5/27/2017 Physical Properties of Soil | Geotechnical Engineering Review

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Physical Properties of Soil

Phase Diagram of Soil
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. The figure shown below is an idealized soil drawn into phases
of solids, water, and air. 
 

Weight­Volume Relationship from the Phase Diagram of Soil 
total volume = volume of soilds + volume of voids 
V = Vs + Vv

volume of voids = volume of water + volume of air 
Vv = Vw + Va

total weight = weight of solids + weight of water 
W = W + W   s w

Soil Properties
Void Ratio, e 
Void ratio is the ratio of volume of voids to the volume of solids.

Vv
e =
Vs

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Porosity, n 
Porosity is the ratio of volume of voids to the total volume of soil.

Vv
n =
V

Degree of Saturation, S 
Degree of saturation is the ratio of volume of water to the volume of voids.

Vw
S =
Vv

Water Content or Moisture Content, w 
Moisture content, usually expressed in terms of percentage, is the ratio of the weight of water to the weight of solids.

Ww
w = × 100%
Ws

Unit Weight, γ 
Unit weight is the weight of soil per unit volume. Also called bulk unit weight (γ), and moist unit weight (γm).

W
γ =
V

Dry Unit Weight, γd 
Dry unit weight is the weight of dry soil per unit volume.

Ws
γd =
Vdry

Saturated Unit Weight, γsat 
Saturated unit weight is the weight of saturated soil per unit volume.

W sat
γsat =
Vsat

Effective Unit Weight, γ' 
Effective unit weight is the weight of solids in a submerged soil per unit volume. Also called buoyant density or buoyant
unit weight (γb).

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′
γ = γsat − γw

Specific Gravity of Solid Particles, G 
Specific gravity of solid particles of soil is the ratio of the unit weight of solids (γs) to the unit weight of water (γw).

γs
G =
γw

Formulas for Properties of Soil
Basic Formulas 
Unit weight, γ = sγw

Weight, W = γV = sγV

γ
Specific gravity, s =  
γw

Physical Properties 
Total weight, W = Ww + Ws

Total volume, V = Vs + Vv

Volume of voids, V v = Vw + Va

Vv
Void ratio, e = ,   Note: 0 < e < ∞
Vs

Vv
Porosity, n = ,   Note: 0 < n < 1
V

e n
Relationship between e and n, n =    and   e =
1 + e 1 − n

Ww
Water content or moisture content, w = × 100% ,   Note: 0 < w < ∞
Ws

Vw
Degree of saturation, S = ,   Note: 0 ≤ S ≤ 1
Vv

Relationship between G, w, S, and e, Gw = Se

W (G + S e)γw G(1 + w)γw

Moist unit weight or bulk unit weight, γ m = = =
V 1 + e 1 + e

Ws Gγw
Dry unit weight, γ d = =
V 1 + e

(G + e)γw
Saturated unit weight, γ sat =
1 + e

(G − 1)γw
Submerged or buoyant unit weight, γ b = γsat − γw =
1 + e

γb G − 1
Critical hydraulic gradient, i cr = =
γw 1 + e

1 1
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1 1
−
emax − e (γd )min γd
Relative Density, D r = =  
emax − emin 1 1
−
(γd )min (γd )max

Atterberg Limits 
Plasticity index, P I = LL − P L

MC − P L
Liquidity index, LI =
PI

Shrinkage index, S I = P L − SL

PI
Activity of clay, A c = ,   where μ = soil finer than 0.002 mm in percent 
μ

Other Formulas 
eV
Volume of voids, V v =
1 + e

V
Volume of solids, V s =
1 + e

S eV
Volume of water, V w =
1 + e

S eV γw
Weight of water, W w
=
1 + e

V (G + S e)γw
Weight of soil, W =
1 + e

γm
Dry unit weight, γ d =  
1 + w

Relationship between G, w, S, and e
The relationship between specific gravity of solid particles G, water content or moisture content w, degree o saturation S,
and void ratio e, is given by the following:

Gw = S e

The formula above can be derived as follows: 
γs = Gγw

Ws
= Gγw
Vs

Ws Ww
⋅ = Gγw
Vs Ww

Ww Ws
⋅ = Gγw
Vs Ww

Ww 1
⋅ = Gγw
Vs W w /W s

V 1
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γw Vw 1
⋅ = Gγw
Vs w

Vw 1
⋅ = G
Vs w

Vw
= Gw
Vs

Vw Vv
⋅ = Gw
Vs Vv

Vw Vv
⋅ = Gw
Vv Vs

S e = Gw  
 

Thus,   Gw = Se    as stated above. 
 

Relationship e and n
The relationship between the the void ratio e, and the porosity n is given by:

n e
e =    and   n =
1 − n 1 + e

Derivation is as follows 
Vv
e =        → void ratio
Vs

Vv
e =
V − Vv

Vv 1/V
e = ⋅
V − Vv 1/V

Vv /V
e =        → n = Vv / V
1 − Vv /V

n
e =            (okay!) 
1 − n

Vv
n =        → porosity
V

Vv
n =
Vs + Vv

Vv 1/Vs
n = ⋅
Vs + Vv 1/Vs

Vv /Vs
n =        → e = Vv / Vs
1 + Vv /Vs

e
n =            (okay!) 
1 + e

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