Question

Total vertical pressure at any plane is equal to __________

(a) σ = σ’ + u

(b) σ’ = σ + u

(c) σ = σ’ + v

(d) None of the mentioned

This question was posed to me during an internship interview.

My question is from Stress Condition in Soil :Effective and Actual Pressure topic in division Soil Water Effective and Neutral Stresses of Geotechnical Engineering I

Answer 1

Correct answer is (a) σ = σ’ + u

For explanation I would say: Total vertical pressure at any plane is equal to the sum of effective pressure and the total pressure i.e. σ = σ’ + u.