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AIC Exam > Soil Mechanics > Flashcards

Soil Mechanics Flashcards

1
Q
  1. Which of the following tests is performed on cohesionless soil to determine the distribution of grain size?

A. Vane Test
B. Sieve Analysis
C. Atterberg Limits
D. Penetration Test

A

B. Sieve Analysis

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2
Q
  1. Which of the following techniques is used to determine the liquid, plastic, semisolid, and solid states of consistency for a cohesive soil?

A. Vane Test
B. Sieve Analysis
C. Atterberg Limits
D. Penetration Test

A

C. Atterberg Limits

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3
Q
  1. Which of the following terms refers to the ability of water to flow through a soil by traveling through the void spaces?

A. Capillarity
B. Frost heave
C. Permeability
D. Ground Water Table

A

C. Permeability

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4
Q
  1. What are the most commonly used soil classification systems based on grain size?

A. Atterberg Limits and Permeability
B. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Textural Classification Scheme and the National Bureau of Standards Report BSS-121
C. The Construction Specification Institute’s Master Format and the U.S. Governments Master Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
D. Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

A

D. Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

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5
Q
  1. What is the earth material drawn from an excavation called?

A. Spoil
B. Saturated Soil
C. Submerged Soil
D. Cohesionless Soil

A

A. Spoil

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6
Q
  1. What type of soil is the most dangerous because the excavated faces appear to be solid and stable, but are drastically affected by water, wind, and pressure?

A. Clay
B. Sand
C. Gravel
D. Stable Rock

A

A. Clay

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7
Q
  1. According to OSHA, what is the minimum ratio for a layered soil system?

A. 1H:1V
B. 3H:1V
C. 4H:1V
D. 1H:4V

A

C. 4H:1V

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8
Q
  1. A small amount of material suddenly separates from the face of an excavation and trickles or rolls down into the excavation. What is the visual inspection term called?

A. Spalling
B. Heaving
C. Toppling
D. Raveling

A

D. Raveling

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9
Q
  1. During a visual inspection of the soil, it is discovered that the layers on the face of the excavation are at a ratio of four horizontal to one vertical (4H:1V) or greater. What is the visual inspection term called?

A. Sliding
B. Toppling
C. Undercutting
D. Sloped system

A

D. Sloped system

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10
Q
  1. There is upward water flow into the bottom of the excavation. What is the visual inspection term called?

A. Boiling
B. Sloughing
C. Submerged
D. Surcharge Load

A

A. Boiling

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11
Q
  1. The soil has sunk on the horizontal surface. What is the visual inspection term called?

A. Boiling
B. Bulging
C. Heaving
D. Subsidence

A

D. Subsidence

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12
Q
  1. The soil is protruding from the face of the open excavation into the excavation. What is the visual inspection term called?

A. Boiling
B. Bulging
C. Heaving
D. Subsidence

A

B. Bulging

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13
Q
  1. The soil is protruding up from the bottom of the excavation. What is the visual inspection term called?

A. Boiling
B. Bulging
C. Heaving
D. Subsidence

A

C. Heaving

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14
Q
  1. The soil has open cracks on the horizontal ground or on the open face of the excavation. What is the visual inspection term called?

A. Fissure
B. Bulging
C. Sloughing
D. Subsidence

A

A. Fissure

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15
Q
  1. What is the term for an excessive vertical load caused by the spoil pile or construction equipment being too close to the trench edge?

A. Impact load
B. Undercutting
C. Underpinning
D. Surcharge load

A

D. Surcharge load

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16
Q
  1. What do the field thumb penetration, pocket penetrometer and the shearvane measure?

A. Shear Stress
B. Impact Load
C. Surcharge Load
D. Unconfined Compressive Strength

A

D. Unconfined Compressive Strength

17
Q
  1. Which field manual test is used to differentiate between cohesive material with fissures, unfissured cohesive material, and granular material?

A. Pat Test
B. Drying Test
C. Plasticity Test
D. Dry Strength Test

A

B. Drying Test

18
Q
  1. Which field manual test checks for a cohesive soil?

A. Pat Test
B. Drying Test
C. Plasticity Test
D. Thumb Penetration Test

A

C. Plasticity Test

19
Q
  1. Which field manual test is used to determine the presence of a cohesive clay or silt?

A. Pat Test
B. Drying Test
C. Plasticity Test
D. Thumb Penetration Test

A

A. Pat Test

20
Q
  1. What is another name for a soil that contains equal parts of sand, silt and clay?

A. Spoil
B. Loam
C. Moist Soil
D. Common Earth

21
Q
  1. Which of the following soil has no cohesive strength?

A. Clay
B. Moist Soil
C. Layered Soil
D. Granular Soil

A

D. Granular Soil

22
Q
  1. What is the soil state called if it is in its natural, in place, in situ, or undisturbed state?

A. Bank
B. Loose
C. Solid
D. Compacted

23
Q
  1. What is the soil state called when the soil is excavated?

A. Bank
B. Loose
C. Solid
D. Compacted

24
Q
  1. Using the Average Soil Weights Table, what is the swell percentage using a Loam?

A. 08.3
B. 23.8
C. 31.9
D. 81.0

25
Q
  1. Using the Average Soil Weights Table, what is the shrinkage percentage for a Damp Sand under the Modified Proctor method?

A. 10.8
B. 12.1
C. 13.4
D. 85.0

26
Q
  1. Which of the following is the primary factor that will determine if 97% density using the Modified Proctor Test will be achieved in a predetermined number of passes?

A. Soil Type
B. Moisture Content
C. Swell Percentage
D. Shrinkage Percentage

A

B. Moisture Content

27
Q
  1. Which of the following procedures describes the Modified Proctor Test?

A. It uses a 5-pound hammer dropped from a height of 12 inches
B. It uses a 10-pound hammer dropped from a height of 18 inches
C. It uses a 13,000 pound hammer dropped from a height of 20 feet
D. It uses a 140-pound hammer dropped from a height of 30 inches

A

B. It uses a 10-pound hammer dropped from a height of 18 inches

28
Q
  1. Which of the following procedures describes the Standard Proctor Test?

A. It uses a 5-pound hammer dropped from a height of 12 inches
B. It uses a 10-pound hammer dropped from a height of 18 inches
C. It uses a 13,000 pound hammer dropped from a height of 20 feet
D. It uses a 140-pound hammer dropped from a height of 30 inches

A

A. It uses a 5-pound hammer dropped from a height of 12 inches

29
Q
  1. What is the normal lift range in inches stated in the documents for attaining the specified density percentage when compacting structural fill?

A. 6 - 12
B. 13 - 24
C. 25 - 48
D. 49 - 60

30
Q
  1. Which document specifies the Proctor Test, the percentage range and the Optimum Moisture Content?

A. Bid Documents
B. General Requirements
C. Technical Specifications
D. Supplementary Conditions

A

C. Technical Specifications

31
Q
  1. Which test is specified for fill material designated for use under areas where high design loads are anticipated, such as airport runways and paved areas?

A. Shearvane
B. Pentrometer
C. Standard Proctor
D. Modified Proctor

A

D. Modified Proctor

32
Q
  1. The Soil Tables and formulas contain the abbreviation BCY. What does BCY mean?

A. Bulk Cubic Yards
B. Bank Cubic Yards
C. Basic Cubic Yards
D. Borrow Cubic Yards

A

B. Bank Cubic Yards

33
Q
  1. Which test instrument measures the unconfined compressive strength of soil?

A. Standard Proctor
B. Modified Proctor
C. Pocket Pentrometer
D. Standard Penetration

A

C. Pocket Pentrometer

AIC Exam (19 decks)

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