DETERMINATION OF

SPECIFIC GRAVITY
EXPERIMENT NO 2
SOIL MECHANICS LABORATORY
CE PC 594
TYPES OF SPECIFIC GRAVITY

 There is two types of specific gravity of soil.

i. True specific Gravity/ Absolute Specific Gravity (GS)
ii. Mass Specific Gravity/ Bulk Specific Gravity (Gm)
 DEFINITION OF TRUE SPECIFIC
GRAVITY

It is obtained as the ratio of weight of any material of particular

volume to the weight of same volume of standard fluid at same
temperature.
 In our case, standard fluid is water and material is soil solids.
 TRUE SPECIFIC GRAVITY

 GS =

 GS = = = = =
 Range of true specific gravity of inorganic solids - 2.6 to 2.9
 Range of true specific gravity of organic solids - 1 to 2
NOTE:
1. With increase in organic content of soil, its specific gravity reduces.
2. With increase in mineral content like iron, specific gravity of soil increases.
 MASS SPECIFIC GRAVITY

 It is obtained as the ratio of weight of soil of particular volume to the

weight of same volume of water at same temperature.
Gm =

 Gm = = = = =
NOTE:
As ; GS > Gm
 TESTS TO DETERMINE
SPECIFIC GRAVITY

1. Density Bottle method

2. Pycnometer method
 DENSITY BOTLLE METHOD
• Most accurate method used for the determination of specific
gravity in laboratory

Procedure:
o This method comprises of placing of dry soil sample of

soil in an empty density bottle of unknown weight (W1). W1

o Moist sample is placed in temperature controlled oven for
drying and density bottle is being again weight after filling
with 10-20 gm oven dried soil sample W2

W2
 DENSITY BOTLLE METHOD

Procedure:
o Empty volume of density bottle is filled with 10 ml water.
Leave it for 2 hours to soak water completely.
o Density bottle is being again weight after filling the empty W3
volume with water W3
o Density bottle is then completely emptied and again filled

with water after cleaning properly (W4 )

W4
 DENSITY BOTLLE METHOD
Water (b)

Oven Water (a)

W1 W2 Dry soil W3 W4
 GS =

 = W2-W1

 = Water (a)

= Water (a + b) –Water (b) = (W4-W1) – (W3-W2)

 GS =
 DENSITY BOTLLE METHOD

IMPORTANT POINT
In India, Specific Gravity is defined at 27°C and it is required at any other
temperature than corresponding change in unit weight of water should also be
considered.
THANK
YOU