AMOUD UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
Course: Soil Mechanics 1 Academic year: 2018-2019
Formulas Sheet Lecturer: Eng. Abdirisak Sajin

Formulas Sheet
1) Properties of Soils
Water content
W
 w  W 100
WS
WW = Weight of water
WS = Weight of solids

Void ratio
Vv
 e
Vs
Vv = Volume of voids
V = Total volume of soil

Degree of Saturation
V
 S  w 100
Vv
Vw = Volume of water
Vv = Volume of voids
0 ≤ S≤ 100
for perfectly dry soil : S = O
for Fully saturated soil : S = 100%

Air Content
Va
 ac   1  s Va = Volume of air
Vv
Sr + ac = 1
% Air Void
Volume of air V
%na  100  a 100
 Total volume V

Unit Weight

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  Bulk unit weight
W Ws  Ww
 
V Vs  Vw  Va

 Dry Unit Weight

Ws
d 
V
o Dry unit weight is used as a measure of denseness of soil
 Saturated unit weight: It is the ratio of total weight of fully saturated soil sample to its total
volume.
Wsat
 sat 
V
 Submerged unit weight or Buoyant unit weight
 '   sat   w
 sat = unit wt. of saturated soil
 = unit wt. of water
 Unit wt. of solids:
Ws
s 
Vs
Specific Gravity
True/Absolute Special Gravity, G
 Specific gravity of soil solids (G) is the ratio of the weight of a given volume of solids to the
weight of an equivalent volume of water at 4℃.
Ws 
G  s
Vs . w  w

Relative density (ID)

 To compare degree of denseness of two soils.

emax  e
%I D  100
emax  emin
1 1
-
 d
% I D  d min 100
1 1
-
 d min  d max

Relative Compaction
 Indicate: Degree of denseness of cohesive + cohesionless soil
D
Rc 
Dmax

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Some Important Relationships
 Relation between  d , 

d 
1 w
V W
(ii) Vs  (iii) Ws 
1 e 1 w
 Relation between e and n
e n
n or e
1 e 1 n
 Relation between e, w, G and S:
Se = w. G
 Bulk unit weight ( ) in terms of G, e, w and  w  , G, e, Sr,  w
(G  eSr ) w

1 e
G w (1  w)
 {Sre = wG}
(1  e)
 Saturated unit weight ( sat.) in terms of G, e &  w
G  e 
Sr = 1  sat   . w
 1  e 
 Dry unit weight ( d ) in terms of G, e and  w
G w G w (1  a )G w
Sr = 0  d   
1  e 1  wG 1  wG
S
 Submerged unit weight ( ') in terms of G, e and  w
 G 1 
   sat   w   '    . w
 1 e 
 Relation between degree of saturation (s) w and G
W
S
w 1
(1  W ) 
 G

 Calibration of Hydrometer
 From Table 1, obtain the effective hydrometer depth L in cm (for meniscus corrected reading).
 Calculate percent finer as follows:

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 Where

P = percent finer

WS =is the weight of the soil sample in grams.

Rc = is hydrometer reading

a = is correction factor “a” from Table 3 using Gs.

 equivalent particle diameter by using the following formula

Where

L = effective hydrometer depth (effective length) L in c. From Table 1

t = is time in minutes,

D = is diameter given in mm.

K = is a factor. For known Gs of the soil obtain the value of K from Table 2

 Adjusted percent fines as follows:

Where:

P = is a percent finer

F200 = % finer of #200 sieve as a percent

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 Table 1. Values of Effective Depth Based on Hydrometer and Sedimentation

Cylinder of Specific Sizes

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 Table 2. Values of k for Use in Equation for Computing Diameter of Particle in Hydrometer Analysis

Table 3. Correction Factors a for Unit Weight of Solids

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Plasticity Index (Ip):
 It is the range of moisture content over which a soil exhibits plasticity.
Ip = WL - Wp
WL = water content at LL
Wp = water content at PL

Ip (%) Soil Description

0 Non plastic
1 to 5 Slight plastic
5 to 10 Low plastic
10 to 20 Medium plastic
20 to 40 Highly plastic
> 40 Very highly plastic

2) Effective stress and pore water pressure

Vertical total stress at depth z

𝝈𝒗 = 𝛾. 𝑧

Pore water pressure at depth hw

𝑢 = 𝛾𝑤 ℎ𝑤

Where
hw = depth below water table or overlying water surface

Effective stress

3) Compaction of Soil

Optimum moisture content


( d )max imum 
1  woptimum
( d )max imum = Maximum dry density
 = Density of soil
woptimum = Optimum moisture content

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Comparison of Standard & Modified Proctor Test
Inference

G w
 d  for, rd max' S = 1, ha = 0 correspond to 100% saturation or zero air void line.
wG
1
S
(a  na )G w
d 
 1  wG
 Ratio of total energy given in heavy compaction test to that given in light compaction test
4.9  g  (5  25)  450
  4.5
2.6  g  (3  25)  310

Compaction Equipments

Type of Suitability Nature of

Equipment for soil type project

1. Rammers or All soils In confined

Tampers areas such as
fills behind
retaining
walls,
basement
walls etc.
Trench fills.

Road
construction

Smooth
2. wheeled Crushed
rocks,
rollers Base, sub-
gravels
base and
sands
embankment
Pneumatic Sand, compaction
tyred rollers gravels silts, for highways,
3. clayey soils air fields etc.
Earth dams.

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 Core of earth
dams.

Embankment
for oil storage
Clayey soils tanks etc.

Sheep foot
Rollers
Sands
Vibratory
4. Rollers

5.

Compaction Tests

Standard proctor test Modified proctor test

(Light compaction (Heavy compaction

test) test)

 Volume of mould  Volume of mould

942cc 942 cc
 No. of layers -3  No. of layers -5
 No. of blows per  No. of blows per
layer - 25 layer -25
 Height of free fall -  Height of free fall -
304.8 mm (12 457.2 mm (18
inches) inches)
 Wt. of hammer -  Wt. of hammer -
2.495 kg (5.5 /b) 4.54 kg (10 /b)

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