TEST BANK – PRINCIPLES OF GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING, 10TH EDITION | COMPLETE EXAM QUESTIONS & VERIFIED ANSWERS | COMPREHENSIVE CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDY GUIDE BY Braja M. Das

TEST BANK – PRINCIPLES OF GEOTECHNICAL
ENGINEERING, 10TH EDITION | COMPLETE
EXAM QUESTIONS & VERIFIED ANSWERS |
COMPREHENSIVE CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDY
GUIDE BY Braja M. Das
TEST BANK – PRINCIPLES OF GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING, 10TH EDITION

Braja
M. Das

,| 19 Chapters | With RATIONALE



CHAPTER 1: Geotechnical Engineering: A Historical Perspective

1. Who is widely regarded as the 'Father of Soil Mechanics'?

• A. William Rankine

• B. Karl Terzaghi ← CORRECT

• C. Arthur Casagrande

• D. Coulomb

• E. Henry Darcy

★ RATIONALE: Karl Terzaghi published Erdbaumechanik in 1925, which laid the
foundation of modern soil mechanics, earning him the title 'Father of Soil Mechanics.'



2. Which ancient civilization is known for constructing some of the earliest documented
geotechnical structures?

• A. Romans

• B. Greeks

• C. Egyptians ← CORRECT

• D. Chinese

• E. Mesopotamians

★ RATIONALE: The Egyptians are known for constructing the Great Pyramids and other
massive structures that required significant understanding of soil-bearing capacity and
foundation design.



3. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a classic example of what geotechnical problem?

• A. Lateral earth pressure failure

• B. Slope instability

, • C. Differential settlement due to compressible soil ← CORRECT

• D. Liquefaction

• E. Heave of excavation bottom

★ RATIONALE: The Leaning Tower of Pisa leans due to differential settlement caused by
soft, compressible soil layers on one side, illustrating the importance of soil investigation before
construction.



4. Which publication by Terzaghi in 1943 became a landmark in geotechnical engineering?

• A. Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice

• B. Erdbaumechanik

• C. Theoretical Soil Mechanics ← CORRECT

• D. Foundation Engineering

• E. Principles of Geotechnical Engineering

★ RATIONALE: Theoretical Soil Mechanics (1943) by Terzaghi is a landmark publication
that systematically presented theories of soil behavior and became a foundational text in the
discipline.



5. Charles-Augustin de Coulomb contributed to geotechnical engineering primarily through his
work on:

• A. Consolidation theory

• B. Seepage analysis

• C. Lateral earth pressure ← CORRECT

• D. Bearing capacity

• E. Soil classification

★ RATIONALE: Coulomb (1776) developed the theory of lateral earth pressure on
retaining walls, including the failure wedge concept that bears his name — Coulomb's earth
pressure theory.

, 6. The concept of effective stress in soil mechanics was introduced by:

• A. Rankine

• B. Boussinesq

• C. Darcy

• D. Terzaghi ← CORRECT

• E. Skempton

★ RATIONALE: Terzaghi introduced the principle of effective stress (σ' = σ − u), which is
the cornerstone of modern soil mechanics, describing how pore water pressure affects soil
strength.



7. Geotechnical engineering as a formal engineering discipline emerged primarily during
which century?

• A. 17th century

• B. 18th century

• C. 19th century

• D. 20th century ← CORRECT

• E. 21st century

★ RATIONALE: Geotechnical engineering emerged as a formal discipline in the 20th
century, especially after Terzaghi's foundational works in the 1920s–1940s established its
theoretical framework.



8. William Rankine is best known in geotechnical engineering for his contributions to:

• A. Compaction theory

• B. Consolidation

• C. Seepage flow nets

• D. Earth pressure theory ← CORRECT