31/07/2020

* Soil Properties

- Basic Definitions
- Phase Relations

Partially Saturated Soil Dry Soil Saturated Soil

(3-phase diagram) (2-phase diagram) (2-phase diagram)
Phase Diagram (Block Diagram) of Soil

* Fundamental Relationships used in Geotechnical Engineering

Density of Soil (ρ)

(Unit is gm/cm3 in CGS system)

Unit Weight of Soil (γ)

(Unit is kN/m3 in SI system)

* Inter-Relation between Density (ρ) & Unit Weight of Soil (γ)

γ=ρ.g

(g = 9.81 m/sec2)
* Water Content (or Moisture Content) [w]

[Unit is Percentage (%)]

Volumetric Relationships used in Geotechnical Engineering

Void Ratio (e)

[Void Ratio is expressed as a decimal]

Porosity (n)

[Porosity is expressed as percentage (%)]

( Where, V = Vv + Vs )

Degree of Saturation (S)

[Degree of Saturation is expressed as percentage (%)]

Percentage Air voids (na)

[Percentage Air voids is expressed as percentage (%)]

Air Content (ac)

[Air Content is expressed as percentage (%)]

* Inter-Relation between Void Raio (e) & Porosity (n)

Three-phase Diagram of Soil

We have,

i.e., n =

or, =

or, =

or, = +

or, =1+

or, =1+ (a)

or, =

or,
n=
Also we can write from eqn. (a) , =1+

or, = –1

or, =

or,
=
* Inter-Relation between Percentage Air Voids (na) & Air Content (ac)

We have,

i.e., n =

i.e., na =

i.e., ac =

Now,

na =

or, na = ×

or, na = n×ac
So, Air Voids = Porosity × Air Content