GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING (SOIL PROPERTIES)

WEIGHT – VOLUME RELATIONSHIP RELATIONSHIPS AMONG UNIT WEIGHT, VOID RATIO,

MOISTURE CONTENT, AND SPECIFIC GRAVITY

(𝟏+𝝎)𝑮𝒔 𝜸𝒘
𝑮𝒘 = 𝒆𝑺 𝜸=
𝟏+𝒆

(𝑮𝒔 +𝑺𝒆 )𝜸𝒘 (𝑮𝒔 +𝒆)𝜸𝒘

𝜸= 𝜸𝒔𝒂𝒕 =
𝟏+𝒆 𝟏+𝒆

𝑮𝒔 𝜸𝒘 𝑮𝒔 𝜸𝒘
𝜸𝒅 = 𝜸𝒛𝒂𝒗 =
𝟏+𝒆 𝝎𝑮𝒔 +𝟏

Problem 1
𝑽 = 𝑽𝒔 + 𝑽𝒗 = 𝑽𝒔 + 𝑽𝒘 + 𝑽𝒂 The moist unit weight of a soil is 19.2 kN/m3. Given
Gs=2.67 and water content is 9.8%. Determine:
𝑽 = total volume a. Dry unit weight
𝑽𝒔 = volume of soil solid b. Void ratio
𝑽𝒗 = volume of voids c. Porosity
𝑽𝒘 = volume of water d. Degree of Saturation
𝑽𝒂 = volume of air

Problem 2
𝑾 = 𝑾𝒔 + 𝑾𝒘
Given the following properties:
𝑾 = total weight
Specific Gravity of soil solids, Gs = 2.67
𝑾𝒔 = weight of soil solid
Void ratio, e = 0.45
𝑾𝒘 = weight of water
Degree of Saturation, S = 40%

Calculate the following:

VOLUME RELATIONSHIPS
1. Unit weight of soil
𝑽𝒗 2. Dry unit weight of soil
1. void ratio, e 𝒆= 3. Unit weight of the soil when fully saturated
𝑽𝒔

𝑽𝒗 𝒆 Problem 3
2. porosity, n 𝒏= 𝒏= If the dry unit weight of soil is 12kN/m3, what is the unit
𝑽 𝒆+𝟏
weight of soil if water is added causing a water content
𝑽𝒘 of 15%.
3. degree of saturation, S 𝑺=
𝑽𝒗
Problem 4
WEIGHT RELATIONSHIPS A soil sample has a void ratio of 0.40. Evaluate the
porosity of the soil.
𝑾𝒘
1. moisture or water content, ω 𝝎= Problem 5
𝑾𝒔
The net weight of soil sample before drying is 200g and
𝑾 its oven dried weight is 145g. The volume of the soil
2. unit weight or moist unit weight, 𝜸 𝜸= before drying is 120cm3. Specific gravity of soil is 2.69
𝑽

1. Compute the moisture content of the soil.

𝑾𝒔
3. dry unit weight, 𝜸𝒅 𝜸𝒅 = 2. Compute the void ratio.
𝑽
3. Compute the degree of saturation.

Problem 6
A soil sample has a water content of 20% and moist unit
weight of 18kN/m3. The specific gravity of the soil solids
is 2.65. Obtain the void ratio of the soil.
a) 0.407 b) 0.635 c) 0.733 d)0.368
Problem 7 Problem 8
A soil sample has a dry unit weight of 17kN/m3 and a A soil sample weighing 249 kg is removed from a test
void ratio of 0.60. pit. Water weighing 124 kg will just fill the pit. A sample
1. Evaluate the specific gravity of the soil solids. of the soil weighing 113.2 grams is oven dried and its
a) 2.44 b) 2.65 c) 2.77 d) 2.56 weight after oven drying is 98.7g. Maximum attainable
dry unit weight of soil is 18.8 kN/m3 and minimum
2. Obtain the unit weight of the sample in kN/m3 when attainable dry unit weight is 15.75 kN/m3. Specific
fully saturated. gravity of soil is 2.67.
a) 21.3 b) 18.6 c) 20.7 d) 19.6 1. Determine the wet unit weight (kN/m3).
2. Determine the dry unit weight (kN/m3).
3. What is the hydraulic gradient at hydraulic condition? 3. Determine the relative density of soil.
a) 1.43 b) 1.11 c) 1.35 d) 1.28
Problem 9
𝑮𝒔 −𝟏 The maximum dry unit weight of soil is 18.8 kN/m3 and
Critical hydraulic gradient =
𝟏+𝒆 the minimum dry unit weight is 15.5 kN/m3.
1. Determine the relative compaction in the field if
RELATIVE DENSITY – is used to indicate the in situ the relative density is 72%.
denseness or looseness of granular soil.
𝐑𝐨 𝛄
𝐑 = 𝟏−𝐃𝐫(𝟏−𝐑𝐨) 𝐑𝐨 = 𝛄𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧
𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐱 − 𝐞 𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐱
𝐃𝐫 =
𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐱 − 𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧

Problem 10
𝒏 𝒏𝒎𝒂𝒙 𝒏𝒎𝒊𝒏 Following are the details of the backfill material:
𝒆= 𝟏−𝒏
𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒙 = 𝟏−𝒏𝒎𝒂𝒙
𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏 = 𝟏−𝒏𝒎𝒊𝒏
D10 = 0.36mm D20 = 0.52mm D50 = 1.42mm

Where:
Find the suitability number.
emax = void ratio of soil in its loosest state
emin = void ratio of soil in its densest state
e = in situ void ratio 𝟑 𝟏 𝟏
𝐒𝐍 = 𝟏. 𝟕√ 𝟐
+ 𝟐
+
nmax = porosity of soil in its loosest state (𝐃𝟓𝟎 ) (𝐃𝟐𝟎 ) (𝐃𝟏𝟎 )𝟐
nmin = porosity of soil in its densest state
n = in situ porosity

𝛄𝐝 − 𝛄𝐝(𝐦𝐢𝐧) 𝛄𝐝(𝐦𝐚𝐱)
𝐃𝐫 = [ ][ ]
𝛄𝐝(𝐦𝐚𝐱) − 𝛄𝐝(𝐦𝐢𝐧) 𝛄𝐝

𝟏 𝟏
[𝛄 ] − [𝛄 ]
𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐝
𝐃𝐫 =
𝟏 𝟏
[𝛄 ] − [𝛄 ]
𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐱

𝛄𝐝 = in situ dry unit weight

𝛄𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐱 = dry unit weight in its densest condition
𝛄𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧 = dry unit weight in its loosest condition

DESIGNATION OF GRANULAR SOILS

Designation Dr (%)
Very loose 0-15
Loose 15-50
Medium dense 50-70
Dense 70-85
Very dense 85-100