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APJ ABDUL KALAM TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

SECOND SEMESTER M.TECH DEGREE EXAMINATION, APRIL 2017
(Civil Engineering)
(Geotechnical Engineering)
01CE6202 Advanced Foundation Engineering

Max. Marks : 60 Duration: 3 Hours

Instructions: 1. Answer any two questions from each Part.
2. Graph sheets may be supplied on request.
3. Design charts/tables are permitted.
4. Assume suitable missing data if any.

Part A (Modules I and II)

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1. (a) A chimney with a rigid base 2.5 m square is placed at a depth of 1 m below the ground
surface. The soil is clay with an unconfined compressive strength of 60 kN/m 2 and unit
weight of 20 kN/m3. The weight of the chimney is 60 kN. The chimney is also subjected to
a resultant wind load of 19.5 kN acting parallel to one of the sides of the chimney base at a
height of 1.5 m above the ground surface. Determine the factor of safety with respect to the
bearing capacity of the soil. Use Meyerhof’s recommendations. (6)
(b) How will you estimate bearing capacity of footings on layered soil? (3)

2. (a) Discuss the effect of water table on bearing capacity. (3)

(b) A building is to be supported on a RCC raft foundation of dimensions 12 m x 18 m. The
subsoil is clay which has an average unconfined compressive strength of 15 kN/m 2. The
pressure on the soil due to weight of building and the loads it will carry is expected to be
130 kN/m2 at the base of the raft. If the unit weight of the excavated soil is 18 kN/m 3,
determine the depth at which the bottom of the raft should be placed to provide a factor of
safety of 3 against shear failure. (6)

3. A square footing is required to carry a net load of 1200 kN.

(a) Determine the size of footing if the depth of foundation is 2 m and factor of safety is 3. The
soil is sandy with N = 12. Water table is very deep. Use Teng’s equation.
(b) If the water table rises to 0.5 m below the base of the footing, what will be the reduction in
the net allowable load carrying capacity of the footing? What will be the size of the square
footing in this case, if the net load remains unchanged at 1200 kN? (9)
 Part B (Modules III and IV)

4. (a) The circular foundation of a ground level oil tank of 20 m diameter transmits to the soil a
uniform contact pressure of 250 kN/m2 at 3 m depth. Determine the immediate settlement
under the centre of the foundation. The properties of the soil are : E = 60 MN/m 2 , ν = 0.45
and γ = 22 kN/m3. (5)
(b) Discuss the method for calculating the allowable load on a pile from pile load test
according to the provisions given in IS 2911 (Part IV). (4)

5. (a) Write short notes on Influence diagram and Isobar. (4)

(b) A 12m long 300mm dia concrete pile is driven in a uniform deposit of sand (φ =40º). The
GWT is very much down and is not likely to rise in future. The average dry unit weight of
sand is 18 kN/m3. Using Nq=137 calculate the safe load capacity of the pile with a FS of
2.5. Assume the critical length of pile as 15 times the diameter. K for dense sand is 2. (5)

6.(a) A soft normally consolidated clay layer is 18m thick. The natural water content is 45%.
The saturated unit weight is 18 kN/m3. The specific gravity is 2.7 and liquid limit is 63%.
The stress increment at centre of the layer due to foundation load is 9 kN/m 2. The water
table is at the surface of the clay layer. Determine the settlement of foundation. (6)
(b) Discuss the different pile driving stresses. (3)

www.ktubuddy.in Part C (Modules V and VI)

7. (a) 200mm dia, 8m long piles are used as foundations for a column in a uniform deposit of
medium clay (qu = 100kN/m2). The spacing between the piles is 500mm. There are 9 piles
in the ground arranged in a square pattern. Calculate the ultimate pile load capacity of the
group. Assume adhesion factor as 0.9. (6)
(b) Discuss the Brom’s method of determining the lateral resistance of vertical piles. (6)

8. (a) A square pile group of 9 piles passes through a recently filled up material of 4.5m depth.
The diameter of the pile is 30cm and pile spacing is 90cm c/c. If the UCS of the cohesive
material is 60 kN/m2 and γ = 15 kN/m3, compute the negative skin friction of the pile
group. Assume adhesion factor as 0.4. (6)
(b) What are piled rafts? Where can they be used? (3)
(c) What is the influence of pile driving on adjacent structures? (3)

9. (a) A 40 cm diameter pile 11 m long has a bell of 2 m diameter and 1 m height. If the soil has
φ = 25º, c = 20 kN/m2 and γ = 19 kN/m3, estimate the allowable pullout resistance. Take FS
= 3. (6)
(b) What is meant by negative skin friction? How is it computed? Can the negative skin
friction be effectively utilised in piles resisting uplift? (6)