1. What are index properties of soil?

Ans. • Those properties which help to access the engineering behaviour of a soil and which assist
in determining its classification accurately are termed as index properties.

2. What is compaction of soil and how it is achieved?

Ans. • Compaction of soil is the process of increasing the unit wt of soil by forcing the soil solids
into a dense state and reducing the air voids.
• Compaction leads to increase in shear strength and helps to improve the stability and bearing
capacity of soil. It also reduces the compressibility and permeability of soil.
• This is achieved by applying static or dynamic loads to the soil.
• Compaction is measured quantitatively in terms of dry unit wt (d) of the soil.

3. What are the difference between compaction and consolidation?

Ans. Compaction Consolidation
1. Instantaneous phenomenon 1. Time dependent Phenomenon
2. Soil always partially saturated 2. Soil is completely Saturated
3. Densification due to reduction in the 3. Volume reduction is due to expulsion of
volume of air voids at a given water content. pore water from voids.
4. Specific compaction techniques are used. 4. Consolidation occurs on account of a static
load placed on the soil.

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4. Explain the proctor test?
Ans. For a specific amount of compaction energy applied on the soil, there is one moisture content,
termed as optimum moisture content (OMC) at which a particular soil attains maximum dry
density.

• Maximum dry unit weight obtained is a function of compactive effort and method of
compaction for a particular type of soil.

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5. Explain suitability of compaction equipment and nature of project?
Ans.

Type of equipment Suitability for soil type Nature of project

Rammers or tampers All soils In confined areas such as fills behind

retaining walls, basement walls, etc.
Trench fills.

Road construction, etc.

Smooth wheeled rollers Crushed rocks, gravels, sands

Pneumatic tyred rollers Sands, gravels silts, clayey soils, Base, sub-base and embankment
not suitable for uniformly graded compaction for highways, airfields, etc,
soil Earth dams

Clayey soil Core of earth dams

Sheepsfoot rollers

Vibratory rollers Sands Embankments for oil storage tanks, etc.

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6. Explain vibrofloatation method?
Ans. • Vibrofloatation Method is used for compacting thick deposit of loose, sandy soils upto 30 m
depth.
• Vibrofloat is a 2m diameter cylinder tube, fitted with water jets at top and bottom. It has a
rotating eccentric mass which develops a horizontal vibratory motion.

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 • Vibrofloat is sunk into loose sand using the lower jet. As the lower jet is operated quick sand
condition is developed which causes reduction in shear strength and Vibrofloat settles further
due to its own mass till the required depth is achieved.
• As the desired depth is reached, vibration is activated, this causes some compaction of sand in
horizontal direction upto a radius of 1.5 m.
• Vibrofloat is slowly-slowly pulled up.
• Additional sand is continually dropped into the void space created around the Vibrofloat and
compacted.

7. Explain compaction Piles method?

Ans. A capped, pipe is driven into the soil. The soil surrounding the pile is compacted due to vibrations
caused during driving. The pile is then extracted and the hole formed is backfilled with sand.
Cohesionless soils can be densified by constructing compaction piles.

8. What is effective stress?

Ans. Effective stress is defined as equal to the total stress () minus the neutral stress (or pore water
pressure (u)).

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9. Explain quick sand condition?
Ans. • In case of upward seepage flow, if the upward seepage force becomes equal to the buoyant
weight of soil the effective stress in the soil becomes zero.
In other words by increasing the head difference h, it is possible to reach a condition where the
effective stress in the soil becomes Zero.
 Hsub  i H w = 0
 Hsub = iHw
 sub
or i   i cr
w
• This hydraulic gradient is also called as Critical hydraulic gradient.
• When upward flow is taking place at critical hydraulic gradient, a soil such as sand looses all
its shearing strength because effective stress become zero.
• Effective stress zero in sand means contact force between grains becomes zero.
• This condition is called quick sand condition or boiling of sand because surface of sand looks
as if it is boiling.

10. When does quick sand condition will occur in field?

Ans. In practice, quick sand condition occurs when excavation is being made below water table and
water is being pumped out from excavation pit to keep area free from water.

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11. What is permeability?
Ans. Permeability is the ease with which water can flow through any medium.

12. What is seepage, flow line, equipotential line?

Ans. • Seepage is a process in which liquid leaks through a porous medium from high head to
towards low head.
• Flow lines is a line which indicates direction of flow of the water particle.
• Equipotential line is the line joining points of equal total head.

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13. What is piping?
Ans. When upward hydraulic gradient approaches unity, boiling condition can occur, leading to erosion
of soil and piping.

14. Explain, how you will prevent the erosion?

Ans. • To prevent possibility of erosion and piping two approaches are used.
• Control of seepage and seepage force : By providing cut off wall, increasing flow path by
providing impervious blanket.
• Use of protective filter : Use of protective filter prevents erosion and reduces uplift pressure. A
protective filter consists of one are more layer of coarse grained material placed over a less
pervious soil called the base.

15. What is compressibility?

Ans. The property of the soil due to which a decrease in volume occurs under compressive forces is
known as the compressibility of soil.

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16. What is preconsolidation?
Ans. The maximum value of stress that the soil has ever experienced is called preconsolidation stress
0 .

• If existing effective stress   0 , soil is said to be Normally-consolidated.

• If   0 , soil is said to be over consolidated soil/Preconsolidated soil.

17. Why vertical sand drains are used?

Ans. The slow rate of consolidation of saturated clays of low permeability may be accelerated by means
of vertical sand drains which provide for radial drainage, resulting in shortening of the drainage
path.

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18. Explain the mechanism of shear resistance (shear strength)?
Ans. • Shear strength is the resistance to shear deformation. It is categorised into two broad
categories.
(i) Frictional strength takes into account the particle to particle friction and also the inter
locking between particles.
(ii) Cohesive strength takes into account
(a) True cohesion between particles
(b) Apparent cohesion between particles.

19. What is the significance of angle of obliquity?

Ans. It is the maximum angle of friction at which slope is stable.

20. What are the advantages of triaxial test?

Ans. • Drainage can be controlled, what ever be the type of soil i.e. sand can be tested under
Undrained conditions and clay can be tested under drained condition also.
• Pore water pressure can be measured.

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21. Explain types of triaxial test?
Ans. The triaxial test is performed in two stages.
1st stage 2nd stage
1. Drainage allowed (consolidated) 1. Volume change allowed (drained).
2. Drainage not allowed (unconsolidated ) 2. No volume change allowed (Undrained)

Accordingly, the type of tests are:

1. Consolidated drained test (CD Test)Takes long time
2. Consolidated Undrained test (CU Test) Take 24 hr. in 1st stage & 2 hr. in 2nd stage.
3. Unconsolidated Undrained test (UU Test) Takes only 15 min.
4. Unconsolidated drained testNot used (Not a realistic one as it does not occur in field).

22. Explain uses of CD test?

Ans. • Analysis of gradual loading condition.
• To check long term stability of embankment which has been in existence since long ago.

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23. Explain use of CU test?
Ans. • To check stability under Sudden unloading such as dewatering or draw down condition.
• To check stability of an Embankment that has lived some of its life & is now being
unloaded.

24. Explain uses of UU test?

Ans. • Sudden loading such as rapid construction.
• Short term stability under construction pore water pressure i.e. during construction only.

25. What is liquefaction?

Ans. Loose sand has a tendency to get compressed when loaded. If rate of loading is larger and soil is
saturated, as volume change is not possible in the short time, positive pore water will develop.
This will reduces effective stress & hence strength. If effective stress reduces to zero, the soil will
loose all its shear strength. This, phenomenon is known as liquefaction.

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26. Explain types of retaining structure?
Ans. 1. Retaining wall - Gravity type, Cantilever type, Counterfort type.
2. Bracings in cuts
3. Abutment of a Bridge
4. Sheet Pile/Anchored sheet Pile
Some types of Retaining Walls.

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27. What is Coffer dam?
Ans. A Coffer Dam is a temporary structure constructed usually in a river, lake, etc.,to keep the
working area dry for construction of other structures. After the construction of coffer dam is the
area is dewatered by pumping.

28. What are the general requirements for foundation?

Ans. For satisfactory performance, a foundation must satisfy the following three basic criteria.
1. Shear failure criteria or Bearing capacity — i.e Foundation must be safe against shear failure
2. Settlement criteria — i.e settlement of foundation esp. differential settlement must be
within the permissible limit.

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3. Location & depth criteria — Foundation must be located at such a depth that its
performance is not affected by Seasonal volume changes of soil due to swelling &
shrinkage and also by the presence of adjoining structure.

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29. What is net safe bearing capacity (qns)?

q nu Pu / B2
Ans. q ns  
F.O.S F.O.S
F,O.S of 2  3 is adopted

30. Explain S.P.T. test?

Ans. • Suitable for Granular soil.
• Split spoon samples is used in the bore hole.
• Bore hole is advanced to a depth at which N-value is to be calculated.
• The split-spoon sampler is allowed to penetrate into the soil by applying impact load of 65 Kg
having a free fall of 75 cm.

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•

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31. Plate Load Test?
Ans. It is used to calculate:
(a) Ultimate Bearing capacity of soil.
(b) Allowable bearing pressure corresponding to a particular permissible settlement of foundation.
(c) Settlement of foundation itself.

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32. Draw the shape of contact pressure of flexibility footing over clayey soil?
Ans. In flexible footing, the contact pressure at the interface between footing and soil is uniformly
distributed producing dish-shape pattern in clayey soil.

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33. What is deep foundation?
Ans. In situations where soil at shallow depth is poor, in order to transmit load safely, the depth of
foundation has to be increased till the suitable soil strata is met. In view of increased depth, such
foundations are called Deep foundation, Well foundation, Pile Foundation and Pier Foundation are
Deep foundations.

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34.
Ans. (a) End-bearing piles
• Used to transfer load through the pile tip to a suitable bearing stratum, passing soft soil or
water.
(b) Friction piles
• Used to transfer loads to a depth in a frictional material by means of skin friction along the
surface area of the pile.
• Friction piles are also called as Floating piles, as they do not reach the hard stratum.
(c) Combined End bearing and Friction pile
• Used to transfer load through the combine action of end bearing and friction along the surface
area of pile.

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35. Explain min. spacing between piles According to [I.S. code]?
Ans. (1) 2.5  Dia  for point bearing piles [Centre to centre]
(2) 3  Dia  for friction piles.
(3) 2  Dia  for loose sand or fill deposite.
• In case of non-circular piles, diameter of circumscribed circle will be taken as the diameter

36. What is negative skin friction?

Ans. • Negative skin friction or ‘down drag’ is a phenomenon, which occurs when a portion of soil
layer surrounding a pile settles more than the pile.
• This condition can develope when a soft soil stratum loacated above the pile tip is subjected to
a compressive loading, the soil may settle more than the pile, also by lowering of ground water
table which includes consolidation of the soft soil.
• Normally friction between pile and soil helps in carrying the axial load. Where negative skin
friction (or down ward drag) developed, increases the load acting on the pile because the
weight of consolidating layer is transfered to pile by friction, thus imposing extra load on the
pile.

• A 10mm relative movement of soil and pile may be sufficient for the full negative friction to
mobilise.
• Negative skin friction can be reduded either by providing a casing around the pile or by
providing a bitumen coating around the precast pile.

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37. What is under reamed Piles?
Ans. • An under reamed pile is a special type of bored pile with one or more bulb in the pile shaft.
• This bulb is called underream with diameter 2-3 times the dia of pile shaft.
• In case of more than one bulb provided the minimum spacing is 1.5 times the diameter of bulb.

• The bearing capacity of pile increases because of the increase in base area and when the
number of bulbs is increased from one to two the load carying capacity of the pile increases by
50%.
• Under reamed piles are very useful in case of expansive soils, where due to shrinkage and
swelling of soil use of shallow spread footing is not suggestable.

38. What is Pile load test?

Ans. • Pile load test is only direct method for determining the allowable loads on the piles. It is an
insitu test.
• pile load test are basicly divided into two categories.

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 • Initial test are carried out on test pile to asses the alowable load or to check the settlement at
working load.
• Where as routine tests are carried out on working piles for the assesment of settlement under
working load.

39. Differentiate between test pile and working pile.

Ans. Test pile is a pile which is especially bored for the pourpose of conducting test and will not be part
of foundation in the future whereas. Working pile is a pile which is being used for the pourpose of
testing at present. After the completion of test pile will be used as a foundation member.

40. Explain types of Pile load test?

Ans. • Vertical load test/compression load test vertical load test is carried out to establish load
settlement relationship under compression and to determine allowable load on pile.
• Lateral load test. Lateral load test is carried out to determine safe lateral load on pile.
• Pullout test. Pull out test is carried out to determine the safe tension on pile.
• Constant rate of penetration test. Constant rate of penetration test is carried out to
determine the ultimate load capacity of pile. In this test the load on the test is continously
increased to maintain a constant rate of penetration (0.25 mm - 5.0mm per min). The ultimate
load is determined from the load settlement curve drawn.
• Cyclic load test. Cyclic load test is carried out when it is required to determine, skin friction
and end bearing seperately for a pile load on a singe pile.

41. Why soil exploration is carried out?

Ans. To determine information to obtain the type of foundation required such as a shallow or deep
foundation and to get necessary information with regards to the strength and compressibility
characterstics of the subsoil to allow the design consultant to make recomendation on the safe
bearing presure or pile load capacity.

42. Differentiate between representative samples and undisturbed sample?

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Ans. When we preserve the natural moisture content and the proportion of mineral constituents, then it
is called as representative sample whereas undisturbed samples are those in which orignal soil
structure is preserved as well as mineral properties have not undergone any change.

43. Explain different type of test and type of sample required?

Ans.
Type of test Type of sample required
Natural water content Undisturbed or SPT sample
Density Undisturbed
Specific gravity Representative or undisturbed
Grain size distribution Rrepresentative or undisturbed
Atterberg limits Representative or undisturbed
Coefficient of permeability Undisturbed
Consolidation parameters Undisturbed
Shear strength parameters Undisturbed

44. What are expensive soil? Explain with example?

Ans. • The soil which has tendency to increase in volume in presence of water and decrease in
volume in absence of water are called as Expansive soils or swelling soils. Soil containing
montmorillonite mineral swell considerably upon imbbing water from outside and shrink
upon removal of water.
• Black cotton soil is one of the best example of expansive soil.

45. How you will identify expansive soil?

Ans. • Expansive soils are being identified on the basis of their swelling potential, by means of
few test like Free Swell Test, Differential Free Swell Test
• Plasticity Index, Shrinkage Limit and Colloidal Content.
• Swelling Test

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 • Swelling Pressure Test.

46. When do we use mat foundation?

Ans. A mat foundation is conventionally a concrete slab used when :
• A mat foundation is conventionally a concrete slab used when :
• Spread or individual footings cover over 50% of the foundation are because of large column
loads and/or because the soil is soft with a low bearing capacity.
• Pockets of soft soils are present.
47. What is the purpose of carrying out pile load test?
Ans. • To determine the load capacity of a single pile or a pile group, especially when the design
requires methods that are outside of accepted practice.
• To determine the settlement of a single pile at working loads.
• To verify estimated load capacity.
• To obtain information on load transfer in skin friction and in end bearing.
• To satisfy regulatory agencies.

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