MACE30004T

Two hours

Graph paper is available in the Examination Room

UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER

GEOTECHNICS 3

22 January 2009
09.45 - 11.45

Answer THREE questions

All questions carry equal marks

Electronic calculators may be used provided that they cannot store text.

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1. Site investigation should identify the ground risks.

(a) Outline the types of projects that comprise each geotechnical category as
required for the initial risk assessment in EC7 - Geotechnical Design.
[6 marks]

(b) The preliminary sources survey and ground investigation stages have in the
past not often been undertaken to high quality standards. List up to five
common deficiencies associated with ‘traditional’ methods. Discuss briefly two
potential risks to projects that can arise from inadequate site investigation.
[9 marks]

(c) The establishment of the ground profile is a key outcome from a site
investigation and is dependent upon the quality of work undertaken with, for
example, site boring techniques (particularly percussion drilling methods) and
operations for in-situ testing (eg SPT) and sampling with laboratory testing.
Discuss and comment briefly on each of the following:

(i) how to stabilise boreholes to prevent side collapse and caving during
drilling;

(ii) how to avoid hydraulic failure at, and below, the base of a borehole and
why this is necessary;

(iii) the relationship between soil sample quality classes and sampling
categories for laboratory tests such as shear strength and consolidation,
moisture content and classification tests (Atterberg limits and particle
size distribution);

(iv) representative soil sampling and testing, ie specimen size, and the
adequacy or otherwise of ‘routine’ 38mm specimens for triaxial tests and
76mm diameter specimens for the determination of the coefficient of
consolidation.
[18 marks]

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2. (a) Comment on the following in relation to piled foundations (include an outline of

the potential for defects in the pile that may develop with each operation):

(i) Pouring concrete into a fully cased cast-in-situ auger bored pile with:

 A ‘dry’ shaft before pouring concrete

 A ‘water filled’ shaft before concreting

(ii) The construction method used for continuous flight auger cast-in-situ
piles

(iii) The installation into the ground of pre-cast and pre-stressed reinforced
concrete driven piles and pre-cast segmental driven piles

(iv) Is a pile load test (ML or CRP) alone sufficient to monitor and detect
potential pile defects?
[16 marks]

(b) A 650mm cast-in-situ concrete pile is placed to a depth of 17m below ground
level. Estimate the ultimate load carrying capacity for this single pile, clearly
state any assumptions made.

The ground conditions are:

0.0 - 4.0m below ground level (BGL): Made ground: loose inorganic demolition
rubbish, imported and placed on site in June 2008
N = 4 to 10 blows/300mm, Unit weight, γ, 18kN/m3

4.0 - 7.0m BGL: Soft organic clay (Estuarine Alluvium)

Cu = 15kN/m2, mv = 0.7 m2/MN, γ = 18 kN/m3,  = 1.0

7.0 - 20.0m BGL: Firm, becoming stiff, clay with small stone inclusions (Glacial
Clay)
Cu = 60 kN/m2 at 7.0m depth, increasing linearly to 120 kN/m2 at 13m depth
and then constant at 120 kN/m2 to 20m depth; mv = 0.02 m2/MN, γ = 20 kN/m3,
 = 0.5, Nc = 9.0

Below 20m BGL: Dense sand and gravel (Glacial Sand)

No water was observed in the pile shaft during the drilling, the shaft was dry
during concreting.

N = Standard Penetration Test blow count

γ = bulk unit weight
Cu = undrained shear strength
mv = coefficient of volume compressibility
 = pile adhesion factor
Nc = bearing capacity factor
[17 marks]

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3. (a) Discuss briefly the serviceability and ultimate limit states that need to be
considered for the design of a pad foundation which supports one of the corner
columns of a proposed office building in an urban site and the design
combination approaches that would be considered suitable under Eurocode 7.
[6 marks]

(b) The pad foundation is to be placed on a clay layer that extends for a
considerable depth below ground level. Explain what factors might be
considered in determining an appropriate foundation level for the pad and
sketch the main failure mechanisms that should be considered for the
foundation.
[7 marks]

(c) The proposed solution is a 3m by 3m square pad founded at 1.5m depth which
is also the depth of the water table. The characteristic material parameters and
load values are given as:

Cu = 65kN/m2 c’ = 0, ’ = 28o  sat = 21kN/m3

Permanent column vertical load = 1MN

Variable column vertical load = 500kN
Variable column horizontal load = 40kN (applied at Foundation Level)

Assess the suitability of the proposed foundation by considering ultimate limit

states for both short and long term of the ground stating clearly any
assumptions that you make and comment on your results.
[20 marks]

Partial Safety Factors and Formulae are given in Appendix 1.

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4. (a) A long shallow slope of sandstone is overlaid by a clayey sand layer 5m deep
and running parallel with the slope of the rock. The water table has historically
been at a considerable depth below the interface of the rock and the clayey
sand but has recently begun to rise as a result of the cessation of pumping from
a nearby industrial estate. Sketch a section of the slope and illustrate (but do
not calculate) how a failure might occur including an explanation of any relevant
forces and resistances:

(i) in the short term whilst the water table is still at depth;

(ii) in the long term if the water table begins to rise into the clayey sand.
[10 marks]

(b) A slope is to be cut at an angle 2 vertical : 1 horizontal to a vertical depth of 8m

into a deep, stiff clay layer. The clay has undrained shear strength of 80kN/m2
and a unit weight of 18kN/m3 and all boreholes showed water to be present
from OGL. It also has effective strength properties of ‘= 28o and c’ = 15 kN/m2.

(i) Assess the immediate stability of the slope by considering a circular slip
through the toe. Explain your assumptions clearly.

(ii) Assess the long term stability of the slope by considering a wedge failure
through the toe. Geometric formulae are given in Appendix 1.

Graph paper is available for scaled drawings.

[18 marks]

(c) Comment on your results and illustrate at least one other failure mechanism
that should be considered if the cut slope is also to carry a highway adjacent to
its crest.
[5 marks]

END OF EXAMINATION PAPER

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Appendix 1 Data Tables

Partial Safety Factor Factor Combination 1 Combination 2

Load Factors
Permanent Unfavourable Action G 1.35 1.0
Variable Unfavourable Action Q 1.5 1.3
Permanent Favourable Action G 1.0 1.0
Material Factors
Tan ’ tan’ 1.0 1.25
Effective Cohesion c’ c’ 1.0 1.25
Undrained shear strength Cu Cu 1.0 1.4
Unit weight of ground  g 1.0 1.0

Design Resistance, Rd Undrained

Rd
 2   Cu s c ic  q where A is the foundation area and q the stress at FL.
A

B H
Shape Factors: sc  1 0.2 ; Influence Factor: ic  0.5  0.5 1 
L AC u

Where B and L are the respective side lengths, H is the horizontal load and A the
effective area.

Design Resistance, Rd Drained

Rd
 c' Nc scic  DN q sqiq  0.5BN  si
A

Where Rd is the design resistance, N, S and i are the Bearing, Shape and Influence
Factors respectively.

Bearing Factors:
' 
N c  N q  1cot ' N   2N q  1tan  '

N q  exp tan  ' tan 2  45  
 2

Inclination Factors for Horizontal Load (H) with Vertical Design Action V d

Inclination Factors ic i iq
Horizontal Load H iq N q  1 H H
1 1
parallel to side B for Nq Vd  B 2 c' cot Vd  B 2 c' cot
a square

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Shape Factors

B s N  1 B
sq  1  sin  ' sc  s  1 0.3
q q

L N  1
q L

For circular arc failure surface:

Disturbing moment = weight * horizontal distance of centre of gravity = W * d

Length of arc, AB = R*θ Shear resistance on arc = CuRθ

Shear resistance moment = CuR2θ,

Where R is the radius of the circle and θ is the angle in radians of the arc.

For wedge failure mechanism:

Forces driving failure = self-weight + applied loading

Where, Self-weight, W = 0.5 Lhγ for a wedge if height h and length L and unit weight, γ

Component along plane of weakness at angle α: Fs = W sin α

Forces resisting failure = shear strength along failure plane

Where Rs = cL + W cos α tan φ

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