NCEES Geotechnical Engineering

Question 1

On the NCEES PE Geotechnical exam, the effective stress in a saturated soil is calculated as:

Accepted Answer

σ' = σ − u (total stress minus pore water pressure)

Answer

Effective stress σ' = σ − u: the stress carried by the soil skeleton equals total stress minus pore water pressure.

Question 2

In NCEES PE Geotechnical practice, the Standard Penetration Test (SPT) provides which index value?

Accepted Answer

N-value: blow count per 12 inches of penetration

Answer

The SPT measures N-value (blow count per foot), used to estimate relative density, friction angle, and bearing capacity.

Question 3

For the NCEES PE Geotechnical exam, Terzaghi's bearing capacity equation for a strip footing is:

Accepted Answer

qu = cNc + qNq + 0.5γBNγ

Answer

Terzaghi's bearing capacity for a strip footing: qu = cNc + qNq + 0.5γBNγ, using bearing capacity factors Nc, Nq, and Nγ.

Question 4

In NCEES PE Geotechnical engineering, the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) classifies soils based primarily on:

Accepted Answer

Grain size distribution and Atterberg limits

Answer

USCS classifies soils using grain size analysis (gravel, sand, fines percentage) and Atterberg limits (LL, PL) for fine-grained soils.

Question 5

On the NCEES PE Geotechnical exam, the coefficient of consolidation Cv is used in:

Accepted Answer

Predicting the time rate of consolidation settlement

Answer

Cv governs the time rate of consolidation; higher Cv means faster drainage and faster settlement completion.

NCEES National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying Practice Practice Test