Assignment 2.

1. Soil is placed in the containers shown in Fig. below. The saturated unit weight of
soil is 20 kN/m3. Calculate the pore pressure, and the effective stress at elevation
A, when (a) the water table is at elevation A, and (b) when the water table rises to
El.B.

Answer:
a. *u = w x Hw = 9.8 x 2= 19.6 KPa
* = H x w + (Ha-H) sat = 2 x 9.8 + (5-2) 20 = 79.6 kPa
’ =  - u = 79.6 – 19.6 = 60 kPa
b. *u = (H+h) w = 7 x 9.8 = 68.6 KPa
*

2. The depth of water in a lake is 3 m. The soil properties as obtained from soil
exploration below the bed of the lake are as given below.
 Calculate the following pressures at a depth of 12 m below the bed level of the lake,
(i) The total pressure, (ii) the pore pressure and (iii) the intergranular pressure.

3. At a particular site lies a layer of fine sand 8 m thick below the ground surface and
having a void ratio of 0.7. The GWT is at a depth of 4 m below the ground surface.
The average degree of saturation of the sand above the capillary fringe is 50%.
The soil is saturated due to capillarity action to a height of 2.0 m above the GWT
level. Assuming Gs = 2.65, calculate the total effective pressures at depths of 6 m
and 3 m below the ground surface (capillary pressure uc=n hc w where n=porosity)

Answer:

sat = ( Gs+e
1+e ) w=(
2.65+0.7
1+0.7 )
9.8=19.31kN/m 3

Gs x w 2.65 x 9.81
d ¿ = =15.29 kN/m3
1+e 1.7

b = sat - w = 19.3- 9.81 = 9.52 kN/m3

The moist unit weight of soil above the capillary fringe is :

(Gs+eS ) w ( 2.65+ 0.7 x 0.5 ) 9.81

m = = =17.31kN/m3
1+e 1+ 0.7

Capillary pressure :

e 0.7
n= = =0.41 uc = n hc w = 0.41 x 2 x 9.81 = 8.08 kN/m2
1+ e 1.7

(a) At ground level ’ = 0

(b) Overburden pressure at fringe level = ’o = hcm = 2 x 17.31 = 34.62 kN/m2
(c) Effective pressure at fringe level = ’c = ’o + uc = 34.62 + 8.08 = 42.70 kN/m2
(d) Effective pressure at GWT level = ’sat=’c +’d = 42.70 + 2 x 15.29
= 42.70 + 30.58 = 73.28 kN/m2
(e) Effective pressure at 6 m below GL
’t= ’sat + hw b = 73.28 + 2 x 9.52 = 73.28+ 19.04 = 92.32 kN/m2
Effective stress at a depth 3 m below GL
’z = ’o + uc + (z - hc) d = 34.62 + 8.08 + (3 - 2) x 15.29 = 58 kN/m2