Geotechnical Engineering Quiz

According to the Unified Soil Classification System, silt and clay are categorized as:

• Particles smaller than 0.002 mm

• Particles smaller than 0.075 mm

• Particles smaller than 2 mm

• Particles smaller than 4.75 mm

Who developed the first ultimate bearing-capacity theory for shallow foundations?

• Karl Terzaghi

• Jean Victor Poncelet

• William Rankine

• Wolmar Fellenius

The conference that marked the formal establishment of soil mechanics as a field was held at:

• Harvard University in 1936

• Zurich University in 1953

• Paris in 1961

• Stockholm in 1981

In a three-phase soil system, which of the following is not a valid assumption?

• The weight of air is negligible

• The total weight is the sum of solid and water weights

• The total volume is always equal to the sum of the solid, water, and air volumes

• The volume of solids is always greater than the volume of voids

Which soil classification system is almost universally accepted today?

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• United States Department of Agriculture

• Unified Soil Classification System

• Rankine soil grading system

According to the Unified Soil Classification System, silt and clay are categorized as:

• Particles smaller than 0.002 mm

• Particles smaller than 0.075 mm

• Particles smaller than 2 mm

• Particles smaller than 4.75 mm

The primary characteristic that distinguishes residual soil from transported soil is:

• The presence of organic matter

• Its formation is at the same location as the parent rock

• The lack of mineralogical composition changes

• Its high-water retention capacity

The presence of a high percentage of montmorillonite in soil will likely result in:

• High compressibility and shrink-swell behavior

• High permeability and excellent drainage

• Low plasticity and high shear strength

• High dry strength and non-expansive behavior

Which of the following theories is used for lateral earth pressure calculations?

• Darcy’s law

• Rankine’s theory

• Atterberg’s theory

• Terzaghi’s bearing capacity theory

Which of the following is an example of deep foundation systems?

• Strip footing

• Raft foundation

• Pile foundation

• Mat foundation