GIVEN:
You are a staff engineer for a local geotechnical engineering firm. As part of the
geotechnical exploration for a project, several subsurface tests have been conducted.
You are given the results of one traditional soil boring with Standard Penetration Testing
(SPT). The results of this boring, labeled as B-2, are presented on page 3 of this
assignment. Based on testing of collected soil samples, the encountered soils have the
unit weights listed in Table 1.
NOTE: Assume the asphalt and base course layers are removed and replaced with material identical to
that underneath them.
REQUIRED:
Determine the total, pore pressure, and effective stresses in the soils from the ground
surface to the bottom of the borehole (i.e. a depth of 75 ft). Provide a plot of these
stresses with depth.
SOLUTION:
Figure A. Total Stress, Pore Pressure, and Effective Stress with Depth (Static
Conditions).
GIVEN:
You have just learned that a hydraulic gradient of 0.07 upwards exists at your project
site.
REQUIRED:
Using this information, recalculate the effective stresses from the ground surface to the
bottom of the borehole (i.e. a depth of 75 ft). Plot these effective stresses with depth.
Briefly explain the effect of the upward water seepage on the effective stress compared
to the static conditions.
Figure B. Total Stress, Pore Pressure, and Effective Stress with Depth (Upward Flow).
GIVEN:
You have just learned that a hydraulic gradient of 0.07 downwards exists at your project
site.
SOLUTION:
Figure C. Total Stress, Pore Pressure, and Effective Stress with Depth (Downward
Flow).
GIVEN:
Figure 1 presents the general cross-section of two planned footings at your project site.
4 ft
4 ft
2 ft
5 ft x 5 ft
The project structural engineer has given you design loads of 100 kips for the columns
and 6 kips per linear foot for the wall loads. Refer to Boring B-2 on page 3 for the soil
profile at both footing locations.
REQUIRED:
From the provided information, determine the following:
The change in vertical effective stresses under the center of the footings using
Boussinesq, Westergaard, and 2V:1H methods in 0.5B increments to a depth of
5 times the footing width.
The change in vertical stress distributions under the horizontal footing centerlines
at depths of B and 2B to a distance of 4.5B away from the footing centerline.
Provide a brief commentary on the differences between the methods for both
footings.
SOLUTION:
Determine applied footing stress q:
Column Footing qcolumn = P/A = 100 kips/(25ft2) = 4 ksf.
qcolumn = 4 ksf.
Strip (i.e. Wall) Footing qstrip = P/A = [(6 kips/ft)(1 ft Unit Length)/[(2ft)(1ft Unit Length)]
qstrip = 3 ksf.
@ z=B /q @ @ z=2B
B x (ft) /q @ z=B
(psf) z=2B (psf)
-4.5 -22.5 0.000 0 0.000 0
-4 -20 0.000 0 0.000 0
-3.5 -17.5 0.000 0 0.003 10
-3 -15 0.001 5 0.006 25
-2.5 -12.5 0.004 15 0.010 40
-2 -10 0.008 30 0.020 80
-1.5 -7.5 0.021 85 0.040 160
-1 -5 0.081 325 0.067 270
-0.5 -2.5 0.230 920 0.090 360
0 0 0.360 1440 0.110 440
0.5 2.5 0.230 920 0.090 360
1 5 0.081 325 0.067 270
1.5 7.5 0.021 85 0.040 160
2 10 0.008 30 0.020 80
2.5 12.5 0.004 15 0.010 40
3 15 0.001 5 0.006 25
3.5 17.5 0.000 0 0.003 10
4 20 0.000 0 0.000 0
4.5 22.5 0.000 0 0.000 0
GIVEN:
At the same project site, the project plans call for adding 5 ft of SP-SM fill over the entire
site. This fill has a saturated unit weight of 115 pcf and a moist unit weight of 110 pcf
after compaction to 98% of D698. A surface parking lot will eventually be placed on top
of the fill.
REQUIRED:
Calculate and plot the total stresses, pore pressure, and effective stresses to the end of
Boring B-2. Use the information provided in Problem #1 for your calculations.
SOLUTION:
Assume the five (5) feet of fill acts as a new soil layer. This is a valid assumption, since
no dimensions of the site were given.
Figure F. Total Stress, Pore Pressure, and Effective Stress with Depth (Static
Conditions with 5 ft of additional Fill).