What is the effect of a high water table on the bearing capacity of soil in a case study?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
What is the effect of a high water table on the bearing capacity of soil in a case study?
Increases bearing capacity
Decreases bearing capacity
No effect
Depends on soil type
A high water table generally decreases the effective stress in the soil, leading to a reduction in bearing capacity.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
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Q
Q: What is the effect of a high water table on the bearing capacity of soil in a case study?
Solution: A high water table generally decreases the effective stress in the soil, leading to a reduction in bearing capacity.
Steps: 7
Step 1: Understand what a water table is. The water table is the level below which the ground is saturated with water.
Step 2: Recognize that a high water table means that the water level is close to the surface of the ground.
Step 3: Learn about effective stress. Effective stress is the stress that contributes to the strength of the soil. It is calculated by subtracting the pore water pressure from the total stress.
Step 4: Realize that when the water table is high, the pore water pressure increases. This means that there is more water pressure in the soil.
Step 5: Understand that the increase in pore water pressure reduces the effective stress in the soil. This is because effective stress = total stress - pore water pressure.
Step 6: Know that a decrease in effective stress leads to a reduction in the soil's bearing capacity. Bearing capacity is the ability of the soil to support loads without failing.
Step 7: Conclude that a high water table generally decreases the bearing capacity of soil, making it less stable for supporting structures.
