What are the two main categories of foundation systems?

Shallow foundations and deep foundations

True or False: Shallow foundations have embedment depth greater than their width.

False. Shallow foundations have embedment depth less than or equal to their width.

Which foundation type covers the entire building area?
A) Isolated spread footing
B) Combined footing
C) Strip footing
D) Mat foundation

D) Mat foundation

Fill in the blank: _____ foundations transfer loads to deeper, more competent soil layers.

Deep

What does the symbol γ represent in bearing capacity equations?

Effective unit weight of soil

The Terzaghi bearing capacity equation includes three terms. What soil property does Nc depend on?

Internal friction angle (φ)

True or False: Bearing capacity factors are dimensionless parameters.

True

Which factor of safety range is typical for bearing capacity design?
A) 1.5 to 2.0
B) 2.5 to 3.0
C) 3.5 to 4.0
D) 4.5 to 5.0

B) 2.5 to 3.0

What are the three components of total settlement?

Immediate settlement, primary consolidation settlement, and secondary compression settlement

Fill in the blank: _____ settlement occurs in all soils and is calculated using elastic theory.

Immediate

Which settlement type occurs primarily in saturated clay soils?

Primary consolidation settlement

What does the compression index Cc represent in consolidation calculations?

The slope of the virgin compression curve in e-log p space

True or False: The 2:1 method is an approximation for calculating stress increase with depth.

True

For ACI 318, what is the critical section location for two-way shear?
A) At column face
B) At distance d from column face
C) At distance d/2 from column face
D) At footing edge

C) At distance d/2 from column face

What is the minimum concrete cover for footings cast against earth?

3 inches

Fill in the blank: Pile capacity equals _____ bearing plus _____ friction capacity.

Point (or end), skin (or side)

Which pile capacity analysis method uses adhesion factor α for cohesive soils?

Α-method (alpha method)

True or False: Group efficiency for pile groups is typically greater than 1.0.

False. Group efficiency is typically less than 1.0 due to group effects.

What does negative skin friction represent in pile design?
A) Upward resistance
B) Downward load
C) Lateral force
D) Moment effect

B) Downward load

Which foundation type is preferred when more than 50% of area would be covered by spread footings?

Mat (or raft) foundation

What is the typical allowable settlement limit for isolated spread footings?

1 inch

Fill in the blank: Drilled shafts are also known as _____.

Caissons

True or False: Driven piles create more vibration during installation than drilled shafts.

True

Which soil parameter is most critical for expansive soil foundation design?
A) Bearing capacity
B) Active zone depth
C) Permeability
D) Unit weight

B) Active zone depth

What foundation depth requirement prevents frost heaving?

Extending below frost depth (or frost line)

In the ENR formula, what does 's' represent?

Penetration per blow (in inches)

True or False: Block failure analysis applies to closely spaced pile groups in clay.

True

Which analysis method is used for lateral pile loads?
A) Terzaghi method
B) Meyerhof method
C) p-y curve method
D) α-method

C) p-y curve method

Fill in the blank: For rectangular footings, the Terzaghi equation uses a factor of _____ for the cohesion term.

1.3

What happens to bearing capacity factors as friction angle φ increases?

They increase (bearing capacity factors increase with increasing friction angle)

True or False: Overconsolidated clays use compression index Cc for settlement calculations.

False. Overconsolidated clays use recompression index Cr unless stress exceeds preconsolidation pressure.

Which foundation system is most appropriate for liquefaction-prone soils?
A) Shallow spread footings
B) Mat foundations
C) Deep foundations
D) Grade beams only

C) Deep foundations

What is the typical range for pile group efficiency η in clay soils?

0.6 to 0.9