Kathmandu University

Department of Civil & Geomatics Engineering

Course No.: CIEG303 Subject: Soil Mechanics
Name: Ural Kafle Assignment/Tutorial No.: 1
Roll No.: 20 Date of Submission:

A representative soil specimen collection in the field weighs 1.8 KN and has a volume of
0.1 m3 . The moisture content as determined in the laboratory is 12.6%. For G s=2.71,
Determine: Moist unit weight, Dry unit weight, Void Ratio, Porosity, Degree of saturation

Ans:
Given : wt of soil specimen (W t)=1.8KN
Volume(Vt)= 0.1m3
Moisture content (ω) = 12.6%

A.)
Assume ws=1, ww=0.126
Therefore, total weight = 1.126
We know , ϒ=w/v
Or, v=w/ϒ=1.126/18=0.0625m3
B.) Dry unit weight (ϒd) = ws/vt
= 1/0.0625
=16KN/m3
C.) Void Ratio= Vv/Vs=(V-Vs)/Vs=
=(0.0625-0.0376)/0.0376
=0.66
D.) Porosity(μ)=Volume of voids/ total volume of soil sample
=(V-Vs)/V
=(0.0625-0.0376)/0.0625
=0.398
E.) Degree of saturation(s) = 𝑉𝑉 /𝑉𝑉 × 100%
= (0.0128/(0.0625 − 0.0375)) × 100% = 51.41%

Kathmandu University
 Department of Civil & Geomatics Engineering
Course No.: CIEG303 Subject: Soil Mechanics
Name: Ural Kafle Assignment/Tutorial No.: 1
Roll No.: 20 Date of Submission:

The dry density of a sand with a porosity of 0.387 is 1600𝑉𝑉/(𝑉3 ). Find the void ratio of
the soil and the specific gravity of the soil solids.
Solution:

Dry density, 𝑉𝑉 = 1600𝑉𝑉/𝑉3

porosity, n=0.378
we have,
𝑉
𝑉=
1+𝑉
or, 0.387 = 𝑉/(1 + 𝑉)
or, 0.387 + 0.387𝑉 = 𝑉
so, 𝑉 = 0.631

Now, we have:
ү𝑉 = (𝑉𝑉 ү𝑉 )/(1 + 𝑉)
or, 1600 × 9.81 = (𝑉𝑉 × 1000 × 9.81)/(1 + .631)
So, 𝑉𝑉 = 2.61

Kathmandu University
 Department of Civil & Geomatics Engineering
Course No.: CIEG 209 Subject: Engineering Geology
Name: Ural Kafle Assignment/Tutorial No.: 1
Roll No.: 20 Date of Submission:

The moist unit weight of a soil is 19 𝑉𝑉/𝑉3 . Given that 𝑉𝑉 = 2.69 and moisture content
9.8%, determine: Dry unit weight , Void ratio, Porosity , Degree of saturation

Solution:
Moist unit weight,
𝛾 = 19.2 𝑉𝑉/𝑉2
𝑉𝑉 = 2.69
Moisture content = 9.8%
so, the weight of water ,𝑉𝑉 = 0.098
Assume wt of solids , 𝑉𝑉 = 1
We have, :
𝛾 = (𝑉𝑉 + 𝑉𝑉 )/𝑉𝑉
so, 𝑉𝑉 = 1.098/19.2 = 0.0572𝑉3
a.) Dry unit weight,𝛾𝑉 = 𝑉𝑉 /𝑉𝑉 = 1/0.0572 = 17.48 𝑉𝑉/𝑉3

b.) 𝑉𝑉 = 𝑉𝑉 /𝑉𝑉 = 1/(2.69 × 9.81) = 0.0379

𝑉𝑉 = 0.098/9.81 = 9.989 × 10−3
So, 𝑉𝑉 = 0.0572 − 0.0379 = 0.0193
so. Void ratio, 𝑉 = 𝑉𝑉 /𝑉𝑉 = 0.0193/0.0379 = 0.509

c.)Porosit , 𝜂 = 𝑉𝑉 /𝑉𝑉 = 0.0193/0.0572 = 0.337

d.)Degree of saturation,𝑉 = 𝑉𝑉 /𝑉𝑉 × 100% = (9.989 ∗ 10−3 /0.0193) ∗ 100% =

51.76%

Kathmandu University
 Department of Civil & Geomatics Engineering
Course No.: CIEG 209 Subject: Engineering Geology
Name: Ural Kafle Assignment/Tutorial No.: 1
Roll No.: 20 Date of Submission:

The mass of a moist soil sample collected from the field is 456 grams and its oven dry
mass is 405.76 grams. The specific gravity of the soil solids was determined in the
laboratory to be 2.68. If the void ratio of the soil in the natural state is 0.83, find:
The moist density of the soil in the field
The dry density of the soil in the field
The mass of water in kg, to be added per cubic meter of soil in the field for saturation

Solution:
We have:
void ratio, 𝑉 = 𝑉𝑉 / 𝑉𝑉
or, 0.83 = 𝑉𝑉 /1.51 ∗ 10−4
so, 𝑉𝑉 = 1.25 − 10−4 𝑉3

−3 −3
3.98−10 +0.58−10 3
a.) Moist density, 𝛾 = (𝑉𝑉 + 𝑉𝑉 )/(𝑉𝑉 + 𝑉𝑉 ) = −4 −4 = 16.5𝑉𝑉/𝑉
1.26−10 +1.01−10

b.) Dry density, 𝛾𝑉 = 0.4057/(1.25 ∗ 10−4 + 1.51 ∗ 10−4 ) = 1468.39 𝑉𝑉/𝑉3

Kathmandu University
 Department of Civil & Geomatics Engineering
Course No.: CIEG 209 Subject: Engineering Geology
Name: Ural Kafle Assignment/Tutorial No.: 1
Roll No.: 20 Date of Submission:

The maximum and minimum dry weight of a sand are 17.1 𝑉𝑉/𝑉3and 14.2𝑉𝑉/
𝑉3 respectively. The sand in the field has a relative density of 70% with moisture content
of 8%. Determine the moist unit weight of the sand in the field.

We have :
𝑉𝑉 − (𝑉𝑉 )𝑉𝑉𝑉 (𝑉𝑉 )𝑉𝑉𝑉
𝑉𝑉 = ×
(𝑉𝑉 )𝑉𝑉𝑉 − (𝑉𝑉 )𝑉𝑉𝑉 𝑉𝑉
𝑉𝑉 − 14.2 17.1
0.7 = ×
17.1 − 14.2 𝑉𝑉
Solving, we get:
𝛾𝑉 = 16.11 𝑉𝑉/𝑉3

Now,
𝑉𝑉 = 0.08𝑉𝑉
𝑉𝑉 = 0.08/9.81 = 8.155 × 10−3
Let us assume
𝑉𝑉 = 1𝑉𝑉
𝛾𝑉 = 𝑉𝑉 /𝑉𝑉

16.11 = 1/𝑉𝑉
so, 𝑉𝑉 = 1/16.11 = 0.062𝑉3
again,
𝛾 = (𝑉𝑉 + 𝑉𝑉 )/𝑉𝑉 = (1 + .08)/0.062 = 17.41 𝑉𝑉/𝑉3
so, moist unit weight =17.41 𝑉𝑉/𝑉3
 Kathmandu University
Department of Civil & Geomatics Engineering
Course No.: CIEG 209 Subject: Engineering Geology
Name: Ural Kafle Assignment/Tutorial No.: 1
Roll No.: 20 Date of Submission:

6. For a granular soil having,𝛾3 = 108𝑉𝑉/𝑉𝑉3,𝑉𝑉 = 82%,W=8% and 𝑉𝑉 = 2.65. If

𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉 ? What would be the dry unit weight in the loosest state?
solution:
Maiximum void ratio(𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉 ) = (𝑉 − 𝑉𝑉*𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉 )/1-𝑉𝑉
=1.63
Maximum dry unit weight:
(𝑉𝑉 )=𝑉𝑉/(𝑉𝑉 +𝑉𝑉 )
=𝑉𝑉 𝑉𝑉 /1 = 𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉
=(2.65*62.428)/(1+1.630
=62.903
 Kathmandu University
Department of Civil & Geomatics Engineering
Course No.: CIEG 209 Subject: Engineering Geology
Name: Ural Kafle Assignment/Tutorial No.: 1
Roll No.: 20 Date of Submission:

7. Classify the following soil by the AASTHO classification.

Percentage passing no. 4 seive = 82
Percentage passing no. 10 seive = 71
Percentage passing no. 40 seive = 64
Percentage passing no. 200 seive = 41
Liquid limit = 31
Plasticity index = 12
Ans. The table of AASTHO classification system is given.Ffrom the table,
Since percent passing n0. 200 seive is 41 which is greater than 35%, so, sample
contains contains silt-clay material.
It could be A-4, A-5, A-6, A-7. Because LL=31 (i.e, less than 40) and PI=12 (which is
greater than LLmin), this soil falls in group A-6.

Kathmandu University
Department of Civil & Geomatics Engineering
Course No.: CIEG 209 Subject: Engineering Geology
Name: Ural Kafle Assignment/Tutorial No.: 1
Roll No.: 20 Date of Submission: