Soil Mechanics I

CE-222
Chapter 2: Phase relationship of soils

1
 2
Three phases of soil
Soil element Three phases
in natural state of the soil element

Wa = 0 Air Va
Total volume = V Vv
Total wt. = W

Ww Water Vw
W V

Ws Solids Vs Vs
 Weight-Volume relationships 3

Weight Volume
Wa = 0 Air Va
Vv
Ww Water Vw
W V

Ws Solids Vs Vs
 Weight relationships 4

The common terms used for

weight relationships
are
moisture content, w
and
unit weight, g.
 MOISTURE CONTENT, W 5

Moisture content is also known as water content, w, is expressed

either in terms of weight or mass. Weight
W Mw
w  w 100% w 100% Wa = 0
Ws Ms Air

Usual values: 3 to 70% Ww Water

W
Moisture content values greater
than 100% are found in soft soils Ws Solids
below ground water table.
 UNIT WEIGHT, g 6

Geotechnical engineers often need to know the unit weight, g:

W
g
V
Two variations of unit weight are commonly used, the dry unit weight,
gd, and the unit weight of water, gw:
Ws Ww
gd  gw 
V Vw
Normally we use gw = 9.81 kN/m3 = 62.4 lb/ft3 for fresh water, and
gw = 10.1 kN/m3 = 64.0 lb/ft3 for sea water

The unit weight of soil below the ground water table

(GWT) is called saturated unit weight, gsat.
7
 VOLUME RELATIONSHIPS 8

The common terms used for

volume relationships
are
void ratio, e
and
porosity, n
and
degree of saturation, S
 VOID RATIO, e 9

Void ratio, e, is defined as the ratio of the volume of voids to the

volume of solids.
Volume
Vv
e
Vs Air Va
Vv
Densely packed soils have
low void ratios. Water Vw
V

Typical values in the field Solids Vs Vs

range from 0.1 to 2.5.
 POROSITY, n 10

Porosity, n, is defined as the ratio of the volume of

voids to the total volume. Volume
Vv
n Air Va
V
Vv
Typical values in the field
range from 0.09 to 0.7. Water Vw
V

Solids Vs Vs
 DEGREE OF SATURATION, S 11

Degree of saturation, S, is the percentage of the voids filled with

water.
V Weight Volume
S w
100%
Vv Wa = 0 Air Va
S has max. value of 100% Vv
when all of voids are filled
Ww Water Vw
with water. Such soil are W V
called saturated soils.

S values above GWT are Ws Solids Vs Vs

usually 5 to 100%.

S = 0 is found in very arid

areas.
 e – n relationship 12

Vv Vv
n
e
Vv Vv V V n
e    
Vs V  Vv V  Vv 1  Vv 1  n
V V 1 n
Vv Vv
e
n
Vv

Vv

Vs

Vs

e
V Vs  Vv Vs  Vv 1  Vv 1  e
n
Vs Vs 1 e
 g – gd relation 13

Moisture
 Ws Ww  content, w
Ws   
W Ws  Ww  Ws Ws 
g  
V V V

Dry unit weight , gd

Ws 1  w Ws
  1  w  g d 1  w
V V

g  g d 1  w g
gd 
1  w
 SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF SOLIDS, Gs 14

The specific gravity of any material is the ratio of its density to that
of water.
In case of soils, we compute it for the solid phase only, and express
the results as the specific gravity of solids, Gs:

Ws Vs Ws
Gs  
gw Vsg w
This is quite different from the specific gravity of the
entire soil mass, which would include solid, water, and air.
Therefore, do not make the common mistake of
computing Gs as g/gw.
For most of soils, Gs is from 2.60 to 2.80.
Specific gravity of solids, Gs 15
Typical values of e, w and gd 16
 g-e-w relationship 17

Vs = 1
Ws
Gs  Ws  GsVsg w Ws  Gsg w
Vsg w
Ww
w Ww  wWs Ww  wGsg w
Ws
Weight Volume
Ww
Vw 
Air gw
Vv = e
wGsg w
Ww = wGsgw Water Vw = wGs   wGs
gw
W

Ws = Gsgw Solids Vs = 1
V = 1+e Vw  wGs
 g-e-w relationship 18

W Ws  Ww Gsg w  wGsg w
g g g
V 1 e 1 e
1  wGsg w g Gsg w Gsg w
g  gd 
1 e 1  w 1  e 1 e
Weight Volume
Gsg w
gd  Air

1 e Vv = e
Ww = wGsgw Water Vw = wGs

Gsg w W
e 1 V = 1+e
gd Ws = Gsgw Solids Vs = 1
 g-e-w relationship 19

Vw wGs wGs
S S e Se  wGs
Vv e S

Weight Volume

Se  wGs Air
Vv = e
Ww = wGsgw Water Vw = wGs
wGs
e W
S Ws = Gsgw Solids Vs = 1
V = 1+e
 g-e-w relationship 20

As we know Se  wGs

W Ws  Ww Gsg w  wGsg w
and g g g
V 1 e 1 e

Gsg w  eSg w Weight Volume

g
1 e Air

Gs  eS g w
Vv = e
g Ww = wGsgw Water Vw = wGs
1 e
W
V = 1+e
Ws = Gsgw Solids Vs = 1
 g-e-w relationship (fully saturated) 21

At fully saturated condition

Ws  Gsg w Se  wGs
S=1

Ww  wGsg w Ww  eSg w Ww  eg w

Ww  Ws
g sat  Weight Volume
V
Vv = Vw = e
Gsg w  eg w Ww = egw
g sat  Water
1 e
V = 1+e

g sat 
Gs  e g w W
Solids Vs = 1
1 e Ws = Gsgw
 g-n-w relationship 22

If V = 1, n = Vv/V => Vv = n V = Vv + Vs => 1 = n + Vs => Vs = 1–n

Ws
Gs 
Vsg w
Ws  GsVsg w Ws  Gsg w 1  n

Weight Volume
Ww  wWs
Air
Vv = n Ww  wGsg w (1  n)
Ww = wGsgw(1–n) Water

V=1
Ws = Gsgw(1–n ) Solids Vs = 1-n
 g-n-w relationship 23

W Ws  Ww Gsg w 1  n   wGsg w 1  n 
g  
V V 1
g  Gsg w 1  n1  w

Weight Volume

Air
Vv = n
Ww = wGsgw(1–n) Water Vw = wGs

V=1
Ws = Gsgw(1–n ) Solids Vs = 1-n
 g-n-w relationship 24

Ws Gsg w 1  n 
gd    Gsg w 1  n 
V 1
g d  Gsg w 1  n
Weight Volume

Air
Vv = n
Ww = wGsgw(1–n) Water

V=1
Ws = Gsgw(1–n ) Solids Vs = 1-n
 g-n-w relationship (fully saturated) 25

As we know that, n
e  wGs  wGs
S = 1 at saturation 1 n
n  w1  nGs
Ws  Gsg w 1  n
Weight Volume
Ww  g w w1  nGs
Ww = ngw Water Vv = n

Vw = wGs
Ww  ng w

V=1
Ws = Gsgw(1–n ) Solids Vs = 1-n
 g-n-w relationship (fully saturated) 26

W Ws  Ww Gsg w 1  n   ng w
g sat   
V V 1

g sat  Gs 1  n  ng w

Weight Volume

Ww = n g w Water Vv = n

Vw = wGs

V=1
Ws = Gsgw(1–n ) Solids Vs = 1-n
 g-n-w relationship (fully saturated) 27

Ww ng w n e
wsat   wsat  
Ws Gsg w 1  n  Gs 1  n  Gs

Weight Volume

Ww = n g w Water Vv = n

Vw = wGs

V=1
Ws = Gsgw(1–n ) Solids Vs = 1-n
Summary 28
 RELATIVE DENSITY 29

Relative density (Dr) is commonly used to indicate the in-situ

denseness or looseness of granular soils.
emax  e
Dr 
emax  emin
 Relative density 30

Gsg w Gsg w Gsg w

gd  e 1 emax  1
1 e gd g d (min)

Gsg w
emin  1
g d (max)

Substituting e, emin, and emax into equation of Dr

1 1

emax  e g d (min) gd  g d  g d (min)   g d (max) 
Dr  Dr    
emax  emin 1 1 g
 d (max)  g d (min)  g
 d 

g d (min) g d (max)