BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY, DHAKA

L-4/T-1 B.Sc. Engineering Examinations, Session: January 2021

Sub: CE 441: Foundation Engineering

Full Marks: 210 Time: 2:30 Hours
The figures in the margin indicate full marks.
USE SEPARATE SCRIPTS FOR EACH SECTION
___________________________________________________________________________
SECTION – A

There are FOUR questions in this Section. Answer any THREE.

No. Questions Marks

Mention three main purpose of sub-soil exploration. Briefly describe the
1(a) considerations required for deciding upon the depth of exploratory borings for sub- (10)
soil investigation.
List five main causes for the sudden failure of a slope. Write the differences
1(b) between ‘Ordinary Method of Slices’ and ‘Bishop's Method of Slices’ for slope (10)
stability analysis.
For an infinite slope of a c- ϕ soil that makes an angle β with the horizontal, show
that the depth of the plane along which critical equilibrium occurs is given by:
𝑐𝑐 1
𝐻𝐻𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 = . 2
1(c) 𝛾𝛾 cos 𝛽𝛽(tan 𝛽𝛽 − tan 𝜑𝜑) (15)
γ = unit weight of soil
Show that factor of safety reduces when seepage occurs.
Write two main differences between ‘Rotary Drilling’ and ‘Percussion Drilling’.
2(a) Write short note on the relationships between: (i) SPT-N value and undrained (10)
cohesion, c u
Explain ‘area ratio’ and ‘inside clearance ratio’ that are used to indicate the degree
of sampling disturbance of tube samples.
2(b) Briefly describe the concerns with SPT-N correlations related to (i) depth of (10)
sample for sandy soil and (ii) sensitivity of clays.
No. Questions Marks

What is the significance of recording water table in a sub-soil exploration?

During a sub-soil exploration, the SPT-N value of a clay layer at a depth of 20 ft

2(c) was recorded as 10. Later, an inspection of the drilling equipment revealed that (15)
the hammer used by the driller is 20 lb less than the standard weight. Is there any
way to correct the measured SPT-N value? If so, give justification of the correction
procedure and determine the corrected SPT-N value.
(10)
3(a) Compare the applicability and limitations of CPT and SPT.
 State the basic principles and applicability of ‘seismic refraction survey’ and
3(b) (10)
‘electrical resistivity survey’ methods used for sub-soil exploration.

A cut slope was excavated in saturated clay. The slope made an angle of 47° with
the horizontal. Slope failure occurred when the cut reached a depth of 6.0 m.
Previous soil explorations showed that a rock layer was located at a depth of 9.0
m below the ground surface. Assuming an undrained condition and that γ 𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑎𝑡𝑡 =17.50
kN/𝑚𝑚3:
3(c) (15)
(i) Determine the undrained cohesion of the clay.
(ii) What was the nature of the critical circle?
(iii) With references to the toe of the slope, at what distance did the surface of
sliding intersect the bottom of the excavation?
Use necessary charts provided in Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.

The soil profile and soil properties at a site are shown in the Table 1 below. A
group of 12 concrete piles in a 3 x 4 matrix and of length 12 m is used to support
a load. The pile diameter is 0.45 m and pile spacing is 1.5 m. Determine the
allowable load capacity (based on ESA only) for a factor of safety of 2.
(20+15=
4
35)
Also, calculate the total settlement (elastic and consolidation) under the allowable
load. Assume 𝐸𝐸𝑝𝑝 = 20 x 106 kPa, 𝐺𝐺𝑠𝑠 = 2.71 and ω = 63% in the soft clay deposit.
′
Use Muni Budhu’s equation for 𝑁𝑁𝑞𝑞 = 0.6 𝑒𝑒 0.126 ∅𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐
No. Questions Marks

Table 1. Soil profile and soil properties

 Fig. 1. Chart for stability number against slope angle (Terzaghi and Peck, 1967).

Fig.3. Location of midpoint circles (Terzaghi

and Peck, 1967)
Fig.2. Location of the center of
critical circles for slope
angle, β>53°
 CE 441: Foundation Engineering
SECTION-B
There are FOUR questions in this Section. Answer any THREE.

No. Questions Marks

Describe briefly various methods to conduct static load test on a pile according to ASTM D1143.
Under what condition, a single pile (of finite length and diameter), driven in a soil likely to possess
5.(a) both Q b and Q f , will be treated as an ‘end bearing’ and a ‘friction’ pile separately.
15

Determine the allowable load for a concrete closed-ended pipe pile, 0.4 m in diameter, driven
20 m into the soil profile shown in Figure 4. Groundwater is at 2 m below the surface, but
you can assume it will rise to the surface. A factor of safety of 2 is required. Neglect negative
skin friction.

5. (b) 20

Figure-4

‘Pile installation has significant effect on pile load capacity’- explain the statement. Also,
(15)
6. (a) show that a cylinder of soil of annular thickness greater than 40% of the pile radius is
disturbed.

A static pile load test using an O-cell was carried out on a 1.8-m-diameter, 25-m-long
(embedded length) drilled shaft. The soil profile is given as:

Elevation (m) 5 to -3.4 -3.4 to -17.6 -17.6 to -38.2

Soil Type Sandy fat Silty sand Mudstone or
clay (CH) with gravel weak rock
(SM)

Selected load-settlement data are shown in Table 1 (below). (a) Make a neat sketch of the
6. (b) soil profile and the drilled shaft. (b) Determine the ultimate skin friction and ultimate end
(20)
bearing capacity. (c) If a factor of safety of 2 is required, determine the allowable load and
settlement. Justify your answer.

Table 1:
Load (MN) 0 1 5 8 10 15 20 25 27 27.2 27.1 0
Displacement 0 0.4 0.8 1 1.2 1.5 3.4 6.5 8 9.2 10.6 9.0
up (mm)
Displacement 0 -0.5 -6 -10 -11 -16 -21 -29 -43 -40 -41 -37
down (mm)
No. Questions Marks
Name five pile types (citing a practical example of its usage) based on functionality.
7. (a) Derive the fundamental differential equation for wave equation analysis to be used with the (15)
field information/ data obtained from driving records of pile.

A square footing of 3 m side is founded at a depth of 1.5 m below the ground surface in a cohesionless
soil having angle of shearing resistance 𝜙𝜙 = 330 . The water table (WT) is at 3.5 m below ground
level. The moist weight of soil above the water table is 17.5 kN/m3. Determine (i) the ultimate bearing
capacity of the soil, (ii) the net allowable bearing pressure, and (iii) the load/meter for a factor of
safety of 3.
Due to seasonal variation, the water table (WT) rises to the ground level at the vicinity of the
foundation. The saturated unit weight of soil is 20.0 kN/m3. Determine the changed (iv) net allowable
bearing pressure and (v) the load/meter for the same factor of safety as above. Use the general shear
7. (b) failure theory of Terzaghi with the bearing capacity factors proposed by Hansen. (20)
Hansen’s factors are:
𝑁𝑁𝑞𝑞 = 𝑒𝑒 𝜋𝜋 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 𝜙𝜙 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡2(45 + 𝜙𝜙/2), 𝑁𝑁𝑐𝑐 = �𝑁𝑁𝑞𝑞 − 1� 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 𝜙𝜙, 𝑁𝑁𝛾𝛾 = 1.5�𝑁𝑁𝑞𝑞 − 1� 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 𝜙𝜙
𝑁𝑁
𝑠𝑠𝑐𝑐 = 1 + � 𝑞𝑞�𝑁𝑁 � �𝐵𝐵�𝐿𝐿�; 𝑠𝑠𝑞𝑞 = 1 + �𝐵𝐵�𝐿𝐿� 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 𝜙𝜙; 𝑠𝑠𝛾𝛾 = 1 − 0.4�𝐵𝐵�𝐿𝐿�
𝑐𝑐

𝐷𝐷𝑓𝑓 𝐷𝐷𝑓𝑓
𝑑𝑑𝑐𝑐 = 1 + 0.4 𝐵𝐵
, 𝑑𝑑𝑞𝑞 = 1 + 2 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 𝜙𝜙 (1 − 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 𝜙𝜙)2 𝐵𝐵
, and 𝑑𝑑𝛾𝛾 = 1 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝜙𝜙

Static pile load test was carried out on a 0.8m diameter steel pipe pile installed 21 m into a
loose-to-medium sandy soil. The pile was driven into the soil. Selected load-displacement
data are shown in the table below. (a) determine the allowable load if the serviceability limit
8.(a) is 12 mm. (b) Is the maximum load the ultimate load? Justify your answer. (c) Discuss some (15)
of the issues you would consider in the interpretation of the data.
Load (kN) 0 800 1100 2250 2800 3200 3500 3600 3620 3618
Displacement (mm) 0 2.5 3.8 7.5 10 12.5 15 20 21 26

Estimate the allowable load capacity of a 0.75m diameter concrete closed-ended pipe pile
embedded 18m in the soil profile shown. The factor of safety required is 2. The N values are
blows/ft. Assume: 𝛾𝛾𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 = 18.0 kN/m3 for soil deposit at 0 ~ 4 m and 18.5 kN/m3 for the rest;
𝛾𝛾𝑤𝑤 = 9.8 kN/m3, and 𝛾𝛾𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 = 24 kN/m3. Compute the load capacity of a single pile as (i) a drilled
shaft and (ii) driven pile. Give reasonable justification of the results being different.

8.(b) (20)