MERU UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
P.O. Box 972-60200 – Meru-Kenya.
Tel: +254 (0)799529958, +254 (0)799529959, +254 (0)712524293
Website: www.must.ac.ke Email:
University Examinations 2021/2022
SECOND YEAR, SECOND SEMESTER ORDINARY EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
ECT 3256: SOIL MECHANICS I
DATE: MAY 2022 TIME: 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer question one and any other two questions.
QUESTION ONE
a) Give an Engineering definition of soil mechanics (5marks)
b) Show that
i) V = 1+ e where e is the void ratio (5marks)
ii) n = e /1+e where n is the porosity (5marks)
c) A laboratory test carried out on undisturbed sample of soil weighing 1.74kg and having a
volume of 0.001m3determined the specific gravity of the solids to be 2.6 and the dry density
of the soil to be 1500kg/m3.Calculate
i) Moisture content (2marks)
ii) The void ratio and porosity (2marks)
iii) The critical hydraulic gradient (2marks)
iv) The saturated and submerged densities (2marks)
v) The degree of saturation (2marks)
d) Briefly explain how plastic limit test is carried out. (5marks)
Meru University of Science & Technology is ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Foundation of Innovations Page 1
P.O. Box 972-60200 – Meru-Kenya.
Tel: +254 (0)799529958, +254 (0)799529959, +254 (0)712524293
Website: www.must.ac.ke Email:
University Examinations 2021/2022
SECOND YEAR, SECOND SEMESTER ORDINARY EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
ECT 3256: SOIL MECHANICS I
DATE: MAY 2022 TIME: 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer question one and any other two questions.
QUESTION ONE
a) Give an Engineering definition of soil mechanics (5marks)
b) Show that
i) V = 1+ e where e is the void ratio (5marks)
ii) n = e /1+e where n is the porosity (5marks)
c) A laboratory test carried out on undisturbed sample of soil weighing 1.74kg and having a
volume of 0.001m3determined the specific gravity of the solids to be 2.6 and the dry density
of the soil to be 1500kg/m3.Calculate
i) Moisture content (2marks)
ii) The void ratio and porosity (2marks)
iii) The critical hydraulic gradient (2marks)
iv) The saturated and submerged densities (2marks)
v) The degree of saturation (2marks)
d) Briefly explain how plastic limit test is carried out. (5marks)
Meru University of Science & Technology is ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Foundation of Innovations Page 1
