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UNIVERSITI TUN HUSSEIN ONN MALAYSIA

TEST I ANSWER SCHEME

SEMESTER II
SESSION 2015/2016

COURSE NAME : GEOTECHNICS II

COURSE CODE : BFC 34402

PROGRAMME : 3 BFF

EXAMINATION DATE : APRIL 2016

DURATION : 1 HOUR AND 30 MINUTES

INSTRUCTION : ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS

THIS QUESTION PAPER CONSISTS OF SIX (6) PAGES

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CONFIDENTIAL BFC 34402

Q1 (a) Describe briefly how the capillary rise phenomena occur in soils. Also explain what
affects the height of the capillary rise.
(4 marks)
Answers
Capilary rise is the combine action of adhesion and cohesion forces between water and
soil surface to lift the liquid against natural force of gravity. Occurs when the adhesion
force between the water and solid particle is stronger than the cohesion force. Capillary
rise effects increases as the pore size decreases. (4 m)

(b) Drawing a flownet takes several trials. Explain what is a flownet and list the conditions
that needs to be applied in constructing a flownet.
(5 marks)
Answers
A combination of flow lines and equipotential line is called a flow net. A flow line is a
line along which a water particle will travel from upstream to downstream side in the
permeable soil medium. An equipotential line is a line along which the potential head
at all points is equal. The conditions for constructing a flownet is such the way that the
equipotential lines intersects the flow lines at right angles. The flow elements fromed
are approximate squares. (4m)

(c) A flownet for a single row of sheet piles wall driven into a permeable layer is shown in
Figure Q1. The hydraulic conductivity of the permeable layer is 2.6x10-5 cm/s/m.

i) Draw the flow net and calculate the rate of seepage of the sheet pile in
m3/day/m.
(4 marks)
Answer

H Nf
q=k for isotropic soil
Nd
k = 2.6 x 10-5 m/s = 2.25 m/day
Nf = 4, Nd = 8, H =2.5
(2.5)4 m
3
q=2.25 =2.81 /m
8 day
(4m)

ii) Calculate the maximum exit hydraulic gradient.

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(3 marks)
Answer
∆h
i max =
L
∆ H 2.5
∆ h= = =0.313
Nd 8
L=0.3 m(¿ scale drawing at the bottom of the pile)
0.313
i max = =1.04
0.3
(3m)

iii) Determine the pressure distribution on both sides of the sheet pile wall.
(8 marks)
Answer
Pressure distribution at the upstream face of the wall
hz Nd NdΔh hp = ΔH – NdΔh -hz u = hpγw (kPa)
0 0 0 2.5 – 0 – 0 = 2.5 2.5(9.81) = 24.5
-1 1 1(0.313) = 0.313 2.5 – 0.313 – (-1) = 3.19 3.19(9.81) =31.3
-1.8 2 2(0.313) = 0.626 2.5 – 0.626 – (-1.8) = 3.67 3.67(9.81) =36.0
-2.5 3 3(0.313) = 0.939 2.5 – 0.939 – (-2.5) = 4.06 4.06(9.81) =39.8
(4 marks)
Pressure distribution at the downstream face of the wall
hz Nd NdΔh hp = ΔH – NdΔh –hz u = hpγw (kPa)
-2.5 5 5(0.313) = 1.565 2.5 – 1.565 – (-2.5) = 3.44 3.44(9.81) =33.7
-1.8 6 6(0.313) = 1.878 2.5 – 1.878 – (-1.8) = 2.42 2.42(9.81) =23.7
-1 7 7(0.313) = 2.191 2.5 – 2.191 – (-1) = 1.31 1.31(9.81) =12.85
0 8 8(0.313) = 2.504 2.5 – 2.504 – 0 = 0 0
(4 marks)

iv) Describe what will happen to the rate of seepage if the sheet pile is extended to
a higher length downwards.
(1 marks)
Answer
The flowrate will decrease. (1m)

Q2 (a) Identify the differences between Rankine’s and Coulomb’s theories of lateral earth
pressures.
(5 marks)
Answer
Rankine Coulomb’s
No Wall Fiction Wall friction was taken into
consideration
The sloping backfill is not normally The backfill is constantly sloping at an
taken into consideration angle ɑ.
The wall is vertical The back of the wall is at an angle θ

A retaining wall 5m high with a vertical back face retains a horizontal homogeneous
saturated soft clay. The saturated unit weight of the clay is 18 kN/m 3. Laboratory tests
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showed that the undrained shear strength, cu, of the clay is 16.8 kN/m2.

(i) Illustrate the variation of Rankine’s active pressure with depth and provide
necessary calculations.
(7 marks)
Since, ϕ = 0, Ka = 1

At z = 0
σ a=K a σ o−2 √ K a c Active pressure
' ' '

σ a=1 ( 0 x 18 ) −2 √ 1 x 16.8=−33.6 kN /m
' 2

At z = 5m
σ a=1 ( 5 x 18−9.81 )−2 √ 1 x 16.8=7.35 kN /m
' 2

u = 9,81 x 5 = 49.05 kN/m2

'
σ a=¿ 7.35 + 49.05 = 56.4 kN/m2

(ii) If the tensile crack occur, estimate the possible depth.

(5 marks)
33.6 56.4
= , z=1.87 m
z 5−z

(iii) Find the total active force per unit length of the wall after the tensile crack
occurs. Also find the location of the resultant.
(8 marks)
1
Pa= (5−1.87 ) 56.4=88.27 kN
2
Location = H/3 = 3.133/3 = 1.044m

- END OF QUESTIONS -

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TEST 1
SEMESTER / SESSION : SEM II / 2015/2016 PROGRAMME : 3 BFF
COURSE : GEOTECHNICS II COURSE CODE : BFC 34402

GWT

Scale: 1 m = 1cm

FIGURE Q1

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TEST 1
SEMESTER / SESSION : SEM II / 2015/2016 PROGRAMME : 3 BFF
COURSE : GEOTECHNICS II COURSE CODE : BFC 34402

Given that:

H Nf
q=k isotropic soil
Nd

H Nf
q=√ k x k z Anisotropic soil
Nd

∆h
i max = ,
L

∆H
Head loss of each potential drop, ∆ h=
Nd

∆ σ z =q I 3

K o =¿

σ a=K a σ o−2 √ K a c Active pressure

' ' '

K a =tan2 45−( ϕ'

2 )
σ p=K p σ o +2 √ K p c Active pressure
' ' '

K p=tan2 45+ ( ϕ'

2 )
,
2c
Location of tensile crack, z o=
γ √K a

1 2
Pa= K a γ H Active force per unit length
2

1 2
P p= K p γ H Passive force per unit length
2

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TEST 1

SEMESTER/SESSION : SEM II/2015/2016 PROGRAMME : 3 BFF

COURSE NAME : GEOTECHNICS II COURSE CODE : BFC 34402

Conventional retaining walls

Rankine active and passive pressure

Factor of safety against overturning

Factor of safety against sliding

2 cu
z o=
γ

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