GEOTECHNICAL – Coaching Notes

1. Clay = when a soil has 50% or more particles with sizes of 0.002 mm
or less

2. Shrinkage ratio = the ratio of the volume of change of soil as a

percentage of the dry volume to the corresponding change in
moisture content.

3. Shrinkage limit = the moisture content at which the volume of soil

mass to change.

11. What is the classification of soil particle size from 4.75 to 0.075 mm
diameter as classified under the USCS?
--- Sand has diameter which ranges from 4.75 to 0.075 mm.

12. What is the classification of soil having particle size from 76.2 to 4.75
mm in diameter as classified by USCS?
--- Gravel has diameter which ranges from 76.2 to 4.75 mm.

13. What is the classification of soil having particle size < 0.075 mm in
diameter as classified by USCS?
--- Silt and clay has diameter which is < 0.075 mm.

14. What is the classification of soil having particle sizes from 2 to 0.075
mm in diameter as classified by AASHTO?
--- Sand ranges from 2 to 0.075 mm.
GEOTECHNICAL – Coaching Notes

15. What is the classification of soil having particle sizes from 0.075 mm
to 0.002 mm in diameter as classified by AASHTO?
--- Silt ranges from 0.075 mm to 0.002 mm.

16. What is the classification of soil having particle sizes from 76.2 to 2
mm in diameter as classified by AASHTO?
--- Gravel ranges from 76.2 to 2 mm.

17. What is the classification of soil having particle sizes < 0.002 mm in
diameter as classified by AASHTO?
--- Clay < 0.002 mm

18. The particle distribution of soil A shows 30% sand, 40% silt and 30%
clay size particles. What is the textural classification of soil A based
on USDA system?
a) Clay loam
b) Silty clay
c) Sandy clay
d) Loam
GEOTECHNICAL – Coaching Notes

19. What type of soil having fraction passing the 75 mm sieve and
retained on the No. 10 (2 mm) U.S. sieve under AASHTO
Classification System?
a) Gravel (passes 75 mm sieve and retained on the No. 10 sieve)
b) Sand
c) Clay
d) Silt

20. What type of soil having fraction passing No. 10 (2 mm) U.S. sieve
and retained on the No. 200 (0.075 mm) sieve under AASHTO
Classification System?
a) Gravel c) Clay
b) Sand d) Silt

21. What type of soil having fraction passing the No. 200 sieve under
AASHTO Classification System?
a) Gravel c) Loam
b) Sand d) Silt and clay

22. Type of soil where the fine fractions have plasticity index of 11 or
more.
a) Clayey c) Sandy
b) Silty d) Loamy

23. Type of soil where the fine fractions have plasticity index of 10 or
less.
a) Clayey c) Sandy
b) Silty d) Gravelly
GEOTECHNICAL – Coaching Notes

24. Soils having size larger than 75 mm.

a) Gravel c) Loam
b) Rock d) Boulders and cobbles

25. Soil particles having particular size limits from 2 mm to 0.05 mm in

diameter under USDA classification.
a) Clay size c) Sand size
b) Silt size d) Loamy size

26. Soil particles having particular size limits from 0.05 mm to 0.002 mm
in diameter under USDA classification.
a) Clay size c) Sand size
b) Silt size d) Loamy size

27. Soil particles having particular size limits smaller than 0.002 mm in
diameter under USDA classification.
a) Clay size c) Sand size
b) Silt size d) Loamy size

28. Classification of soil under AASHTO Classification where

P.I. ≤ LL – 30.
a) A - 7 - 5 c) A - 7
b) A - 7 - 6 d) A - 2 - 6
GEOTECHNICAL – Coaching Notes

29. Classification of soil under AASHTO Classification where

P.I. ≥ LL – 30.
a) A - 7 - 5 c) A - 2 - 5
b) A - 7 - 6 d) A - 2 - 6

30. Classification of granular materials under AASHTO Classification

when 35% or less of total sample passes thru No. 200 sieve.
a) A - 5 c) A - 1
b) A - 6 d) A - 4

31. Classification of granular materials under AASHTO Classification

when more than 35% of the total sample passes thru No. 200 sieve.
a) A - 5 c) A - 1
b) A - 6 d) A - 4

33. Equipotential line = is a line along which the potential head at all
points are equal.

34. Flow net = a combination of a number of flow lines and equipotential

lines

35. Flow channel = in any flow net, the strip between any two adjacent
flow lines.

36. Flow line = a line along which water particles will travel from
upstream to the downstream side in the permeable soil medium
GEOTECHNICAL – Coaching Notes

37. Coarse-grained soil = they are gravelly and sandy in nature with
less than 50% passing thru the No. 200 sieve

38. Fine-grained soil = soils with 50% or more passing through sieve
No. 200

39. Group symbols of fine-grained soil under USCS method start with
prefixes M which stands for:
a) Inorganic silt c) Highly organic
b) Organic silt d) Organic silt and clay

56. The hydraulic conductivity of a fine sand ranges from:

a) 1 – 100 cm/s c) 0.01 – 0.001 cm/s
b) 1 – 0.01 cm/s d) 0.001 – 0.00001 cm/s

57. The hydraulic conductivity of a silty clay ranges from:

a) < 0.000001 c) 0.01 – 0.001 cm/s
b) 1 – 0.01 cm/s d) 0.001 – 0.00001 cm/s

58. The hydraulic conductivity of a coarse sand ranges from:

a) < 0.000001 c) 0.01 – 0.001 cm/s
b) 1 – 0.01 cm/s d) 0.001 – 0.00001 cm/s

59. The hydraulic conductivity of a clean gravel ranges from:

GEOTECHNICAL – Coaching Notes

a) 1.0 – 100 cm/s c) 0.01 – 0.001 cm/s

b) 1.0 – 0.01 cm/s d) 0.001 – 0.00001 cm/s

61. The suitability number of a good backfill material ranges from:

a) 0 – 10 c) 10 – 20
b) 30 – 50 d) 20 – 30

62. The suitability number of an excellent backfill material ranges from:

a) 0 – 10 c) 10 – 20
b) 30 – 50 d) 20 – 30

63. The suitability number of a fair backfill material ranges from:

a) > 50 c) 10 – 20
b) 30 – 50 d) 20 – 30

64. The suitability number of a poor backfill material ranges from:

a) > 50 c) 10 – 20
b) 30 – 50 d) 20 – 30

90. A settlement caused by the elastic deformation of dry soil and of

moist and saturated soils without any change in the moisture content.
a) Immediate settlement
b) Primary consolidation settlement
c) Secondary consolidation settlement
d) Tertiary consolidation settlement
GEOTECHNICAL – Coaching Notes

91. A settlement which is the result of a volume change in saturated

cohesive soils because of expulsion of the water that occupies the
void spaces.
a) Immediate settlement
b) Primary consolidation settlement
c) Secondary consolidation settlement
d) Tertiary consolidation settlement

92. A settlement which is observed in saturated cohesive soils and is the

result of the plastic adjustment of soil fabrics. It is an additional form
of compression that occurs at constant effective stress.
a) Immediate settlement
b) Primary consolidation settlement
c) Secondary consolidation settlement
d) Tertiary consolidation settlement

93. An instrument used for one dimension consolidation test of soil.

a) Permeameter
b) Consolidometer or oedometer
c) Penetrometer
d) Pycnometer

94. A type of clay whose present effective overburden pressure is the

maximum pressure that the soil was subjected to in the past.
a) Preconsolidation clay
b) Silty clay
c) Overconsolidated clay
d) Normally consolidated clay
GEOTECHNICAL – Coaching Notes

95. A type of clay whose present effective overburden pressure is less

than that which the soil experienced in the past.
a) Preconsolidation clay
b) Silty clay
c) Overconsolidated clay
d) Normally consolidated clay

96. The maximum effective overburden pressure in the field to which the
soil has been subjected in the past.
a) Contact pressure c) Overburden pressure
b) Effective soil pressure d) Preconsolidation pressure

113. A line along which a water particle will travel from upstream to the
downstream side in the permeable soil medium.
a) Flow line c) Anisotropic line
b) Equipotential line d) Isotropic line

114. A line along which the potential head at all points is equal
a) Flow line c) Anisotropic line
b) Equipotential line d) Isotropic line

115. A combination of flow line and equipotential lines.

a) Flow channel c) Anisotropic line
b) Flow net d) Isotropic line
GEOTECHNICAL – Coaching Notes

116. In any flow net, the strip between any two adjacent flow lines is
called:
a) Flow channel c) Anisotropic line
b) Flow net d) Isotropic line

117. The condition where every point in a soil mass is on the verge of
failure.
a) Max. shear stress in soil
b) Max. normal stress in soil
c) Elastic equilibrium in soil
d) Plastic equilibrium in soil

118. The ratio of lateral stress to vertical stress is called:

a) Void ratio
b) Poisson’s ratio
c) Coefficient of lateral pressure
d) Over consolidated ratio

119. The present effective pressure Po induced by the existent

overburden is computed as the weight of the column of soil above
the point evaluated (that is Po = γ h) it is known as:
a) Lateral pressure
b) Preconsolidation pressure
c) Geostatic pressure
d) Neutral pressure
GEOTECHNICAL – Coaching Notes

120. When the present effective pressure of soil Po is equal to the

preconsolidation pressure, the soil is said to be:
a) Single drainage consolidated
b) Double drainage consolidated
c) Over consolidated
d) Normally consolidated

121. When the present effective pressure of soil Po is less than the
preconsolidation pressure, the soil is said to be:
a) Single drainage consolidated
b) Double drainage consolidated
c) Over consolidated
d) Normally consolidated

122. The ratio of the preconsolidation pressure to the present effective

pressure is known as:
a) Void ratio
b) Poisson’s ratio
c) Coefficient of lateral pressure
d) Over consolidated ratio

123. Molecular attraction of unlike particles is known as:

a) Adhesion c) Consolidation
b) Cohesion d) Surface tension
GEOTECHNICAL – Coaching Notes

124. Molecular attraction of unlike particles is known as:

a) Adhesion c) Consolidation
b) Cohesion d) Surface tension

125. The forces that pull up water if a fine grained soil mass came in
contact with water above the free-water surface.
a) Capillary forces c) Seepage forces
b) Uplift forces d) Buoyant forces

126. The forces that pull up water, if a fine grained soil mass came in
contact with water above the free-water surface is known as
capillary force and the height of the water column thus drawn up or
retained is called capillary head. The phenomenon that explains this
rise is called:
a) Adhesion c) Capillarity
b) Cohesion d) Surface tension