8. A mass of soil coated with thin layer of paraffin wax
weighs 690.6 g and the soil alone weighs 683 g. When the
sample is immersed in water, it displaces 350 ml of water.
The specific gravity of the soil is 2.73 and that of was is 0.89.
Find out void ratio and degree of saturation if it has got
water content of 17%. Unit weight of water is 1000 kg/cu.m.
9. An embankment having a total volume of 5000 m3 has a
water content of 16% and dry density of 1.75 g/cm3. If it was
constructed from a borrow pit where the undisturbed soil
has a water content of 13% and voids ratio of 0.6, Calculate
the quantity of soil which was excavated for the
construction of the above embankment. Take specific
gravity of soil solids as 2.68.
10. An embankment having total volume of 2000 m3 is to be
constructed having a bulk density of 1.98 g/cm3 and a
placement water content of 18%. The soil is to be obtained
either from borrow area A or borrow area B, which have
voids ratio of 0.78 and 0.69 respectively and water content
of 16% and 12% respectively. Taking G = 2.66 for both the
soils, determine the volume of solid required to be
excavated from each of the areas. If the cost of excavation
is Rs. 35 per m3 in each area, but cost of transportation is Rs.
32 and 36 per m3 from areas A and B respectively. Which of
the borrow area is more economical?
11. Calculate the unit weights and specific gravities of solids
of (a) a soil composed of pure quartz and (b) a soil
composed of 60% quartz, 25% mica and average G for
quartz = 2.66, for mica = 3.0 and for iron oxide = 3.8.
12. A soil has a bulk unit weight of 20.11 kN/m3 and water
content of 15 per cent. Calculate the water content if the
soil partially dries to a unit weight of 19.42 kN/m3 and the
voids ratio remains unchanged.
13. Sandy soil in a borrow pit has unit weight of solids as 26.3
RN/m3, water content equal to 11% and bulk unit weight equal to
16.4 kN/m3. How many cubic meter of compacted fill could be
constructed of 3500 m3 of sand excavated from the borrow pit, if
the required value of porosity in the compacted fill is 30%. Also
compute the change in degree of saturation.
14. A sand deposit has following properties in its natural state
(i) bulk unit weight : 18.6 kN/m3
(ii) Unit weight of soil solids : 26.3 kN/m3
(iii) Water content : 10%
15. Cohesive soil yields a maximum dry density of 1.8 g/cc at on
OMC of 16% during a standard Proctor test. If the value of G is
2.65, what is the degree of saturation ? What is the maximum
dry density it can be further compacted to.
16. The total unit weight (Yt) of soil is 18.8 kN/m3 the specific
gravity (G) of the solid particles of soil is 2.67 and the water
content (w) of the soil is 12%. Calculate the dry unit weight (Yd),
the void ratio (e) and the degree of saturation.
17. The total unit weight of the glacial outwash soil is 16 kN/m3.
The specific gravity of soil particles of the soil is 2.67. The water
content of the soil is 17%. Calculate:
(a) Void ratio (b) Porosity
(c) Void ratio (d) Degree of saturation
18. Soil has been compacted in a embankment at a bulk
density of 2.15 mg/m3 and water content of 12%. The value of
specific gravity of soil solids is 2.65. The water table is well below
the foundation level. Estimate the dry density, void ratio,
degree of saturation and air consent of compacted soil.
19. A compacted cylindrical specimen 50 mm diameter
and 100 mm long is to be prepared from dry soil. If the
specimen is required to have a water content of 15% and
the percentage of air voids is 20, calculate the weight of soil
and water required in the preparation of the soil whose
specific gravity is 2.69.
20. A clayey soil has saturated moisture content of 15.8%.
The specific gravity is 2.72. Its saturation percentage is 70.8%.
The soil is allowed to absorb water. After some time, the
saturation increased to 90.8%. Find the water content of the
soil in the latter case.
21. A core cutter 12.6 cm in height and 10.2 cm in diameter
weights 1071 gm when empty. It is used to determine the in-
situ unit weight of an embankment. The weight of core
cutter full of soil is 2970 gm. If the water content is 6%, what
are the in-situ dry weight and porosity? (ii) if the
embankment gets fully saturated due to heavy rains what
will be the increase in water content and bulk unit weight, if
no volume change occurs? The specific gravity of soil solids
is 2.69.
22. A cube of dried clay having sides 4 cm long has a mass
of 110 g. The same cube of soil, when saturated at
unchanged volume, has mass of 135 g. Draw the soil
element showing the volumes and weights of the
constituents, and then determine the specific gravity of soil
solids and the voids ratio.
23. It is required to prepare a compacted cylindrical
specimen of 40 mm dia. and 80 mm length from oven dry
soil. The specimen is required to have water content of 10%
and percent air voids of 18%. Taking G = 2.70, determine the
mass of soil and mass of water, required for the preparation
of the above specimen.
24. Soil is to be excavated from a borrow pit which has a
density of 1.75 gm/cc. and water content of 12%. The
specific gravity of soil particles is 2.7. The soil is competed so
that water content is 18% and dry density is 1.65 gm/cc. For
1000 cum of soil in fill, estimate (i) the quantity of soil to be
excavated from the pit in cum; and (ii) the amount of water
to be added. Also determine the void ratios of the soil in
borrow pit and fill.
25. A sampler with a volume of 45 cm3 is filled with a soil
sample. When the soil is poured into a graduated cylinder, if
displaces 25 cm3 of water. What is the porosity and wind
ratio of the soil?
26. The void ratio and specific gravity of a sample of clay
are 0.73 and 2.7 respectively if the voids are 92% saturated,
find the bulk density dry density and the water content.
What would be the water content for complete saturation,
the void ratio remaining the same ?
27. A highly sensitive volcanic clay was investigated in the
laboratory and found to have the following properties:
(i) Ywet = 12.50 kN/m3 (ii) G = 2.75
(iii) e = 9.0 (iv) w = 311 %

In rechecking the above values, one was found to be

inconsistent with the rest. Find the inconsistent value and
report it correctly.
28. The unit weight of a sand backfill was determined by
field measurements to be 1746 kg per cu. m. The water
content at the time of test was 8.6 percent and the unit
weight of the solid constituents was 2.6 gm per cu cm. In the
laboratory, the void ratios in the loosest and densest states
were found to be 0.642 and 0.462 respectively. What was
the relative density of the fill ? Write the importance of this
term.
29. The in-situ density of an embankment, compacted at a
water content of 12% was determined with the help of a
core cutter. The empty mass of the cutter was 1286 g and
the cutter full of soil had a mass of 3195 g, the volume of the
cutter being 1000 cm3. Determine the bulk density, dry
density and the degree of saturation of the embankment.
If the embankment becomes fully saturated during rains,
what would be its water content and saturated unit weight
? Assume no volume change in soil on saturation. Take the
specific gravity of the soil as 2.70.