368 Questions5 Difficulty Levels13-15% in GATEFree Practice
Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering together carry 12-16 marks in GATE CE, making geotechnical engineering one of the highest-weightage sections. Soil mechanics covers phase relationships, index properties, permeability, seepage, compaction, consolidation, and shear strength. Foundation engineering covers bearing capacity, pile foundations, earth pressure, and slope stability. Terzaghi's contributions — effective stress principle, 1D consolidation theory, and bearing capacity equation — form the backbone of this subject.
Difficulty Levels
L1 · Foundation · 206 Qs
L2 · Understanding · 37 Qs
L3 · Application · 84 Qs
L4 · Analysis · 31 Qs
L5 · GATE Ready · 1 Qs
Key Topics Covered
Phase relationships (e, n, S, w, γ)
Atterberg limits & soil classification
Permeability & Darcy's law
Seepage & flow nets
Compaction (Proctor test)
Consolidation (Cv, settlement)
Shear strength (Mohr-Coulomb)
Triaxial tests (UU, CU, CD)
Bearing capacity (Terzaghi, Meyerhof)
Earth pressure (Rankine, Coulomb)
Key Formulas
e = wGs (for saturated soil)
k = q/(i·A) (Darcy's law)
Cv = Tv·H²/t
τf = c + σ·tanφ
qu = cNc + qNq + 0.5γBNγ (Terzaghi)
Ka = (1−sinφ)/(1+sinφ)
GATE Exam Tip: Phase relationship problems are free marks — master the e-S-w-γ conversions. For consolidation, practice computing settlement and time from Cv. Bearing capacity problems always come — know when to use Terzaghi vs Meyerhof and how water table affects the bearing capacity.
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Q1 · Level 1 · GE-SML-1173
The resistance of soil to shearing forces is affected by:
Q2 · Level 1 · GE-SML-1020
In the context of soil mechanics, a soil mass is generally considered to consist of how many phases?
Q3 · Level 1 · GE-SML-1013
Soil transported by flowing water and subsequently deposited at the bottom of a lake is termed:
Q4 · Level 2 · GE-SML-1115
In the context of geotechnical engineering, the path traced by a water particle undergoing seepage is oriented in which direction relative to equipotential lines?
Q5 · Level 2 · GE-SML-1128
In scenarios of seepage through an earthen embankment, the boundary line of the flow at the free surface typically follows the shape of a:
Q6 · Level 2 · GE-SML-1346
For a well-graded granular material, which range accurately describes its coefficient of uniformity?
Q7 · Level 3 · GE-SML-1286
As per Rankine's earth pressure theory, what is the formula for the least depth of a foundation?
Q8 · Level 3 · GE-SML-1228
For a retaining wall with a base width of B, what is the maximum allowable eccentricity of the resultant force to prevent tensile failure at the base?
Q9 · Level 3 · GE-SML-1180
The frictional component of shear resistance in non-cohesive soils is influenced by:
Q10 · Level 3 · GE-SML-1152
If the resultant shear stresses on two orthogonal planes are zero, what is the angle separating these planes?
Q11 · Level 3 · GE-SML-1263
In geotechnical engineering, the bearing capacity factors \(N_c, N_q,\) and \(N_r\) are functions of:
Q12 · Level 4 · GE-SML-1075
If the volume of voids is equal to the volume of solids in a ground, then the values of porosity and voids ratio respectively are:
Q13 · Level 4 · GE-SML-1341
A fundamental assumption in Terzaghi's one-dimensional consolidation theory for soils is that:
Q14 · Level 4 · GE-SML-1088
When the water content of a soil is equivalent to its liquid limit, its relative consistency is numerically:
Q15 · Level 4 · GE-SML-0017
Three triaxial tests (UU, CU, CD) are conducted on identical specimens of saturated normally consolidated clay. The effective friction angle obtained from each test will be:
Q16 · Level 5 · GE-SML-0020
A saturated clay specimen is first consolidated under a cell pressure of 400 kPa in a triaxial cell with drainage valve open. The drainage valve is then closed, and an additional cell pressure of 100 kPa is applied. The pore water pressure immediately after closing the valve and applying the additional pressure is:
(a) What is the pore pressure immediately after applying the 100 kPa increment?
(b) If Skempton's pore pressure parameter A = 0.5 at failure, and the deviator stress at failure is 200 kPa, what is the total pore pressure at failure?