SOIL MECHANICS I

References:
-
Principles of Geotechnical Engineering
(Braja M. Das, 2002)
- Soil Mechanics (R. F. Craig, 1987)
- Mekanika Tanah I (Hary Christady H., 2002)
 TOPICS - 1

1.
The application of soil mechanics

2.
Origin of soil
3.
Soil composition
4.
Soil classification
5.
In situ stresses and stresses in a soil mass
6.
Shear strength
7.
Permeability
8.
Permeability test in the laboratory
 Soil Mechanics I
(T. Faisal Fathani)

1.
Permeability coefficient in stratified soil

2.
Permeability test in the field
3.
Seepage and Flow-net
4.
Uplift pressure on hydraulic structure
5.
Seepage through an earth dam on impervious
base
6.
Soil compaction
 Permeability
Hydraulic Gradient
Bernoulli equation:
-
Total head at a point in water under motion = the sum of the
pressure, velocity and elevation head:

-
The flow of water through a porous soil (seepage velocity is

small, so the velocity head can be neglected)

h

hA
hB
A
B
ZA
ZB

Datum

The loss of head between 2 points A and B:

Hydraulic Gradient:
 Nature of variation of seepage velocity (v)
with hydraulics gradient i

Zone III
Turbulent flow
Zone II
Velocity, v
Transition

Zone I
Laminar flow

Hydraulics Gradient, i

The flow of water through the void spaces can be

considered laminar, thus:
 Darcys Law

v = discharge velocity (cm/sec)

k = permeability coefficient = hydraulic conductivity (cm/sec)
i = hydraulics gradient A Av

As
L

vs = seepage velocity
Av = area of void in the cross section
e = void number
n = porosity
 Hydraulic conductivity, k
Hydraulic conductivity of soils depends on several factors:

Fluid viscosity

Pore-size distribution

Grain size distribution

Void ratio

Roughness of mineral particle

Degree of soil saturation

w = unit volume of water (g/cm2.det2)


= fluid viscosity (g/cm.det)
K = absolute permeability (cm2)
 Typical values of Hydraulic Conductivity of
Saturated Soils

Type of soil k (cm/sec)

Clean gravel 100 1.0
Coarse sand 1.0 0.01
Fine sand 0.01 0.001
Silty clay 0.001 0.00001
Clay < 0.000001

At any temperature T, permeability coefficient k:

Because of 
Permeability test in the Laboratory:
-
Constant-head test
-
Falling-head test
-
Indirect determination from consolidation test
-
Indirect determination from horizontal capillary test

Permeability test in the field:

-
By using Well test
-
Artetics well
-
Using borehole
-
Using borehole with variable-head
-
Seepage velocity measurement
 Equivalent Permeability in stratified soil
Horizontal flow in stratified soil

H1 kV1
kH1
v = average discharge velocity
kV2
H2 kH2 v1, v2, v3, , vn = discharge
velocities of flow in layers
kV3 H
H3 kH3 denoted by subscripts

Hn kVn
kHn

Consider a cross section of unit length passing through the n layer

and perpendicular to the direction of flow.
Total flow through the cross section in unit time :
kH1, kH2, kH3, kHn = hydraulic conductivities of individual layers in
horizontal direction
kH(eq) = equivalent hydraulic conductivity in horizontal direction

From Darcys Law :

Equivalent hydraulic conductivity in horizontal direction :

 Vertical flow in h3
h h2
stratified soil h1

H1 kV1
kH1
kV2
H2 kH2

H kV3
H3 kH3

Hn kVn
kHn

Total head loss

The velocity of flow though all the layers is the same:
From Darcys Law, it can be written:

(1)

kV1, kV2, kV3, kVn = hydraulic conductivities of individual layers in

vertical direction
kV(eq) = equivalent hydraulic conductivity in vertical direction

From Eq. ; so h can be written as:

(2)

Solving Eq (1) and (2), equivalent hydraulic conductivity in vertical

direction is:
Example 1 (HCH SP 3.16)
Three layers of soil as shown in the figure lay at the bottom of a pond with the
water depth of 10 m. The gravel located at the bottom of this three layers, with
the groundwater level permanently at the surface of the gravel layer.
q
Layer 1: kH1 = 2 x 10-7 m/det ; kV1 = 3 x 10-8 m/det H1 = 2 m
Layer 2: kH2 = 1,5 x 10-8 m/det ; kV1 = 3 x 10-9 m/det H2 = 1 m
Layer 3: kH1 = 1 x 10-8 m/det ; kV1 = 1 x 10-9 m/det H3 = 3 m

q Gravel

(a) Calculate the equivalent hydraulic conductivity in vertical direction

at these three layers
(b) Calculate the seepage flow (discharge) to the vertical direction per m2
of pond area and calculate the seepage flow per day (the water depth
in the pond is 10 m).

Seepage flow per day:

Example 2 (HCH SP 3.17)

+100 m
+95 m
H = 15 m Layer 1: k1 = 2,5 x 10-7 m/det
+90 m

+85 m Layer 2: k2 = 3 x 10-6 m/det

Gravel

An extensive pond with the water level and soil layering as shown in
the figure. Layer 1 and 2 are assumed as isotropic (kH = kV). The
ground water level located at the surface of the gravel. If the water
level assumed to be stable:
(a)
Calculate the seepage discharge to the gravel layer per m2 of
pond area
Due to the very extensive area of the pond compare to the porous
layers at its lower part, the horizontal flow is small and can be
neglected.
Method 1:
Calculate for the pond area A = 1 m2.
Seepage flow:

(1)

Total head for 2 layers:

(2)

Substitute Eq. (1) to (2) : h1 = 13,85 m ; h2 = 1,15 m

Method 2:
Seepage flow is calculated by using equivalent hydraulic conductivity k(eq).

(b) Calculated the seepage flow per day if the pond area is 2000 m2
Seepage flow per day

For the pond area of 2000 m2, seepage flow :

= 2000 x 0,06 m3 = 120 m3 per day
Permeability Test in the Field by
Pumping from the Wells
Pumping test from a well in an unconfined permeable
layer underlain by an impermeable stratum
r2 Water table
r r1 before pumping

dh Draw-down curve
dr
during pumping

h h1
h2
Observation
Test well wells

Impermeable layer
Steady state  water level in the test well and observation wells
becomes constant.
The rate of flow of groundwater into the well is equal to the rate of
discharge from pumping:

or

Hence

From field measurement, if q, r1, r2, h1 and h2 are known, the

hydraulic conductivity can be calculated from the above expression.
Pumping test from a well penetrating the full depth in
a confined aquifer
r2
r r1

dh
dr h1
h h2

Impermeable layer

H Confined aquifer

Impermeable layer

Pumping is continued at a uniform rate q until a steady state is
reached.

Because water can enter the test well only from the aquifer of
thickness H, the steady state of discharge is

or

The hydraulic conductivity in the direction of flow (2 test wells):

hmax = drawdown of water at test well

If only 1 test well :
h1, h2 = drawdown of water at observation
wells 1 and 2
r0 = pipe radius of test well
r1, r2 = distance between test well and
observation wells
Hydraulic conductivity by Auger borehole (slug test)

2r

Groundwater
level
y
r = hole radius
L y = average distance between

y the water level in Auger hole
and groundwater level in a
specific time interval
t
Example 3
Calculate the flow into the well (radius = 0,1 m) with confined aquifer.
The maximum drawdown of groundwater level hmax = 3,0 m and the
thickness of confined aquifer = 6,0 m. From the observation, it is
clarified that the radius of drawdown affected circle R = 150 m. From
the soil test, k = 0,005 m/det.

By using the following equation: If only 1 test well :

 Example 4
Calculate the hydraulic conductivity of the hole that has been made by
Auger bore drilling. If r = 0,15 m; L = 3,5 m;
y = 0,45 m;
t = 8
minutes, and y = 3,2 m.

2r By using the following equation:

Groundwater
level
y

L

y