earth pressure theories bearing capacity plate load test standard penetration test - Question Bank

1. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT regarding the Standard Penetration Test?
A) It is a dynamic test.
B) It is primarily used for granular soils.
C) It measures the number of blows for a fixed penetration.
D) The sampler is driven by a weight of 15.9 kg dropped from 76 cm.
2. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT regarding the Plate Load Test?
A) It is a static test.
B) It is primarily used for cohesive soils.
C) Results can be extrapolated to prototype footings.
D) The load is applied in stages.
3. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT regarding Terzaghi's bearing capacity theory?
A) It is applicable to shallow foundations.
B) It assumes a rigid footing.
C) It considers the shear strength of the soil along the entire failure surface.
D) It accounts for the base roughness of the footing.
4. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT regarding Coulomb's theory?
A) It considers wall friction.
B) It assumes a planar failure surface.
C) It is applicable to cohesive soils.
D) The back of the wall is assumed to be smooth.
5. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT regarding Rankine's theory?
A) The back of the wall is smooth.
B) The soil is homogeneous and isotropic.
C) Failure occurs along a curved surface.
D) The wall is assumed to be smooth.
6. For a given N-value, the relative density of sand is:
A) Higher for finer sands
B) Lower for finer sands
C) Independent of grain size
D) Higher for coarser sands
7. The N-value obtained from SPT needs correction for:
A) Hammer energy, overburden pressure, and rod length
B) Hammer weight only
C) Drop height only
D) Soil type only
8. The SPT is a dynamic test, while the Plate Load Test is a static test. This means:
A) SPT measures soil response to impact, PLT measures response to steady load
B) SPT measures soil response to steady load, PLT measures response to impact
C) Both measure response to impact
D) Both measure response to steady load
9. The standard bearing capacity of a soil is usually determined by dividing the ultimate bearing capacity by a factor of safety, typically:
A) 1.5 to 2.0
B) 2.0 to 3.0
C) 3.0 to 4.0
D) 1.0 to 1.5
10. The Plate Load Test is a large-scale test to determine:
A) Shear strength of soil
B) Compressibility and bearing capacity of soil
C) Permeability of soil
D) Density of soil
11. The bearing capacity factor Nγ in Terzaghi's theory represents the contribution of:
A) Cohesion
B) Surcharge
C) Soil weight
D) Footing width
12. The bearing capacity factor Nq in Terzaghi's theory represents the contribution of:
A) Cohesion
B) Surcharge
C) Soil weight
D) Footing width
13. Terzaghi's bearing capacity equation includes factors for:
A) Cohesion, surcharge, and soil weight
B) Cohesion only
C) Surcharge only
D) Soil weight only
14. The assumption of a planar failure surface is made in:
A) Rankine's theory only
B) Coulomb's theory only
C) Both Rankine's and Coulomb's theories
D) Terzaghi's theory
15. Coulomb's theory is more general than Rankine's theory because it accounts for:
A) The angle of internal friction
B) The wall friction and batter of the wall
C) The cohesion of the soil
D) The surcharge on the backfill
16. In Rankine's theory, for a wall with a tension crack at the top, the active earth pressure is:
A) Uniformly distributed
B) Triangularly distributed
C) Zero in the tension crack zone
D) Constant
17. The earth pressure at rest (K0) is generally:
A) Less than Ka and greater than Kp
B) Greater than Ka and less than Kp
C) Less than Ka and less than Kp
D) Greater than Ka and greater than Kp
18. The passive earth pressure is developed when the retaining wall moves:
A) Away from the backfill
B) Towards the backfill
C) Parallel to the backfill
D) Vertically downwards
19. The active earth pressure is generally:
A) Greater than the passive earth pressure
B) Less than the passive earth pressure
C) Equal to the at-rest earth pressure
D) Zero
20. The N-value obtained from SPT for a cohesive soil is correlated with its:
A) Bearing capacity
B) Undrained shear strength
C) Permeability
D) Compressibility
21. The energy ratio (ER) used in SPT is typically:
A) 60%
B) 70%
C) 80%
D) 90%
22. The SPT is generally not suitable for:
A) Dense sands
B) Soft clays
C) Gravels
D) Rock
23. When extrapolating results from a Plate Load Test to a prototype footing, it is assumed that:
A) The soil behaves as a non-linear elastic material
B) The soil behaves as a linear elastic material
C) The soil behaves as a perfectly plastic material
D) The soil behaves as a visco-elastic material
24. In a Plate Load Test, the load is applied in stages and the settlement is recorded after:
A) A fixed time interval
B) The load is stabilized
C) The settlement rate becomes constant
D) All of the above
25. The Plate Load Test is not recommended for:
A) Sandy soils
B) Clayey soils
C) Gravelly soils
D) Soft soils
26. For a circular footing in Terzaghi's theory, the bearing capacity factors are:
A) The same as for a strip footing
B) Different from a strip footing
C) Dependent on the depth only
D) Dependent on the cohesion only
27. The surcharge term (q) in Terzaghi's equation is equal to the weight of the soil above the foundation level up to:
A) The base of the footing
B) The ground surface
C) Twice the width of the footing
D) The water table
28. Terzaghi's bearing capacity equation is valid for:
A) Shallow foundations only
B) Deep foundations only
C) Both shallow and deep foundations
D) Surface footings only
29. The angle of wall friction (δ) in Coulomb's theory is generally taken as:
A) Equal to the angle of internal friction (φ)
B) Less than the angle of internal friction (φ)
C) Greater than the angle of internal friction (φ)
D) Zero
30. In Coulomb's theory, the back of the wall is assumed to be:
A) Smooth
B) Rough
C) Vertical
D) Inclined
31. Rankine's theory is applicable to:
A) Both cohesive and cohesionless soils
B) Cohesionless soils only
C) Cohesive soils only
D) Partially saturated soils
32. A higher N-value in SPT generally indicates:
A) Weaker and looser soil
B) Stronger and denser soil
C) More permeable soil
D) More compressible soil
33. An N-value of 30-50 in SPT for a sand typically indicates:
A) Very loose sand
B) Medium dense sand
C) Dense sand
D) Very dense sand
34. The N-value obtained from SPT is often corrected for overburden pressure. This corrected value is denoted as:
A) N60
B) N(corr)
C) Nm
D) Nq
35. The N-value in SPT is defined as the number of blows required to drive the sampler for a total penetration of:
A) 18 inches (45 cm)
B) 12 inches (30 cm)
C) 24 inches (60 cm)
D) 6 inches (15 cm)
36. The standard drop height for the SPT hammer is:
A) 15 inches (38 cm)
B) 30 inches (76 cm)
C) 20 inches (51 cm)
D) 10 inches (25 cm)
37. In the SPT, the split-spoon sampler is driven into the soil by a hammer of weight:
A) 35 lb (15.9 kg)
B) 50 lb (22.7 kg)
C) 10 lb (4.5 kg)
D) 100 lb (45.4 kg)
38. The Standard Penetration Test (SPT) is a field test used to assess the:
A) Permeability of the soil
B) Compressibility of the soil
C) In-situ density and strength of granular soils
D) Shear strength of cohesive soils
39. For granular soils, the ultimate bearing capacity determined by a Plate Load Test can be extrapolated to a prototype footing of width B using the relation:
A) qu(prototype) = qu(plate) * (B_prototype / B_plate)
B) qu(prototype) = qu(plate) * (B_plate / B_prototype)
C) qu(prototype) = qu(plate)
D) qu(prototype) = qu(plate) * (B_prototype / B_plate)²
40. For cohesive soils, the ultimate bearing capacity determined by a Plate Load Test can be extrapolated to a prototype footing of width B using the relation:
A) qu(prototype) = qu(plate) * (B_prototype / B_plate)
B) qu(prototype) = qu(plate) * (B_plate / B_prototype)
C) qu(prototype) = qu(plate)
D) qu(prototype) = qu(plate) * (B_prototype / B_plate)²
41. The load-settlement curve obtained from a Plate Load Test is plotted between:
A) Load and time
B) Settlement and time
C) Applied pressure and settlement
D) Applied pressure and time
42. In a Plate Load Test, the plate size is typically:
A) 300 mm to 750 mm diameter
B) 150 mm to 300 mm diameter
C) 750 mm to 1200 mm diameter
D) 10 mm to 50 mm diameter
43. The Plate Load Test (PLT) is primarily used to determine:
A) Shear strength parameters of the soil
B) Compressibility and bearing capacity of the soil
C) Permeability of the soil
D) Density of the soil
44. For a strip footing on a cohesive soil (φ = 0), the ultimate bearing capacity (qu) according to Terzaghi is:
A) c Nc
B) c Nc + q Nq + 0.5 γ B Nγ
C) c Nc + q
D) q Nc
45. The bearing capacity factors (Nc, Nq, Nγ) in Terzaghi's theory are functions of:
A) Soil cohesion and angle of internal friction
B) Angle of internal friction only
C) Soil density and depth of footing
D) Width and length of footing
46. In Terzaghi's general bearing capacity equation, the term Nc relates to:
A) Cohesion of the soil
B) Surcharge pressure
C) Width of the footing
D) Depth of the footing
47. Terzaghi's bearing capacity theory is an extension of:
A) Rankine's theory
B) Coulomb's theory
C) Prandtl's theory
D) Mohr-Coulomb theory
48. The resultant active earth pressure in Coulomb's theory acts at an angle to the normal of the back of the wall equal to:
A) The angle of internal friction (φ)
B) The angle of wall friction (δ)
C) Zero
D) 90 degrees
49. Coulomb's theory of earth pressure considers:
A) Smooth backfill and rough wall
B) Rough backfill and smooth wall
C) Smooth backfill and smooth wall
D) Rough backfill and rough wall
50. In Rankine's theory of earth pressure, for a vertical wall retaining a horizontal backfill, the active earth pressure coefficient (Ka) is given by:
A) (1 - sin φ) / (1 + sin φ)
B) (1 + sin φ) / (1 - sin φ)
C) tan²(45° - φ/2)
D) tan²(45° + φ/2)
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