Code :R7410101 1

IV B.Tech I Semester(R07) Regular Examinations November/December 2010

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING-II
(Civil Engineering )
Time: 3 hours Max Marks: 80
Answer any FIVE questions
All questions carry equal marks
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1. (a) Describe open excavation methods of exploration. What are their advantages and Disadvantages?
(b) What is a bore log? Give a typical example.
2. (a) Explain step by step the standard methods of slices for the analysis of stability of slopes.
(b) How do you locate the centre of critical circles in case of:
i. Cohesive soils
ii. Cohesion less soils
3. (a) What is “earth pressure at rest”? Derive an expression for it in terms of Poisson’s ratio.
(b) A vertical retaining wall supports a cohesive backfill having cohesion of 24kN/m2 and an angle of
shearing resistance of 80 . The height of the wall is 12 m and G.W.L is 4m below the crest. The
bulk density of the soil above G.W. L. is 16.5kN/m3 and the saturated soil density is 20kN/m3 .
The ground surface behind the wall which is horizontal and level with the wall crest carries uniform
surcharge of 12kN/m2 .
i. Determine the total horizontal thrust on the wall in kN per linear meter if the angle of wall
friction is zero and tension cracks have formed?
ii. To what depth is the pressure on the wall zero?
iii. At what height above the base the total horizontal thrust act?
4. A masonry retaining wall of trapezoidal section has its top width equal to 0.75m and height 5m. Its
face which is in contact with the retained earth is vertical. The earth retained is level at top. The soil
weights 16kN/m3 and its angle of internal friction is 300 . The masonry weighs 24kN/m3 . Determine
the minimum width of the base to avoid tensile stresses and also determine the maximum and minimum
compressive stresses for this base width. If the coefficient of friction between base and the soil is 0.60,
check the stability of the retaining wall against sliding.
5. (a) Differentiate between
i. Shallow foundation and deep foundation,
ii. Gross and net bearing capacity,
iii. Safe bearing capacity and soil pressure.
(b) Explain clearly ‘General shear failure’ and ‘Local shear failure’ and indicate the field situations
under which each type of failure occurs.
6. (a) How to correlate the plate load test data to the actual foundations?
(b) A square footing 2.5m size is founded at a depth of 1.5m in a sandy soil deposit which has the
corrected N value of 30. The water tables is at a depth of 2m from the ground surface. Find the
net allowable soil pressure if
i. the desired factor of safety is 3.0 and
ii. the permissible settlement is 40 mm. Use Teng’s equations.
7. (a) How do you classify pile foundations on the basis of
i. material,
ii. load transfer and
iii. method of installation.
(b) Write Hiley’s universal pile formula based on pile driving data. Explain the symbols used. Discuss
its validity.
8. (a) What are the different shapes of foundation wells, and what are their comparative merits and
demerits?
(b) Enumerate the various forces which act on a foundation well.

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Code :R7410101 2
IV B.Tech I Semester(R07) Regular Examinations November/December 2010
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING-II
(Civil Engineering )
Time: 3 hours Max Marks: 80
Answer any FIVE questions
All questions carry equal marks
?????

1. (a) Describe with the help of a neat sketch the wash boring method of subsoil exploration. In what
type of soils this method is recommended? What are the limitation of this method?
(b) Discuss briefly the methods of taking undisturbed samples in
i. non - cohesive soil, and
ii. cohesive soil .
2. (a) What is Taylor’s stability number? How do you use the stability chart?
(b) Give the step by step procedure for analyzing the stability of the upstream slope of an earth dam
by the Swedish method of slices. Bring out the effect of sudden draw down on the stability of slope.
3. (a) Discuss briefly about Coulomb’s earth pressure theory.
(b) Explain how you will determine active pressure by Culmann’s graphical method for cohesion less
soil without surcharge line load.
4. (a) List and explain the stability consideration for retaining walls.
(b) A masonry retaining wall of trapezoidal section with the vertical face on the earth side is 1.5m wide
at the top and 3.5m wide at the base and is 5.0m high. It retains a sand fill sloping at 2 horizontal
to 1 vertical. The unit weight of sand is 18kn/m3 and ∅ = 300 .Find the maximum and minimum
pressure at the base of the wall assuming the unit weight of masonry as 23kN/m3 .
5. (a) How is depth of the foundation determined?
(b) A square footing 2.5m×2.5m and carries a load of 2000 kN. Find the factor of safety against bearing
failure if the soil below the footing has following values:c = 50kN/m2 ,∅ = 150 , y = 17.5kN/m3 and
foundation is taken to a depth of 1.5m. Take Nc = 12.5, Nq = 4.5 and Ny = 2.5.

6. (a) Describe plate load test. What are its limitations and uses?
(b) How to determine the allowable bearing pressure by using Teng’s correlation?
7. (a) Discuss various methods of estimating the pile capacity?
(b) A square pile group of 9 piles of 25 cm diameter is arranged with a pile spacing of 1m. The length
of piles is 9m. Unit cohension of the clay is 75kN/m2 . Neglecting bearing at the tip of the piles
determine the group capacity. Assume adhesion factor of 0.75.
8. (a) Discuss the various forces acting on a well foundation.
(b) Explain the process of sinking of an open well.

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Code :R7410101 3
IV B.Tech I Semester(R07) Regular Examinations November/December 2010
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING-II
(Civil Engineering )
Time: 3 hours Max Marks: 80
Answer any FIVE questions
All questions carry equal marks
?????

1. (a) Describe open excavation methods of exploration. What are their advantages and disadvantages?
(b) Explain what is meant by disturbed and undisturbed samples. How the degree of disturbance is
measured?
2. (a) How do you distinguish a finite slope from an infinite slope? What are the various types of failures
that are likely to occur in finite slopes? Under what circumstances do they occur? Explain with
sketches.
(b) How a slope is analyzed using Swedish circle method? Derive an expression for the factor of safety.
3. (a) Explain the major differences between Rankine’s and Coulomb’s theories on lateral earth pressure.
(b) A retaining wall with a smooth vertical back has to retain a backfill of cohesion less soil up to height
of 5m above G.L. The soil has a void ratio of 0.83 and the specific gravity of soil solids is 2.68. The
water table is located at a depth of 2m below the top of the backfill. The soil above the water table
is 20% saturated. The angle of internal friction of the soil above and below water table is found to
be 320 and 280 respectively. Plot the active earth pressure distribution diagram and determine the
magnitude and point of application of the resultant thrust.
4. (a) What are different types of retaining walls? Discuss them clearly.
(b) Discuss the principles of design of retaining walls.
5. (a) What are the general considerations in the choice of the foundation type?
(b) A strip footing is required to carry a net load of 1200 kN at a depth of 1m. Taking a factor of safety
of 3, determine the width of the footing. Take ∅ = 300 , y = 20kN/m3 , c = 20kN/m2 .Use Terzaghi’s
theory. Assume general shear failure (Nc = 37, Nq = 22, Ny = 12)

6. (a) What are the limitations of plate load test?

(b) A square footing is required to carry a net load of 1200 kN. Determine the size of the footing if the
depth of foundation is 2m and tolerable settlement is 40mm. The soil is sandy with N=12, F.S=3,
water table is very deep. Use Teng’s equation.
7. (a) What is the basis on which the dynamic formulae are derived? Mention two well known dynamic
formulae and explain the symbols involved?
(b) A 4x4 pile group in square pattern consists of 400mmx400mmx20m long concrete piles placed at
1.0m centers. The soil profile consists of 8m of soft clay (c=25 kPa, adhesion factor = 0.9) underlain
by 20m of medium stiff clay (c=50kPa, adhesion factor = 0.8). Estimate the safe bearing capacity
of the pile group with a factor of safety of 3.0.
8. (a) What are the various components of a well foundation? Discuss them in detail.
(b) State the problems associated with well sinking and its remedial measures.

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Code :R7410101 4
IV B.Tech I Semester(R07) Regular Examinations November/December 2010
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING-II
(Civil Engineering )
Time: 3 hours Max Marks: 80
Answer any FIVE questions
All questions carry equal marks
?????

1. (a) Explain and discuss the various factors that help to decide the number and depth of bore holes
required for subsoil exploration.
(b) Distinguish between ’Disturbed samples’ and ‘undisturbed samples’. Describe any one procedure
of obtaining undisturbed samples for a multi - storied building.
2. (a) Derive an expression for the factor of safety of infinite slope in a cohesion less soil.
What is the effect of steady seepage parallel to the slope on the stability?
(b) An embankment is to be made using a soil with c = 18kN/m2 , ∅ = 100 and y = 18.5kN/m3 . The
desired factor of safety with respect to cohesion as well as with respect to friction is 1.4. Find
i. The safe height if the desired slope is 2 horizontal to 1 vertical
ii. The safe angle of slope if the desired height is 16m.
3. (a) Clearly explain the difference between active earth pressure and passive earth pressure. What is
meant by the ‘Critical depth of vertical cut’ for a soil?
(b) A retaining wall with soft, saturated clay backfill is 6m high. The unit weight of clay is 16kN/m3
and unit cohesion is 17kN/m2 .Determine:-
i. Maximum depth of tensile cracks
ii. Total active earth pressure before cracks occur and
iii. Total active earth pressure after the cracks.
4. A masonry retaining wall of trapezoidal section has its top width equal to 0.75m and height 5m. Its
face which is in contact with the retained earth is vertical. The earth retained is level at top. The soil
weighs 16kN/m3 and its angle of internal friction is 300 . The masonry weighs 24kN/m3 . Determine
the minimum width of the base to avoid tensile stresses and also determine the maximum and minimum
compressive stresses for this base width. If the coefficient of friction between base and the soil is 0.60,
check the stability of the retaining wall against sliding.
5. (a) Bring out clearly the effect of ground water table on the safe bearing capacity.
(b) What are the differences between Terzaghi bearing capacity theory and Meyerhof bearing capacity
theory.
6. (a) Describe the procedure of determining the safe bearing capacity based on the standard penetration
test.
(b) A 1.8 m square column is founded at a depth of 1.8m in sand, for which the corrected N - value
is 24. The water table is at a depth of 2.7m. Determine the net allowable bearing pressure for a
permissible settlement of 40mm and a factor of safety of 3 against shear failure.
7. (a) Briefly explain how the load carrying capacity of a pile is determined using pile load test.
(b) A pile group of 9 piles of 40cm diameter, 120 cm centre to centre both ways (Symmetrically placed)
is driven to a depth of 12m through clay of unconfined compressive strength of 100kN/m2 and
density of 20kN/m3 . Assume adhesion factor of 0.5, calculate the load that the group can carry
with a factor of safety of 3.0
8. (a) Enumerate and reflect through sketches the various components of a foundation well. Discuss briefly
the function and design of each of these components.
(b) Discuss the various remedial measures that can be adopted to rectify the tilts in well foundations

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