CHAPTER 1: SOIL PROPERTIES

The total volume of a given soil sample can be expressed as:

= + = + +

Where:

V = volume of soil solids

V = volume of voids
V = volume of water in the voids
V = volume of air in the voids

Assume that the weight of air is negligible, the total weight of the sample as:

= +
where:

W = weight of soil soilds

W = weight of water

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Phase Relationships:

The water content or moisture content (w) is the ratio of the weight of water to
the weight of soil solids, i.e.

W
w=
W

The degree of saturation or saturation ratio (S) is the ratio of the volume of water
to the total volume of void spaces, i.e.

The degree of saturation can range between the limits of zero for a completely
dry soil and one (or 100%) for a fully saturated soil.

The void ratio (e) is the ratio of the volume of voids to the volume of soil solids, i.e.

The porosity (n) is the ratio of the volume of voids to the total volume of soil, i.e.

=
As V = V + V , void ratio and porosity are interrelated as follows:

=
1
and

=
1+

The specific volume (v) is the total volume which contains a unit volume of solids,
i.e.

= =1+

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The air content or air void ratio (A) is the ratio of volume of air to the total volume
of soil, i.e.

The bulk unit weight () of a soil is the ratio of the total mass to the total volume,
i.e.

The specific gravity of the soil particles (Gs) is given by

= =

where s is the particle density.

Other important relationships are listed below:

=

= ; = (1 )
1+

+
=
1+

For a completely dry soil (S = 0):

=
1+

For a completely saturated soil (S = 1):

+
=
1+

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The relative density (I D) is used to express the relationship between the in-situ void
ratio (e), or the void ratio of a sample, and the limiting values e max and emin
representing the loosest and densest possible soil packing states respectively. The
relative density is defined as:

1 1

( )
= =
1 1

( ) ( )

Thus, the relative density of a soil in its densest possible state (e = emin) is 1 (or 100%)
and in its loosest possible state (e = e max) is 0.

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Name: _________________________________ Score: ____________
Student No.: ___________________________ Section: _________
Direction: Select the correct answer for each of the following questions. Mark only one answer for
each item by shading the circle corresponding to the letter of your choice on the answer sheet
provided. No solution, no credit points. Erasures means wrong.

1. A soil sample weighs 14.46 N and has a volume of 0.000991 m3. The specific
gravity is 2.65. The volume of air is 0.000167 m 3. Find the dry unit weight of
the original soil sample (kN/m 3).
A. 15.62 C. 10.24
B. 13.25 D. 17.85
2. Soil solids have a specific gravity of 2.71. Find the unit weight of the solids in
SI units (kN/m3).
A. 26.6 C. 169.1
B. 27.1 D. 2.71

Situation 1: A mold having a volume of 0.10 ft3 was filled with moist soil. The weight
of the soil in the mold was found to be 12.00 lb. The soil was oven-dried and the
weight after drying was 10.50 lb. The specific gravity of solids was known to be
2.70.

3. Determine the water content.

A. 12.5% C. 38.6%
B. 14.3% D. 24.0%
4. Find the void ratio.
A. 0.605 C. 0.143
B. 0.386 D. 0.377
5. Find the porosity.
A. 0.604 C. 0.143
B. 0.386 D. 0.377
6. Find the degree of saturation.
A. 14.3% C. 63.8%
B. 100% D. 24.0%
7. Find the total unit weight (lb/ft3).
A. 120 C. 165
B. 105 D. 62.4
8. Find the dry unit weight (lb/ft3).
A. 120 C. 165
B. 105 D. 62.4

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Situation 2: One cubic meter of wet soil weighs 19.80 kN. If the specific gravity of
soil particles is 2.70 and water content is 11%:

9. Find the void ratio.

A. 0.558 C. 0.485
B. 0.425 D. 0.510
10. Find the dry unit weight (kN/m 3).
A. 17.84 C. 18.85
B. 18.03 D. 16.54
11. Find the degree of saturation (%).
A. 0.613 C. 0.582
B. 0.532 D. 0.700

Situation 3: From the following data of a soil sample:

Sample size 3.81 cm dia. 7.62 cm ht.

Wet weight = 1.668 N
Oven-dry weight = 1.400 N
Specific gravity = 2.70

12. Determine the water content (%).

A. 19.55 C. 18.68
B. 17.25 D. 19.14
13. Determine the dry unit weight (kN/m 3).
A. 16.12 C. 14.68
B. 16.55 D. 16.21
14. Determine the bulk unit weight (kN/m 3).
A. 19.79 C. 19.01
B. 19.20 D. 19.24
15. Determine the void ratio.
A. 0.445 C. 0.611
B. 0.587 D. 0.644
16. Determine the degree of saturation (%).
A. 82.55% C. 79.34%
B. 80.31% D. 74.72%

17. A soil has bulk density of 20.1 kN/m 3 and water content of 15%. Calculate
the water content (%) if the soil partially dries to a density of 19.4 kN/m 3 and
the void ratio remains unchanged.

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 A. 11% C. Choice C
B. Choice B D. Choice D

Situation 4: The porosity of a soil sample is 35% and the specific gravity of its
particles is 2.70.

18. Calculate its void ratio.

A. 0.54 C. 0.44
B. 0.26 D. 0.33
19. Calculate its dry unit weight.
A. 18.39 C. 21.02
B. 19.92 D. 17.22
20. Calculate the saturated unit weight.
A. 23.05 C. 20.65
B. 21.39 D. 22.35
21. Calculate the submerged unit weight.
A. 13.24 C. 10.84
B. 11.58 D. 12.54

22. Given the phase diagram shown, what is the most nearly value of the
porosity?

A. 0.42% C. 9.1%
B. 3.3% D. 30.20%

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23. The mass specific gravity of a fully saturated specimen of clay having a
water content of 30.5% is 1.96. On oven drying, the mass specific gravity
drops to 1.60. Calculate the specific gravity of clay.
A. 2.50 C. 2.65
B. 2.70 D. 2.77
24. A soil sample with a grain specific gravity of 2.67 was filled in a 1000 ml
container in the loosest possible state and the dry weight of the sample was
found to be 14.75 N. It was then filled at the densest state obtainable and
the weight was found to be 17.70 N. The void ratio of the soil in the natural
state was 0.63. Determine the density index in the natural state.
A. 49.25% C. 45.22%
B. 59.25% D. 55.11%
25. The dry unit weight of a sand sample in the loosest state is 13.34 kN/m 3 and
in the densest state, it is 21.19 kN/m 3. Determine the density index of this
sand when it has a porosity of 33%. Assume the grain specific gravity as 2.68.
A. 0.511 C. 0.655
B. 0.605 D. 0.525

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