School of Engineering & Mathematical Sciences

BEng/MEng (Hons) Degree in Civil Engineering

BEng/MEng (Hons) Degree in Civil Engineering with Surveying
BEng/MEng (Hons) Degree in Civil Engineering with Architecture



CV3301

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

Part 3 Examination


Date: Thursday 28 April 2011 Time: 18:00 21:00


Answer 5 out of 6 questions




Number of answer books: 1 with graph paper

Only approved non-programmable calculators may be used
Dictionaries are NOT allowed

Students MAY NOT remove the question paper


Internal Examiners: Dr A M McNamara
Dr S E Stallebrass
Professor R N Taylor

External Examiner: Professor A G L Borthwick



The Universit y f or business
and t he prof essions





Page 1 of 8
Question 1

(a) For vertical seepage flow through n horizontal layers of soil of thickness d
i
and
coefficient of permeability k
i
show that the effective overall coefficient of vertical
permeability is k
v
where

(5 marks)

(b) A 6m thick deposit comprises 3 distinct layers of soil overlying a thick layer of dense
gravel as shown in Figure Q1. The pore water pressures in the deposit are initially in
hydrostatic equilibrium with the water table at the ground surface. Material properties
for the soil layers are given in Table Q1.

A nearby development causes the pore water pressure in the gravel to fall to zero at the
interface between the gravel and Layer 3, but local conditions maintain the water table
at ground surface level.

(i) Calculate the vertical seepage velocity of water through the 6m soil deposit.
(3 marks)
(ii) Calculate the Potential at the top and bottom of each soil layer.
(3 marks)
(iii) Hence calculate the pore pressure at the top and bottom of each soil layer.
(3 marks)
(iv) Determine the average change in vertical effective stress in each soil layer caused
by the lowering of pore pressure in the gravel
(2 marks)
(v) Calculate the resulting settlement of the soil layers.
(4 marks)


Figure Q1

Soil layer Layer 1 Layer 2 Layer 3
Coefficient of permeability, k (m/s)

Coefficient of volumetric
compressibility, m
v
(m
2
/kN)

Table Q1


Page 2 of 8
Question 2

Developers are planning to construct a major development on the site of an old gasworks.
The soil profile on the site comprises 1.5m of made ground overlying 4.3m of sandy gravel
overlying 20m of stiff clay. There is an area within the site where the made ground and sandy
gravels are heavily contaminated with arsenic. To avoid removing all the heavily
contaminated soil, it is decided to remove the top 1.5m, replace this with a capping layer and
then to place a slurry wall around the remaining contaminated soil to prevent horizontal
migration of the contaminants. The contaminants are miscible in water.

(a) During construction of the new development, programmed to last two years, it is
estimated that there will be a maximum hydraulic gradient of 0.4 across the slurry wall,
leading to horizontal seepage from the contaminated area into the main site. Assuming
that the horizontal migration of contaminant through the wall can be described using the
one-dimensional pollutant migration equation, calculate the thickness of the slurry wall
that will just prevent any contaminant reaching the soil beyond the wall for the duration
of construction. The contaminant is not reactive.
(8 marks)
(b) After construction is complete there will be no hydraulic gradient across the wall.
Calculate how long it will be before the contaminant reaches the soil beyond the wall
for the width of wall calculated in (a)
(4marks)
(c) The remediation works are based on a conceptual site model which was built up during
the site investigation at the site. Describe what the conceptual site model will show and
the various stages of site investigation that would have been required to develop this
model.
(8 marks)
Useful data:
Permeability of the slurry wall 2.5x10
-9
m/s
Free diffusion coefficient for the contaminants: 1.3 x10
-10
m
2
/s
Porosity of the slurry wall clay: 0.42.
Coefficient of dispersivity: 0.31m
Tortuosity of the clay: 0.68
Useful equations:
The analytical solution for the one-dimensional advection-dispersion-diffusion equation is
given by:
( )
(
(

=
2
1
t D R 2
ut z . R
erfc
2
c
) t , z ( c
hL d
d 0


The hydrodynamic dispersion of a pollutant is determined using:
D
hL
= t.D
o
+ o.u
erfc(x) = 1 erf(x)

x erf(x) x erf(x) x erf(x) x erf(x)
0 0.0000 1.2 0.9103 2.4 0.9981 3.6 1.0000
0.2 0.2227 1.4 0.9523 2.6 0.9993 3.8 1.0000
0.4 0.4284 1.6 0.9763 2.8 0.9998 4.0 1.0000
0.6 0.6039 1.8 0.9891 3.0 0.9999
0.8 0.7421 2.0 0.9953 3.2 1.0000
1.0 0.8427 2.2 0.9953 3.4 1.0000

Page 3 of 8
Question 3

(a) Defining ALL terms, show that the Fellenius analysis leads to an expression for the
factor of safety of a slope as:

(4 marks)

(b) Figure Q3 shows a gravity masonry wall retaining a long old cutting in weathered clay.
The cutting has a slope gradient of 1 : 3 as shown. There are indications along the
length of the cutting that the slope is now failing. The site investigation indicates that
behind the wall, the water table is parallel with the sloping ground whereas in front of
the wall, it is at the ground surface as shown. The unit weight of the weathered clay is
17 kN/m
3
and the density of the masonry wall is estimated to be 1900 kg/m
3
.

Assuming the circular failure mechanism drawn on Figure Q3 and using the slices
indicated, show that the Fellenius solution predicts the effective angle of friction

of
the weathered clay to be approximately 24.
(14 marks)

(c) Suggest methods by which the stability of the slope could be improved.
(2 marks)




Figure Q3


Page 4 of 8
Question 4

Figure Q4 shows a partial section of a propped excavation in sand with support provided by
smooth cantilever walls. The retained height of sand is 5 m and there is a surcharge of
6 kN/m
2
, representing heavy machinery located near the wall. Pumps maintain the water table
at the sand formation level and the embedded length of the wall is 2.5 m as shown. A site
investigation reveals that the sand is effectively dry above the water table and pore pressures
are hydrostatic below that level. The sand has a dry unit weight 16.3 kN/m
3
, saturated unit
weight 20.0 kN/m
3
and critical state angle of friction

of 35.

(a) Show that Factor of Safety is approximately 1.1.
(14 marks)

(b) Calculate prop force under these conditions
(4 marks)

(c) Indicate, with explanations, two methods for increasing the stability of the wall.
(2 marks)



Figure Q4



Page 5 of 8
Question 5

Figure Q5 shows the locations of two identical tower cranes that are required for a new
development which has basements at varying levels owing to the presence of an existing
service tunnel that runs through the site. The tower cranes are to be founded on shallow
foundations. There is no site investigation information for the project yet but a borehole from
a nearby development shows typical ground conditions. The total load for the tower crane
and base is 5500kN acting at an eccentricity of 0.9m.


Figure Q5a Cross section through basement showing positions of tower crane bases.

a) Demonstrate by calculation that suitable sizes for tower crane bases A and B are as
follows:

i) Tower crane base A = 7m x 7m

ii) Tower crane base B = 6m x 6m
(14 marks)

b) What is the increase in stress on the service tunnel beneath tower crane B?
(6 marks)

Note Information that may be useful to you can be found below and overleaf

Tower crane base A
Sand & Gravel
= 18kN/m
3
| = 35
Stiff clay
= 19kN/m
3
Su = 120kN/m
2
Tower crane base B
Typical borehole
(from a nearby site)
Service tunnel
5
m
Tower crane base A
Sand & Gravel
= 18kN/m
3
| = 35
Stiff clay
= 19kN/m
3
Su = 120kN/m
2
Tower crane base B
Typical borehole
(from a nearby site)
Service tunnel
5
m

Page 6 of 8


Figure Q5b


Figure Q5c

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 20 40 60 80
40
30
20
10
0
Values of Nq Values of N
V
a
l
u
e
s

o
f

|
Bearing capacity factors Nq, N (after Terzaghi and Peck, 1967)
| = 0.5 for strip footing width B
| = 0.3 for circular footing diameter B
| = 0.4 for square footing side B
10
8
6
4
2
0
0 1 2 3 4 5
2+t
strip
square/circle
N
c
D/B
(after Skempton, Building Research Congress, 1951)
10
8
6
4
2
0
0 1 2 3 4 5
10
8
6
4
2
0
0 1 2 3 4 5
2+t
strip
square/circle
N
c
D/B
(after Skempton, Building Research Congress, 1951)
N
c
= 2+t for strip footing
N
c
= 6.2 for square or circular footing
N
c
= 5(1 + 0.2 B/L) for rectangular footing width B, length L

Page 7 of 8

Vertical stress under corner of a rectangular area carrying a uniform pressure (Fadum, 1948)
Figure Q5d


Page 8 of 8
Question 6

Figure Q6a shows a plan and section through a piled foundation for a temporary works tower.
The piles are 750mm diameter. The critical loads for design are the axial load, N, combined
with the overturning moment, M. Site investigation and laboratory test data indicate that the
piles will be founded in clay with undrained shear strength, Su, varying from 50kN/m
2
at the
surface to 250kN/m
2
at 25m depth.


Figure Q6a

(a) Assuming a factor of safety = 3 determine the optimum length of the piles. (Base
capacity may be ignored.)
Note: q
s
= oSu where o = 0.55
(12 marks)
(b) i) Explain, with the aid of suitable sketches, the circumstances that would lead to a
pile being subjected to negative skin friction.
(4 marks)
ii) How would it be possible to take account of negative skin friction in the design of
a pile with its tip embedded in a layer of dense gravel?
(4 marks)
2m
2
m
N = 600kN
M = 2000kNm
2m
2
m
N = 600kN
M = 2000kNm