What is the effect of water table rise on the bearing capacity of soil?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the effect of water table rise on the bearing capacity of soil?
Increases bearing capacity
Decreases bearing capacity
No effect
Depends on soil type
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the effect of water table rise on the bearing capacity of soil?
Step 1: Understand what the water table is. The water table is the level below which the ground is saturated with water.
Step 2: Know what bearing capacity means. Bearing capacity is the ability of soil to support the weight of structures built on it.
Step 3: Learn about effective stress. Effective stress is the stress that contributes to the strength of the soil, calculated as total stress minus pore water pressure.
Step 4: Recognize that when the water table rises, the pore water pressure in the soil increases.
Step 5: Realize that an increase in pore water pressure reduces the effective stress in the soil.
Step 6: Understand that a decrease in effective stress leads to a lower bearing capacity of the soil.
Step 7: Conclude that a rise in the water table typically decreases the bearing capacity of soil.
