4-8. A borrow pits soil is being used as earth fill at a construction project.

The in
place dry density of the borrow pit soil is known to be

. The job
contract requires the soil at the construction site to be compacted to a dry density
of

The project requires

of compacted soil fill. What

volume of soil will the earthmoving contractor be required to obtain from the
borrow pit to provide the necessary volume of compacted fill?
4-9 Sand at a borrow pit is determined to have an in-place dry unit weight of 115pcf.
Laboratory tests performed to determine the maximum and minimum unit weights give
values of 122pcf and 102pcf, respectively. From these data, what is the relative density
of the natural soil?
4-10. An undisturbed sample of sand has a dry weight of and occupies a
volume of

. The soil solids have a specific gravity of 2.75. Laboratory test

performed to determine the maximum and minimum densities indicate void ratios
of 0.42 at the maximum density and 0.92 at the minimum density. Compute the
relative density of the material.

4-11. A fine grained soil (no sand) is found to have a liquid limit of 70 percent and
plastic limit of 38 percent.
(a) What do the percentages for these limit values represent?
(b) What is the plasticity index for this soil?
(c) On the plasticity chart for the Unified Soil Classification System, what soil type
is this?
(d) On the plasticity chart for the AASHTO classification system, what soil type is
this?
4-12. A silt clay soil has a plastic limit of 25 and a plasticity index of 30.
(a) If the natural water content of the soil is 35 percent, what is the liquidity
index?
(b) What soil type is this, according to the Unified Soil Classification System and
the AASHTO system?
4-13. A fine grained soil is found to have a liquid limit of 90 percent and a plasticity
index of 51. The natural water content is 28 percent.
(a) Determine the liquidity index and indicate the probable consistency of the
natural soil,
(b) Classify this soil according to the Unified Soil Classification System, and also
according to AASHTO system.


4-14. A saturated 100 cm
3
clay sample has a natural water content of 30 percent. It is
found that the shrinkage limit occurs when the water content is 19 percent. If the
specific gravity of soil solids is 2.70, what will the volume of the sample be when
the water content is 15 percent?
4-15. A clay soil is found to have a liquid limit of 75 percent, a plastic limit of 45
percent, and a shrinkage limit of 25 percent. If a sample of this soil has a total volume of
30 cm
3
at a liquid limit and a volume of 16.7 cm
3
at the shrinkage limit, what was the
specific gravity of the soil solids?
4-16. Limit test performed on clay indicate a liquid limit of 67 percent and a plastic limit
of 32 percent. From the hydrometer analysis to determine particle size, it is found
that the 40 percent of the sample consist of particles smaller than 0.002 mm.
From this information, indicate the activity classification for this clay and the
probable type or clay mineral.
4-17. Laboratory test results for a sample of clay soil for the purpose of evaluating the
potential for volume change (swelling, expansion) are as shown. Rate the volume
change potential (high, medium, low) for this soil.

4-18. A soil sample having no particles larger than the No.4 sieve is classified as sandy
salt, ML, by the Unified Soil Classification System (LL = 29%, PI = 5%; silt particles
comprises 70% of the sample, sand 15%, clay 15%). What is the probable soil
classification in the AASHTO system? In the U.S. Department of Agriculture texture
system? (Do not use Table 4-6)

4-19. The textural classification used for identifying a soil sample (Department of
Agricultural classification system) indicates a loam soil. What are the probable
identifications by the Unified Soil Classification system and the AASHTO classification
system criteria?

4-20. Referring to the U.S. Department of Agriculture textural classification chart, what
percent of the particles in a fine grained soil (no particles larger than No. 200
sieve size) must be clay size for the soil to be identified as clay (no dual name
for the classification)?

4-21. An international design-and-construction firm specializing in building industrial
facilities has new projects planned for three different locations. Personnel in the
companys design department have located the sites on the Soil Taxonomy Maps of
Global Distribution, to obtain preliminary information about the local soil conditions. The
soil category identified for each site is shown below, relating to building design and
construction, indicate if normal-standard soil features or problem-undesirable features
should be anticipated.

Site Map Soil Type
A Vertisol
B Andisol
C Mollisol
D Oxisol

4-22. Soil samples know to be from different residual formations are tested in a
laboratory to determine properties that affect design and construction. Test values
determine for the liquid limit, and the noted soil color, for samples from three different