Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering Questions

• Grain-size index — in standard sieve/gradation terminology, the effective size of a soil (the size corresponding to 10% finer by weight) is denoted by:
• One-dimensional consolidation — the coefficient of compressibility of soil (a_v) is defined as the ratio of:
• Finite slope failures — if the critical slip surface emerges at the toe and passes through it, the mode of failure is termed:
• Grouting materials in geotechnical practice — which of the following fluids are commonly used for injection grouting to reduce permeability or improve strength?
• Moisture content definition — the water content of a soil is defined as the ratio of:
• Clay mineralogy and swelling — which clay mineral group typically does not swell appreciably when wetted?
• Flow net discharge — if Nf is the number of flow channels, Nd is the number of potential drops, and H is the total head loss, the total discharge q through the section can be expressed (for constant K) as:
• Slope stability in geotechnical engineering — the factor of safety against sliding along a potential slip surface is defined as which ratio?
• Soil cohesion and moisture — which statement best describes how cohesion behaves with moisture and compaction in fine-grained soils?
• Retaining walls — the lateral earth pressure at a given depth behind a vertical wall supporting level, cohesionless backfill is:
• Liquid limit flow curve — in a Casagrande liquid limit test, water content was 70% at 10 blows and 20% at 100 blows. Using the standard log N versus w linear relation, the liquid limit (at 25 blows) is approximately:
• Shear strength and failure planes — which statement about shear stress on the failure plane at limiting equilibrium is correct?
• Geologic cycle of soil formation — choose the correct chronological sequence of processes leading to soil and rock recycling at the Earth's surface:
• Atterberg limits applicability — the liquid limit and plastic limit are meaningful primarily for which soil type?
• Settlement theory — the ultimate (primary consolidation) settlement of a normally consolidated clay layer is directly proportional to which quantity or quantities?
• Clay mineral composition — the clay fraction of natural soils commonly includes which of the following minerals?
• Triaxial and shear testing — when drainage is permitted during the application of the initial (consolidation) cell pressure only, allowing full primary consolidation before undrained shearing, the test is called:
• Seepage through soils (Darcy’s law in geotechnical engineering): The quantity (discharge) of seepage water through a soil mass is proportional to which factors?
• Atterberg limits (soil consistency): The minimum water content at which a soil thread (rolled to 3 mm diameter) just begins to crumble is termed what?
• Stability analysis (Swedish circle method): If S is the arc length, L is the long chord, and R is the radius of the sliding circle, which expression correctly gives the perpendicular distance of the line of resultant cohesive force from the circle center?