Geotechnical Engineering Exam 1 Practice

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• Why is well-graded soil considered the most desirable in terms of particle sizes?
• Which soil type corresponds to the letter O in the notation?
• Which gradation feature indicates a gap in the size distribution, such as a horizontal segment?
• Coarse material is defined as what in relation to the #4 sieve?
• Stone column (dynamic compaction) is primarily used to improve bearing capacity and reduce settlements in which soils?
• What is the aim of cement or lime stabilization in soils?
• What describes gap-graded soil's size distribution?
• Define porosity and explain its effect on permeability and compressibility.
• Capillarity height Hc increases with which combination of factors?
• How is Plasticity Index (PI) defined?
• In the Mohr-Coulomb criterion, φ' represents:
• Which term describes soil with a wide range of particle sizes and good distribution?
• Which set of laboratory tests is commonly used to determine the shear strength and stiffness of soils?
• What loads are typically considered in shallow foundation design?
• In the constant head formula for permeability K, delta L represents what?
• The saturated unit weight γ_sat is defined as:
• Vibro-replacement ground improvement increases bearing capacity most notably in which soil type?
• Which statement best describes why gamma_d is used in geotechnical design?
• Which expression defines degree of saturation S?
• The critical hydraulic gradient i_crit is defined as which ratio?
• Explain the difference between saturated and submerged unit weight in terms of buoyancy.
• Seepage force is best described as:
• Which statement about bearing capacity factors N_c, N_q, and N_φ is true?
• The plasticity index PI is defined as:
• Which expression defines void ratio e?
• Capillary height Hc is given by which expression?
• Which two sieve sizes are used to compute Cu?
• Which expression defines saturated unit weight gamma_sat?
• Which test is not suitable in gravel soils?
• In the gradation terminology used here, fines refer to particles that are what in relation to the #4 sieve?
• Which test is used exclusively for soft clays?
• What is Activity in soil plasticity terms?
• What is the Plastic Limit (PL)?
• What is the role of consolidation settlement in building service life?
• The effective stress principle implies that in saturated soils, pore water pressure:
• Primary consolidation vs secondary consolidation occur on different timescales; which statement is correct?
• Describe the method of slices approach to slope stability and name two common variants.
• The dry unit weight gamma_d calculation uses which expression?
• Effective vertical stress, sigma'_v, is defined by which expression?
• Pore water pressure U equals Hp times the unit weight of water.
• Which statement about gamma_d compared to w is false?
• Which of the following is a stated purpose of soil compaction?
• How does groundwater table depth influence bearing capacity calculations?
• For w > 0, gamma_d is
• How is Liquidity Index (LI) calculated?
• In a consolidated drained (CD) triaxial test, p' and q' are defined as what?
• Which expression defines unit weight gamma?
• In CPT-based site characterization, which statement best describes the data you obtain?
• The Atterberg limits consist of which three indices?
• Shrinkage limit?
• What is the formula for % finer than d2 given weight fractions wpan, w4, w3, and total Wt?
• Which equation correctly relates void ratio e to porosity n?
• Which of the following is NOT typically considered a ground improvement approach to reduce settlements in soft clays?
• Permeability k can be determined in the laboratory by:
• Define ultimate bearing capacity and describe how it is used with a factor of safety to obtain allowable bearing capacity.
• In one-dimensional consolidation, the average degree of consolidation U is related to the dimensionless time factor T_v by empirical consolidation curves. Which statement correctly describes this relationship?
• If Skempton's B parameter is measured as 0.5 during undrained loading, what does this indicate?
• Uniform or poorly graded soils are characterized by which feature on the gradation curve?
• Total vertical stress sigma_v equals sigma'_v plus U.
• Which statement correctly describes Bernoulli's Theorem regarding head terms?
• Describe consolidation settlement in terms of time and effect.
• Which laboratory test set is commonly used to determine both shear strength and stiffness of soils?
• What is the typical y-axis of a gradation curve?
• Which expression defines mass density rho?
• Hydraulic conductivity K is a measure of the soil's ability to transmit water.
• The ratio gamma_t / gamma_d equals
• Which description best captures the factors influencing the choice between shallow and deep foundations?
• Typical range for the specific gravity of mineral solids Gs is?
• What is the difference between immediate settlement and consolidation settlement in foundations?
• In a Falling Head test, K is given by K = a*L/(A*t) * ln(h0/h1).
• What is a foundation settlement envelope?
• How do you determine a soil bearing capacity in a layered soil profile where strength varies with depth?
• If gamma_d = 12 kN/m^3 and w = 0.20, gamma_t is
• Buoyant unit weight, gamma_b, is defined as the difference between saturated unit weight and the unit weight of water.
• What are typical soil properties you would sample for a geotechnical report, and why is sampling important?
• When the hydraulic gradient I exceeds the critical gradient i_crit, what is the expected outcome?
• Which statement is true about gamma_d when w = 0?
• Which limit defines the transition between solid and semi-solid states in soils?
• Which equation expresses the relationship between porosity n and void ratio e?
• What is the best shape of soils for good strength?
• Under Rankine earth pressure theory, when do active and passive pressures mobilize for a retaining wall?
• Which expression defines the coefficient of curvature Cc?
• Which symbol denotes the unit weight of water in the pore pressure formulas?
• In liquefaction evaluation, what is the role of relative density in sands?
• In saturated soil, the effective stress is related to total stress and pore water pressure by:
• Which statement correctly defines the mean effective stress p' in soil testing?
• The ratio gamma_t / gamma_d equals 1+w. Which expression equals this ratio?
• Skempton's B parameter in undrained loading represents which of the following?
• Seepage can affect dam stability by:
• Which expression defines porosity n?
• Which test yields real sampling suitable for laboratory analysis?
• What is Plasticity in soils?
• Which option best describes the pile-group interaction effect on capacity per pile?
• In liquefaction assessment, CSR is defined as the ratio of cyclic shear stress to initial vertical stress. CRR is defined as which concept?
• Which statement about the relationship gamma_d = gamma_t /(1+w) is false?
• Given gamma_t = 22 kN/m^3 and w = 0.15, gamma_d is
• Which of the following is NOT an assumption behind Darcy's law for saturated flow?
• Which factors govern liquefaction susceptibility of sands under seismic loading?
• Lower void ratio leads to what property in the soil?
• Which expression defines the coefficient of uniformity Cu?
• Which relationship is true for gamma_d and w?
• What is the purpose of the stone column (dynamic compaction) technique?
• Hydraulic gradient i is defined as the change in head between two points divided by the distance L.
• Which statement describes the coarse fraction in relation to the #4 sieve?
• Which piezometer is described as having low compliance and is well suited for clays?
• In particle size notation, what does the symbol G stand for?
• Regarding Standard Proctor and Modified Proctor tests, which statement is true?
• Which term describes a soil with nearly uniform particle size distribution?
• In a consolidated drained triaxial test, how does pore pressure behave during loading?
• Which method is described as very expensive, requiring space, but quick to perform?
• Discharge velocity V is defined as the flow rate Q divided by cross-sectional area A.
• What is the purpose of a load test on footings or piles?
• The Mohr-Coulomb shear strength criterion is τ_f = c' + σ' tan φ'. For sands where c' is approximately zero, τ_f is approximately:
• How is the factor of safety against sliding computed using the resolved forces method?
• Which statement best differentiates soil compaction from consolidation?
• What is the expression for total head if velocity head is negligible?
• Which expression defines water content w in soils?
• What does a slight S-shaped gradation curve indicate about size representation?
• The submerged unit weight γ' is defined as:
• What does proper drainage design help prevent in terms of slope stability and liquefaction?
• What is the role of suction in unsaturated soil strength and how is it represented in effective stress?
• What does the gradation curve plot on its axes?
• Which statement best describes a well-graded soil's gradation curve?
• What is the Liquid Limit (LL)?
• Which soil condition is most susceptible to liquefaction under seismic loading?
• Given w = 28%, PL = 25%, LL = 60%, which is the Liquidity Index (LI)?
• What is the purpose of using equivalent-depth approaches in bearing capacity analysis?
• Which expression relates total unit weight to water content as a multiple of the dry unit weight?
• In capillarity concepts, Ts represents which property?
• What is the purpose of using a piezometer in slope stability investigations?
• Which of the following expressions correctly defines the coefficient of curvature Cc?
• In hydraulics, what does Q represent?
• Which term describes soils with high plasticity?
• Which approaches are typically used to reduce settlements in soft clays?
• In a Constant Head test, K is calculated by K = Q*(delta L) / (A*(delta h)).
• Which expression defines Plasticity Index (PI)?
• On a gradation curve, which axis shows percent passing or percent finer?
• If LL = 60% and PL = 25%, what is Plasticity Index (PI)?
• Which term describes soils with high plasticity?
• Which statement about effective vertical stress is correct?
• What does OCR stand for and how does it influence the strength and stiffness of clays?
• Which instrument has to be measured in the field and measures the pressure/force required to dilate the device?
• Effective vertical stress, sigma'_v, is defined as the total vertical stress minus which quantity?
• Which term describes soils with low plasticity?
• Which expression defines dry unit weight gamma_d?
• Which expression correctly relates gamma_sat to Gs, e, and gamma_w?
• How does vibro-replacement (vibro-recompaction) improve ground conditions?
• What is soil stabilization and what is a typical method used?
• If gamma_t = 18 kN/m^3 and w = 0.08, gamma_d is approximately?
• Which soil type corresponds to the letter C in the notation?
• Rankine active and passive earth pressure coefficients for a vertical backfill on a retaining wall. Which expressions define Ka and Kp in terms of the soil friction angle φ'?
• How do the shear strength contributions differ for sands and clays in a drained condition?
• Which soil condition is most susceptible to liquefaction under seismic loading?
• If the pore water pressure exceeds the vertical stress, the effective stress becomes negative and the soil may experience which phenomenon?
• Why is drainage design important for foundation and slope stability?
• Which piezometer type is characterized by low compliance and is suitable for clays?
• Describe the role of the cone penetration test (CPT) and how it complements borehole testing.
• In particle size notation, what does the symbol S stand for?
• The dry unit weight gamma_d is best described as
• In liquefaction evaluation, CRR is defined as which concept?
• Which permeability test uses a falling head condition to estimate hydraulic conductivity?
• Which soil type corresponds to the letter M in the notation?
• Seepage velocity Vs = V/n.
• If the effective friction angle φ' increases while σ' remains the same, what happens to the shear strength τ_f according to Mohr-Coulomb when c' is constant?
• Which test is fast, uses less equipment, provides repeatable data, does not produce real samples, and is not good in gravel?
• Terzaghi's bearing capacity equation for shallow foundations is q_ult = c' N_c + q N_q + 0.5 γ B N_φ. In this expression, what does q represent?
• Why is finite slope analysis often preferred over infinite slope models in urban design?
• Darcy's law for discharge velocity is V = -k i.
• Define a pile group and explain the group effect on ultimate capacity and settlement.
• Which statement about Hand Augers is true?
• Which expression defines specific gravity of solids Gs?
• What is the definition of the coefficient of uniformity Cu?
• In infinite slope stability for a planar slope, which action most increases the factor of safety when cohesion is zero and friction angle is fixed?
• Which tool is described as low cost, portable, and shallow in depth?
• In empirical correlations for liquefaction, what does a lower SPT N-value indicate about liquefaction potential?
• Which piezometer is described as having high compliance and is well suited for sands?
• Which velocity is defined as Seepage velocity Vs = V/n?
• Which expression defines total (wet) unit weight Wt/Vt?
• In the method of slices for slope stability, which pair of variants is commonly used?
• In soil mechanics, gamma_w denotes which quantity?
• If the soil is completely dry (w = 0), which statement is true?
• Atterberg limits are defined as which of the following characteristics?
• A higher plasticity index (PI) indicates:
• In a triaxial test, the deviator stress q' is defined as which of the following?
• Which test is used only for soft clays and measures shear strength?
• Which statement correctly contrasts UU and CU triaxial tests?
• Which test is described as slow, requiring lots of equipment, relatively expensive, and yields real samples with substantial information, but is not repeatable?
• How does porosity relate to permeability?
• Which test provides repeatable data but does not produce real samples?
• Terminal velocity, vs, is defined as what in this context?
• Which statement correctly describes soil compaction?
• Which permeability test uses a constant head difference to estimate hydraulic conductivity?
• Soil consolidation refers to which process?
• A key effect of soil compaction is a decrease in liquefaction potential. true or false?