The mass of an empty pycnometer jar is 0.8 kg. When completely filled with water, the mass of the jar becomes 1.5 kg. An oven-dried soil sample of mass 0.1375 kg is placed in the jar, and water is added to completely fill it, making the total mass 1.6 kg. What is the specific gravity of the soil solids?

A rigid retaining wall 5 m high is restrained from yielding. The backfill consists of cohesionless soil having φ' = 30° and unit weight of soil γ = 18 kN/m3. Compute the total earth pressure per metre length of the wall at rest. (Consider sin(30°) = 0.5, cos(30°) = 0.866)

Calculate the average contact pressure (in kN/m2) directly beneath a square footing of dimensions 4 m × 4 m carrying a vertical load of 200 kN.