TUTORIAL 1

1. A representative soil specimen collection in the fields weighs 1.8kN and has a volume of
0.1m3. The moisture content as determined in the laboratory is 12.6%. For G s = 2.71,
determine the:
a) Moist unit weight
b) Dry unit weight
c) Void ratio
d) Porosity
e) Degree of saturation

2. The dry density of a sand with a porosity of 0.387 is 1600 kg/m 3. Find the void ratio of the
soil and the specific gravity of the soil solids.

3. The moist unit weight of a soil is 19.2 kN/m3. Given Gs – 2.69 and moisture content w =
9.8%, determine;
a) Dry unit weight (kN/m3)
b) Void ratio
c) Porosity
d) Degree of saturation (%)

4. The mass of a moist soil sample collected from the field is 465 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 following;
a) The moist density of the soil (kg/m3)
b) The dry density of the soil in the field (kg/m3)