MAPA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

School of Civil, Environmental, and Geological Engineering

CE161P (Geotechnical Engineering 1: Soil Mechanics) A88
MWF (10:30 12:00), T (4:30-9:00)
DIRECTION: Read the following problems carefully. Please follow the respective instructions for each portion of the
test. Round your final answer in three decimal places unless otherwise specified. Wrong spelling is WRONG. No
units (if needed) are considered to be incorrect. ANYONE CAUGHT CHEATING WILL MERIT A GRADE of 5.0
WITHOUT AN EXCUSE.

QUIZ No. 1 Properties of SOIL

I. TRUE or FALSE (3 pts each): Write TRUE if the statement given is true. Change the underlined word to make the
statement true if the statement given is false.
________________________ 1. If the void ratio decreases, the bulk soil volume decreases.
________________________ 2. The effective unit weight of soil is achieved when the soil is moist alone.
________________________ 3. When the water just fills up all the voids, the unit weight soil is classified as
saturated.
________________________ 4. In some soil, the soil can sometimes have greater volume of empty spaces that
volume of water occupying the empty spaces.
_________________________ 5. Given a soil sample, the ratio of the volume of water present on the sample to the
volume of soil solids is the same as the ratio of its specific gravity of soil solids and its water content.
II. IDENTIFICATION (5 pts)
1. It is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth materials. It is important in
civil engineering especially with construction occurring on the surface or within the ground.
2. What is the saturated unit weight, sat in terms of dry unit weight, dry and porosity n? Show the derivation.
3. This is the product of degree of saturation and void ratio is the same as the product of what two soil property.
4. In soil properties, what do you call the ratio of total volume to the volume of soil?
5. Bonus: Sand and Gravel are known as what?

III. PROBLEM SOLVING (20 pts)

1. The saturated unit weight of a soil is 18.77 kN/m2. The moisture content of the soil is 14.1%. Determine the dry unit
weight, specific gravity of soil solids and void ratio.
2. A loose, uncompacted sand fill 3 m in depth has a relative density of 40%. Laboratory tests indicated that the
minimum and maximum void ratios of the sand are 0.46 and 0.90, respectively. The specific gravity of solids of the
sand is 2.65.
a. What is the dry unit weight of the sand?
b. If the sand is compacted to a relative density of 85%, what is the decrease in thickness of the 3-m fill?
3. A sample of moist clay whose degree of saturation is 75% has a mass of 1,853.5 g, and 1,267.4 g after drying. The
dry unit weight is 14.71 kN/m3. Determine (a) unit weight of the sample; (b) void ratio; (c) specific gravity of soil solids;
(d) unit weight of the soil if the sample became 50% saturated
4. An earth dam requires 1 million cubic meters of soil compacted to a void ratio of 0.8. In the vicinity of the proposed
dam, three borrow pits were identified as having suitable materials. The cost of purchasing the soil and the cost of
excavation are the same for each borrow pit. The table below provides the void ratio and the transportation cost for
each borrow pit. Which borrow pit would be the most economical?