Volumetric Relationships

• Void ratio (e) ‐ ratio of the volume of voids to the volume of the solids
‐ expressed as a decimal

For coarse‐grained roils, the void ratio is generally smaller than that for
fine‐grained soils. For some soils, it may have a value even greater than
unity

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 Volumetric Relationships
• Porosity (n) ‐ ratio of the volume of voids to the total volume of soil mass
‐ commonly expressed as percentage

‐ The porosity of a soil cannot exceed 100%

‐ Porosity is also known as percentage voids.
Both porosity and void ratio are measures of the denseness (or looseness)
of soils

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 Volumetric Relationships
• Degree of Saturation (S) ‐ the ratio of the volume of water in the voids to the
volume of voids
‐ expressed as a percentage

0 – Absolutely dry soil

100 – Fully saturated soil

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 Volumetric Relationships
• Percentage Air voids(na) ‐ ratio of the volume of air voids to the total
volume of the soil mass
‐ expressed as a percentage

• Air Content (ac) ‐ ratio of the volume of air voids to the total volume of voids.

Both air content and the percentage air voids are zero when the soil is saturated
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 Water Content (w)
• Ratio of the mass of water to the mass of solids

• Also known as the moisture content

• The water content of the fine‐grained soils, such as silts and clays, is
generally more than that of the coarse grained soils, such as gravels
and sands.
• The water content of some of the fine‐gained soils may be even more
than 100%, which indicates that more than 50% of the total mass is
that of water

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 Volume-Mass Relationships
• Bulk mass density (ρ) ‐ total mass per unit total volume (kg/m3)
- Also known as wet mass density or bulk density or density

• Dry mass density (ρd) ‐ mass of solids per unit total volume

The dry mass density is used to express the denseness of the soil. A high value
of dry mass density indicates that the soil is in a compact condition.

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 Volume-Mass Relationships
• Saturated mass density (ρsat) ‐ the bulk mass density of the soil when it is fully
saturated

• Submerged mass density (ρsub or ρ’) ‐ submerged mass per unit total volume.

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 Volume-Mass Relationships

• When the soil exists below water, it is in a submerged condition. When a volume V
of soil is submerged in water, it displaces an equal volume of water. Thus, the met
,mass of soil when submerged is reduced.
• Consider Eq of entire volume V.

Total downward mass Msat = Ms + Vvρw

Total upthrust = V. ρw

Msub = (Ms + Vvρw) ‐ V. ρw

ρ’ = Msat/V – ρw

ρ’ = ρsat ‐ ρW

The submerged density p' is roughly one‐half of the saturated density

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 Volume-Mass Relationships

• Mass density of solids (ρs) ‐ ratio of the mass of solids to the volume of solids.

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 Volume-Weight Relationships

The volume‐weight relationships are in terms of unit weights. The weight of

soil per unit volume is known as unit weight (or specific weight)

• Bulk unit weight (𝜸) ‐ defined as the total weight per unit total volume.

𝑾
γ
𝑽

The bulk unit weight is aIso known as the total unit weight (γ), or the wet unit
weight. In SI units, it is expressed as N/m3 or kN/ m3.

84
 Volume-Weight Relationships

• Dry unit weight (γd) ‐ the weight of soil solids per unit of total volume.

• Saturated unit weight (γsat) ‐ bulk unit weight when the soil is fully
saturated

• Submerged unit weight ( γsub or γ’)‐ It is the submerged weight per unit of
total volume

The submerged unit weight is roughly one‐half of the saturated unit weight 85
 Volume-Weight Relationships

• Unit weight of solids (γs)‐ It is the weight of soil solids per unit volume of
solids.
 Specific Gravity (G)
Specific gravity of solids (G) - Defined as the ratio of mass or weight of a given
volume of solids to the mass or weight of an equal volume of water at 4°C.

• Specific gravity of most natural soils falls in the range of 2.65 to 2.80, the smaller
values are for the coarse-grained soils.
• It may be noted that the specific gravity of different particles in a soil mass may not
be the same. Whenever the specific gravity of a soil mass is indicated, it is the
average value of all the solid particles present in the soil mass
• 1t is used for determination of void ratio and particle size.
 Specific Gravity (G)

The following two terms related with the specific gravity are also used:
(a) Mass specific gravity (Gm) – it is the ratio of the mass(weight) density of the
soil to the mass (weight) density of water.

Also known as apparent Specific gravity or bulk specific gravity

 Specific Gravity (G)

(b) Absolute specific gravity (Ga) – Ratio of mass density of the absolute solids to
the mass density of water.
Soil solids are not perfect solids but contains voids. Some of these voids are permeable
through which water can enter, whereas others are impermeable. Since permeable voids
get filled when soil is wet, these are actually a part of void space in the total mass and
not a part of soil solids. If both permeable and impermeable voids are excluded from the
volume of solids, the remaining volume is the true volume or absolute volume.

 Mass density of
absolute solids
Three Phase Diagram in terms of void ratio
Three Phase Diagram in terms of void ratio

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