CE 4321 Solutions for Homework Assignment No.

1. Two of the most commonly used methods for subsurface drilling are:
a. Hollow Stem, Continuous Flight auger
b. Rotatory Wash boring
Draw a schematic diagram to show how each of these methods work.
In each of these methods, explain:
a. How cuttings are brought to the surface
b. Caving and squeezing of borehole is prevented.
Solution:

Hollow Stem Auger Rotary Wash boring

(a) How Cuttings are brought to the surface .

Hollow Stem, Continuous flight Auger:
In this method the flights of the auger act as a conveyer belt and bring the soil cuttings to
the surface.
Rotary wash boring
In this method the cutting are brought to the surface by circulating drilling fluid which
usually consists of a slurry made by mixing bentonite clay in water.

(b) How the boreholes are prevented from caving in.

Hollow Stem, Continuous flight Auger:
When hollow stem auger is used there is no problem of caving as the auger acts as a
support for the soil.
 Rotary wash boring: The boring is filled with bentonite slurry to provide hydrostatic
pressure on the sides of the boring and thus prevent caving.

3. A five story office building is to be built on a site underlain by moderately uniform soils.
Bedrock is at a depth of over 200 meters. This building will be 50 meter wide and 85
meter long and the foundation will be founded at a depth of 1 meter below the ground
surface. Determine the required number and depth of exploratory borings.
Solution:
Area covered by the building: (50) x (85) = 4250 m2
Considering the subsurface conditions to be average, and surface footprint area for each
exploratory boring as 300 m2
No of boring = 4250/300 = 14 borings.
Depth of boring = 5 x S0.7 + D = 5 x (5)0.7 + 1 = 16 m
Coduto suggests ten 10-m deep borings and four 20-m deep boring.

3. A Standard Penetration Test (SPT) was performed in a cohesionless soil profile and the
field records provide the following data.
SPT Test Performed at Depth = 3.0 m
Blow counts = 12/13/16 (blow counts for first, second and third 6 inch increments)
Soil profile = Uniform coarse sand uniform up to depth 4.5 m;
Unit weight = 20 kN/m3;
Water table is at depth 6.0m.

3(a) What is the SPT blow count (N) at depth of 3.0m?

3(b) Equation (4.1) in the class textbook allows you to calculate N60 from N. How does
N60 differ from N? What addition information would you require before you
could calculate N60?
3(c) Eq. (4.2) calculates a third parameter, (N1)60 from N60. How does (N1)60 differ from
N60?
3(d) Based on the information given in your class textbook, what physical properties of
the can you obtain when N60 or (N1)60 for the soil is known?
Solution:
(a) The SPT blow count (N) at depth of 3.0m is 29
(b) N is the raw blow count that was measured in the field. N 60 is the adjusted blow count
adjusted for variations in field testing procedures (i.e. variations in hammer efficiency,
borehole diameter, type of sampler, and rod length)
The additional information required before calculating N60 are the hammer efficiency,
borehole diameter, type of sampler, and rod length
(c) N60 is the value of SPT N that had been corrected for field procedures.
 (N1)60 is the N60 value which has been adjusted for differences in overburden pressures. It
corresponds to a standard overburden pressure of 2000psf (100 kPa)
(d) The soil physical properties that could be obtained from N60 or (N1)60 are: Relative
Density, Dr (%) and effective friction angle, .

4. Consider the following depth ranges in Figure 4.14 (page 127):

(a) 3ft-9ft
(b) 9ft-11ft
(c) 11.0ft-20.0ft
(d) 20.0ft-22.5ft
(e) 22.5ft-47.5ft
Determine the average cone resistance, qc (tsf) and friction ratio, Rf (%) for each depth range.
Then, use Figure 4.15 to classify the soil found in each depth range.

What do the spikes in the qc plot generally represent?

Solution:
 Depth qc(tsf) Rf (%) Classification
(ft) (See Fig) (See Fig) (See Figure)
3-9 70 5 Very Stiff Fine Grained
(Over consolidated or Cemented)
9-11 175 3 Silty Sand to Sandy Silt
11-20 70 4 Clayey Silt to Silty Clay
20-22.5 160 1.5 Sand to Silty Sand
22.5-47.5 15 2 Clayey Silt to Silty Clay

Note: 1 tsf 1 kg/cm2

The spikes in the qc plot (such as those found in depth ranges 9-11ft and 20.0-22.5ft) indicate
layers of granular material (sands, silts and gravel).