EXCERCISE

SOIL COMPOSITION
COURSE: SOIL MECHANICS AND DAN FOUNDATION

1. Answer the items below by using only the given symbols of A, B, C,

D, E, γw, dan Gs, as follows:

a. Void Ratio = e =
b. Degree of Saturation = Sr =
c. Kadar Air = Water Content = ωc =
d. Porosity = n =
e. Moist Unit Weight = γm =
f. Dry Unit Weight = γd =
g. Saturated Unit Weight = γsat =
h. Relation between B and D
i. Relation between C and E

Volume (A,B,C) Weight (D,E)

A air

Water, γw D
B

Solid
C E
γs = G s . γ w

2. A project for road construction needed 50,000 m3 soils for filling the
road embankment. The fill soils had to be compacted to a Void Ratio
of 0.75. There were 4 (four) quarries available to mine the fill soils,
which were: quarry A, B, C, and D. From each quarry, the fill soil had
each own original void ratio and also different cost of transportation to
the road project, such as in Table 1. Determine, which fill soil from the
quarry location had been used for the project, for it was the most
economical one in cost.

1
 Table 1. Purchasing price of fill soils (in US $)
Quarry Original Purchasing price
Location Void Ratio US $/m3 due to location
A 0.85 9.0
B 1.90 6.0
C 0.95 8.0
D 0.70 9.5

3. A soil sample taken from a quarry (a place to mine rocks and soils)
has a Void Ratio of = 1,05; Water Content = 15 %, and Spesific
Gravity = 2,50. The soil will be used to fill an area, so that the total
volume of fill soil required is 100.000 m3. If the fill soil is to be
compacted to a Unit Weight = 1,45 t/m3, and the Water Content
needed for compaction is = 25 %, calculate the total volume of fill soil
needed from the quarry, and determine the amount of water needed
(in weight, tons) to perform the required compaction.

4. A soil sample has a dry Unit Weight = 1,78 gr/cm 3; Void Ratio = 0,53
Determine :
a. The soil Unit Weights, when the Degree of Saturations are
50% and 100%
b. The soil Unit Weight, when the soil is saturated with oil,
when the oil has Unit Weight of 0,85 gr/cm 3.

5. A soil sample was taken from field. The Water Content of the soil
sample = 8,06% ; Spesific Gravity = 2,752; soil Dry Unit Weight = 100
lb/ft3; while Unit Weight of water = 62,4 lb/ft3.
Calculate :
a. The initial Degree of Saturation of the soil sample (when taken
from field).
b. Weight of water (in lb = pound) that has to be added to the original
soil sample per unit volume ( per 1 ft3) to cause the soil to become
fully saturated.