The diagram below shows the vertical cross-section of a proposed embankment to be constructed on a saturated clay deposit. Representative soil samples have been collected from the clay deposit and laboratory tests have been conducted which provided the following results: Psat = 2000 kg/m³, At rest earth pressure coefficient ko = 0.5, c' = 10 kPa, and φ= 28°.
Proposed embankment (plan area of 10 m x 20 m)
Ground surface
V
30 kPa
Deep saturated clay deposit
01
3m
er Table
Not-to-scale
(a) Prior to construction, calculate the pore water pressure u, σ1, σ3, σ1', and σ3' acting on the soil element at 3m below ground surface. Using this information, draw the total and effective stress Mohr circles representing the stresses acting on the soil element. In your calculation, you can assume g = 10 m/s². (12 marks)
(b) After the embankment construction, demonstrate that there is an increase in vertical stress, i.e. Δσo = 20 kPa, on the soil element caused by the embankment load. You may assume that the 2:1 stress transmission approximation is valid for this situation. (4 marks)