# Need help with Goswami Solution



## utilityeng (Jun 22, 2017)

Practice Exam for the Civil PE Exam: Breadth + Water Resources Depth

Question 008

This is a settlement/consolidation problem. The varved clay layer is 10 ft thick and has a 12 ft layer of sand over it.

In the solution, when solving for consolidation: s = H(delta e)/(1+e0), I thought H should equal the thickness of the clay layer (10ft), at least that's what the ALL-IN-ONE reference states.

Instead, the solution has H=120

Is this an error, or am I missing something?


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## PowerStroke79_PE (Jun 22, 2017)

utilityeng said:


> Practice Exam for the Civil PE Exam: Breadth + Water Resources Depth
> 
> Question 008
> 
> ...


Its not a conversion to inches? ( 10ft * (12in/1ft) ). I don't have the problem in front of me, just saying....


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## youngmotivatedengineer (Jun 23, 2017)

Deffinately sounds like a conversion factor. Look at the dimensions in the problem as well as in the solution.  Is everything in ft, or was 1 of them in inches?


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## ruggercsc (Jun 23, 2017)

This topic is a great example of the type of issues you will see on the test.  There will be answers for both if H=10 and H = 120.

Pay attention to conversion factors.


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## utilityeng (Jun 23, 2017)

Hemi79 said:


> Its not a conversion to inches? ( 10ft * (12in/1ft) ). I don't have the problem in front of me, just saying....


I think you guys nailed it. The answer is indeed in inches.


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## ptatohed (Jun 23, 2017)

Nice job guys.


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