Interview Questions & Answer (Based on Soil Mechanics)

Based on Soil Mechanics Interview Question & Answer

Who is Father of Soil Mechanics?

• Karl Terzaghi is known as Father of Soil Mechanics.
• He was the 1^st person to write a book on soil mechanics called “Earthbow Mechaik”.

What is meant by the term leaching? 

• The process of chemical weathering in which water soluble material gets removed by water is called leaching.

The soil particles of sizes between 0.002mm and 0.075mm are categorised as?

• Silt size

Name some methods to determine water content of soil?

• Oven Drying Method (Simplest and most accurate)
• Pycnometer Method
• Calcium Carbide Method
• Sand Bath Method
• Torsion Balance Moisture Meter Method
• Alcohol Method

Which mineral is present in Black cotton soil?

• Mont morillionite.
• Because of Mont morillionite expansion takes place in black cotton soil. As the water bond between them is weakest.

Which is most permeable soil?

• Coarse gravel

Define Over Consolidation Ratio?

• It is the ratio between maximum effective stress applied in the past to the existing effective stress.

How shear strength of soil is calculated?

• There is two types of test to calculate shear strength of soil –

1. Laboratory Test
2. Field Test

Explain Quick Sand Condition?

• When flow takes place in the soil medium in vertically upward direction then seepage pressure also acts in the upward direction resulting in the decrease of vertical effective pressure in the soil mass.
• If seepage pressure is such that it equals the submerged weight of soil mass effective vertical pressure reduces to zero, in such condition cohesion less soil losses all its shear strength and soil particles have the tendency to flow along with flowing water. This condition is referred as Quick sand condition or sand boiling.
• Net Effective Pressure = 0

What is meant by optimum moisture content?

• The amount of water that causes maximum lubrication without becoming an excess cause to hindrance in compaction by occupying space for its own molecules, is called the optimum moisture content.

Compare between compaction and consolidation?