ICC (EC) SOILS TESTING - MATERIALS TESTING
(LAB) 2024-2025 QUESTIONS WITH 100%
CORRECT ANSWER
The strength of a soil, or the ability to compact a soil into a suitable construction
material will depend on? - CORRECT ANSWER Soil type
Soil density
The amount of water in the soil
Types of soils - CORRECT ANSWER Gravel (mm to cm's in size)
Sand (mm in size)
Silt (fine particles with little cohesion)
Clay (has cohesion, can stick together)
Organic soils (peat, topsoil)
Organic soils (O) - CORRECT ANSWER Have a large componet of dead or decaying
plants, and are not used in construction
Silt and Clay - CORRECT ANSWER Classified based on whether the soil is plastic or
non-plastic (eg. can you roll it into a ball)
Gravel and Sand - CORRECT ANSWER are classified based on whether or not all the
particle are roughly the same size(uniform, like a beach) or if there is large variety in
particle size (well-graded)
Soil layers - CORRECT ANSWER 1. (complex zone) 3 to 4m
,ICC (EC) SOILS TESTING - MATERIALS TESTING
(LAB) 2024-2025 QUESTIONS WITH 100%
CORRECT ANSWER
2. (glacio-lacustrine clay) 2-12m
3. Glacial till, up to 9m in thickness
4. Carbonate bedrock, the upper surface of which is often fractured, weathers and
irrgular
Soil has two componets of strength - CORRECT ANSWER Cohesion (clay only)
Friction (when individual soil grains move across on another)
Soil fail by - CORRECT ANSWER shear
Soil strength is used to determine - CORRECT ANSWER The bearing capacity of a
foundation
The stability of natural or man-made earth slopes or retaining walls
Test for soil strength include; - CORRECT ANSWER unconfined compression test
direct shear test
Triaxial compression
Soil strength depends upon - CORRECT ANSWER Density and moisture content
Unconfined compression test - CORRECT ANSWER useful for comparing strength of
two soils or varion of strength with dept.
, ICC (EC) SOILS TESTING - MATERIALS TESTING
(LAB) 2024-2025 QUESTIONS WITH 100%
CORRECT ANSWER
Gradation refers to the range of measured soil particle sizes. Gradation results in
classifying soil as? - CORRECT ANSWER Gravel ( > 2 mm)
Sand (between 0.075 and 2 mm)
Silt (0.002 to 0.075 mm)
Clay (< 0.002 mm)
The particle size distribution of coarse-grained soils is typically determined by? -
CORRECT ANSWER Mechanical sieve analysis
The particle size distribution of fine-grained soil is determined using a ? - CORRECT
ANSWER hydrometer analysis
Two parameters help to identify soils that are well-graded? - CORRECT ANSWER
The Coefficient of Uniformity (Cu)
The Coefficient of Curvature (Cc)
The hydrometer analysis is used to determine the gradation of - CORRECT ANSWER
slit and clay-sized particles.
Only soil particles passing the No. 40 sieve(0.425) are used in the - CORRECT
ANSWER hydrometer analysis
(LAB) 2024-2025 QUESTIONS WITH 100%
CORRECT ANSWER
The strength of a soil, or the ability to compact a soil into a suitable construction
material will depend on? - CORRECT ANSWER Soil type
Soil density
The amount of water in the soil
Types of soils - CORRECT ANSWER Gravel (mm to cm's in size)
Sand (mm in size)
Silt (fine particles with little cohesion)
Clay (has cohesion, can stick together)
Organic soils (peat, topsoil)
Organic soils (O) - CORRECT ANSWER Have a large componet of dead or decaying
plants, and are not used in construction
Silt and Clay - CORRECT ANSWER Classified based on whether the soil is plastic or
non-plastic (eg. can you roll it into a ball)
Gravel and Sand - CORRECT ANSWER are classified based on whether or not all the
particle are roughly the same size(uniform, like a beach) or if there is large variety in
particle size (well-graded)
Soil layers - CORRECT ANSWER 1. (complex zone) 3 to 4m
,ICC (EC) SOILS TESTING - MATERIALS TESTING
(LAB) 2024-2025 QUESTIONS WITH 100%
CORRECT ANSWER
2. (glacio-lacustrine clay) 2-12m
3. Glacial till, up to 9m in thickness
4. Carbonate bedrock, the upper surface of which is often fractured, weathers and
irrgular
Soil has two componets of strength - CORRECT ANSWER Cohesion (clay only)
Friction (when individual soil grains move across on another)
Soil fail by - CORRECT ANSWER shear
Soil strength is used to determine - CORRECT ANSWER The bearing capacity of a
foundation
The stability of natural or man-made earth slopes or retaining walls
Test for soil strength include; - CORRECT ANSWER unconfined compression test
direct shear test
Triaxial compression
Soil strength depends upon - CORRECT ANSWER Density and moisture content
Unconfined compression test - CORRECT ANSWER useful for comparing strength of
two soils or varion of strength with dept.
, ICC (EC) SOILS TESTING - MATERIALS TESTING
(LAB) 2024-2025 QUESTIONS WITH 100%
CORRECT ANSWER
Gradation refers to the range of measured soil particle sizes. Gradation results in
classifying soil as? - CORRECT ANSWER Gravel ( > 2 mm)
Sand (between 0.075 and 2 mm)
Silt (0.002 to 0.075 mm)
Clay (< 0.002 mm)
The particle size distribution of coarse-grained soils is typically determined by? -
CORRECT ANSWER Mechanical sieve analysis
The particle size distribution of fine-grained soil is determined using a ? - CORRECT
ANSWER hydrometer analysis
Two parameters help to identify soils that are well-graded? - CORRECT ANSWER
The Coefficient of Uniformity (Cu)
The Coefficient of Curvature (Cc)
The hydrometer analysis is used to determine the gradation of - CORRECT ANSWER
slit and clay-sized particles.
Only soil particles passing the No. 40 sieve(0.425) are used in the - CORRECT
ANSWER hydrometer analysis
