GATE CE 2015 Set 1 — Question 50
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Geotechnical Engineering → Consolidation → Consolidation Settlement
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Question
A water tank is to be constructed on the soil deposit shown in the figure below. A circular footing of diameter and depth of embedment has been designed to support the tank. The total vertical load to be taken by the footing is . Assume the unit weight of water as and the load dispersion pattern as . The expected settlement of the tank due to primary consolidation of the clay layer is .
Correct answer
50 to 55
Solution
1.Calculate initial effective stress () at the mid-height of the clay layer:
- Top of clay layer is at depth from GL.
- Mid-height of clay layer is at depth from GL.
- Unit weight of Silty Sand (above GWT) =
- Unit weight of Sand (below GWT) = Saturated unit weight =
- Unit weight of water
- Effective unit weight of Sand below GWT =
- Effective unit weight of clay =
2.Calculate additional stress () at the mid-height of the clay layer due to footing load:
- Footing diameter
- Footing depth of embedment
- Total load
- Load dispersion pattern means for every vertical depth, the load spreads horizontally on each side.
- The load is applied at the base of the footing, which is below GL.
- Depth from base of footing to mid-height of clay layer
- Effective diameter of load spread at depth :
- Area of load spread at mid-height of clay layer
- Compression index
- Initial void ratio
- Thickness of clay layer
So, at depth , the radius . Diameter .
.
Area
This value () falls within the given range of .The final answer is .
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