CVEEN 3510

Civil Engineering Materials

Fall 2017

Exam #1 Practice Problems

For problems 1 through 5, assume all of the appropriate statistical requirements

(i.e., normality, homocedasticity, etc.) are met.

Problem 1
Glass used in a high rise building has a tensile strength of 14 ksi with a standard
deviation of 2 ksi. If 100 samples are tested,
1) What is the lowest value that can be expected with 95% confidence?
2) What is the highest value that can be expected with 95% confidence?
3) What are the high and low values for parts 1 and 2 if only 25 samples are
tested?
4) What are the high and low values for parts 1 and 2 if the standard
deviation is 0.5 ksi?

Problem 2
Tests are run on 16 samples of certain metal alloy. The average strength was
27.3 ksi with a standard deviation of 1.20 ksi.
1) What is the range in strength with 95% certainty?
2) What is the range in strength with 99% certainty?
3) Can you be 100% sure of having a certain range?

Problem 3
20 Concrete cylinders are tested resulting on a 28-day compressive strength of
5,200 psi with a standard deviation of 500 psi.
1) If the project requires a 28-day compressive strength of 5,000 psi, will this
mix meet the project requirements 95% of the time?
2) If the standard deviation where to remain the same, what would be the
minimum average 28-day compressive strength required on 20 cylinders
to meet the project requirements 99% of the time?

Problem 4
Cubes made with potable and non-potable water were tested for compressive
strength after 7 days of curing. The results are as follows:
Cubes made with Cubes made with
Non potable water Potable water
17,810 16,730
15,110 18,870
14,200 15,230
18,290 17,470
16,081 17,190
17,450 18,290
17,327 16,372
14,330 14,999
 1) Is there any statistical difference at an = 0.05 level between the results
of the 2 sets of tests?
2) Is there any statistical difference at an = 0.01?
3) Can you conclude that non-potable water is detrimental to strength?

Problem 5
The results provided by a contractor for 25 asphalt concrete density
measurements show an average value of 127 lbs/ft3 with a standard deviation of
5 lbs/ft3. The target value is 130 lbs/ft3
1) Are the contractor values statistically different than the target value with
95% confidence?
2) What would be the lowest density value that you would expect with 95%
certainty?
3) Would you believe the contractor claims that the density where within
specs?

Problem 6
A steel alloy has a stress-strain relationship that can be approximated as
= 29 x 106 for < 36,000 psi and
= 36,000 + (50,000*)2 for 66,000 > > 36,000
Where is the stress in psi and is the strain in inches per inch.
1) Determine Youngs modulus
2) Determine the strain level at which the material becomes non-linear

Problem 7
A load of 100 N was applied to a given material. The material responded with an
instantaneous deformation of 10 mm. After 1000 seconds, there was no
increase in deformation. Based on the information given:
1) What kind of rheological element can be used to represent this material?
2) What is the mathematical expression that relates the deformation caused
by a given force?

Problem 8
A load of 100 N was applied to a given material. The material did not seem to
deform at first but then it started to deform. At 10 seconds the deformation was
1mm, at 20 seconds the deformation was 2 mm, at 50 seconds the deformation
was 5 mm. After 500 seconds, the material deformed 50 mm. Based on the
information given
1) What kind of rheological element can be used to represent this material?
2) What is the mathematical expression that relates the deformation caused
by a given force?
Problem 9
A load of 100 N was applied to a given material. The material showed an
instantaneous deformation of 10 mm. The material kept deforming and after 10
seconds it showed a total deformation of 12 mm, the deformation kept increasing
by 2 mm every 10 seconds. Based on the information given
1) What kind of rheological element can be used to represent this material?
2) What is the mathematical expression that relates the deformation caused
by a given force?
3) What will the deformation be at 100 seconds?

Problem 10
A load of 100 N was applied for 100 seconds and then released. The material is
known to behave as a Burgers model with the following constants:
K1 = 20 N/mm K2 = 50 N/mm
B3 = 5000 N s/mm B4 = 10000 N s/mm k
Based on the information given
k
1) What is the instantaneous deformation?

2) What is the maximum deformation?
Figure 1a
3) What is the permanent deformation (deformation at
time = infinity)?

Problem 11
A sample is taken from the stockpile of aggregate. The following properties are
obtained:
Initial sample weight 1.20 lbs
SSD weight 1.14 lbs
Oven dry weight 1.06 lbs
Based on the information given determine
1) The moisture content
2) The absorption
3) The excess or free moisture content

Problem 12
The aggregate to be used as road base has an oven dry specific gravity of 2.15,
with 1.9% absorption. Based on the information given determine
1) The weight of 1 ft3 of aggregate in the oven dry state
2) The SSD specific gravity
3) The weight of 1ft3 of aggregate if the stockpile contains 3% moisture

Problem 13
A container with a volume of 2 ft3 is to be filled with aggregate. The dry-rodded
unit weight of the aggregate is 113 pcf. The oven dry specific gravity of the
aggregate is 2.25 with 2.2% absorption. Based on the information given
determine the volume of air left in the container if:
1) The aggregate is oven dry
2) The aggregate is in the SSD condition
3) The aggregate has 5% moisture
Problem 14
Using the same information as problem 13, determine the volume (or weight) of
water that can be added to the container full of aggregate, before it spills.

Problem 15
A two lane road section is to be constructed with a 12-inch deep aggregate base.
Each lane is 14-ft wide. The aggregate has an oven dry rodded unit weight of
122 pcf with 2.9% absorption. Tests from the gravel pit indicate that the
aggregate has 2% moisture. If the road section is 500-ft long determine.

1) The volume of aggregate that needs to be ordered

2) The weight (in tons) of the aggregate ordered in the oven dry condition
3) The weight (in tons) of the aggregate ordered in the field condition

Problem 16
In order to obtain proper compaction, there needs to be 2% free moisture.
Determine the amount (volume or mass) of water that needs to be added to the
aggregate in problem 15.

Problem 17
On the following graph, determine which gradation is uniformly graded, gap
graded, and which has the highest packing density.
Problem 18
Fill in the table describing the properties of the following admixtures

Temperature/ Structure
Reason(s) Effect on long
Admixture climate where it can
for selection term strength
where useful be used

Air entrainer

Lignosulfoaluminate
(water-reducer and
retarder)
Polycarboxylate
(high range water
reducer/superplasticizer)

Calcium Chloride
pellets

Fly Ash

Silica Fume

Problem 19
Explain the heat curve shown below. Identify setting and hydration reactions.
Where do accelerators and retarders have the most effect?