Chapter 3: Weight-Volume Relationships

and Plasticity

Soil is composed of solids, liquids, and gases.

Liquids and gases are mostly water and air,
respectively. These two (water and air) are called
voids which occupy between soil particles.
 Weight-Volume Relationships from the
Phase Diagram of Soil
Given:
V = total volume V  Vs  Vv
Vs = volume of solids
Vw = volume of water
Vv  Vw  Va
Va = volume of air
W = total weight
Ws = weight of solids W  Ws  Ww
Ww = weight of water
 Soil Properties
1. Void Ratio, e – is the ratio of volume of voids to
the volume of solids.
Vv
e
Vs

2. Porosity, n – is the ratio of volume of voids to

the total volume of soil.
Vv
n
V
 Soil Properties
3. Degree of Saturation, S – is the ratio of
volume of water to the volume of voids.
Vw
S 
Vv
4. Water Content or Moisture Content, w –
usually expressed in terms of percentage, is the
ratio of the weight of water to the weight of
solids.
Ww
w x100%
Ws
 Soil Properties
5. Unit Weight, γ – is the weight of soil per unit
volume. Also called bulk unit weight (γ), and
moist unit weight (γm).
W
 
V
6. Dry Unit Weight, γd – is the weight of dry soil
per unit volume.
Ws
d 
V
 Soil Properties
7. Saturated Unit Weight, γsat – is the weight of
saturated soil per unit volume.
Wsat
 sat 
Vsat
8. Effective Unit Weight, γ' – is the weight of
solids in a submerged soil per unit volume. Also
called buoyant density or buoyant unit weight
(γb).
 '   sat   w
 Soil Properties

9. Specific Gravity of Solid Particles, G – of soil is

the ratio of the unit weight of solids (γs) to the
unit weight of water (γw).

s
G
w
 Relationship Between Void Ratio and Porosity
n
e
1 n
e
n
1 e

Relationship Between Specific Gravity of Solids,

Moisture Content, Degree of Saturation, and
Void Ratio

Gw  Se
Bulk Unit Weight/Moist Unit Weight

 
G  Se  w
1 e

 
G  Gw w
1 e
   d 1  w

Dry Unit Weight (S = w = 0)

G w
d 
1 e
Saturated Unit Weight (S = 1)

 sat 
G  e  w
1 e

Buoyant Unit Weight or Effective Unit Weight

 '   sat   w

 '
G  1 w
1 e Unit weight of water:
γ = 9.81 kN/m3
γ = 62.4 lb/ft3
 Densities of Soil/Relative Density


G  Se  w G  e  w
1 e  sat 
1 e
G  Gw w
'
G  1 w

1 e 1 e

G w
d 
1 e
Relative Density

Relative density is an index that quantifies the

state of compactness between the loosest and
densest possible state of coarse-grained soils.

emax  e 1

1
Dr   d min d
emax  emin Dr 
1 1

 d min  d max
Example Problem No.1

In the natural state, a moist soil has a volume of

0.0093 m3 and weighs 177.6 N. The oven dry
weight of the soil is 153.6 N. If G = 2.71, calculate
the moisture content, moist unit weight, dry unit
weight, void ratio, porosity, and degree of
saturation.
Example Problem No.2:

For a given soil, e = 0.75, w = 22%, and G = 2.66.

Calculate the porosity, moist unit weight, dry unit
weight, and degree of saturation.

Example Problem No.3:

The following data are given for a soil: porosity =

0.45, specific gravity of the soil solids = 2.68, and
moisture content = 10%. Determine the mass of
water to be added to 10 m3 of soil for full
saturation.
Example Problem No.4

Laboratory test results of a clean sand show that emax =

0.81, Gs = 2.68. The same sand was compacted in the field
to a dry unit weight of 15.68 kN/m3. Estimate the relative
density of compaction in the field.