REVIEW INSTRUCTOR:

ENGR. BRANDON CALVIN Q. GO

TOPIC 1
Vs = volume of soil solids
Vw = volume of water in the voids
Va = volume of air in the voids
Vv = volume of voids
Neglecting the weight of air. (Wa = 0)
W = Ww + Ws
(total wt. of soil sample)
The ratio of the volume of voids to the volume of solids.

The ratio of volume of voids to the total volume.

The ratio of volume of water to volume of voids.

The ratio of weight of water to the weight of solids in a given volume of soil.

The weight of soil per unit volume or sometimes called the moist unit weight.

The weight per unit volume of soil, excluding water.

1. Problem CE Board May 2015
A soil sample has a specific gravity of 2.6 for void ratio of 0.40 and a degree of
saturation of 0.60. What is the unit weight of the soil in kN/m3?

Solution:
2. Problem CE Board May 2015
A soil sample has a dry unit weight of 16 kN/m3. If the specific gravity of the solid
grains is 2.67, obtain the void ratio of the soil sample.

Solution:
3. Problem CE Board May 2015
A soil sample has a sp.gr. of 2.74 with a moist unit weight of 20.6 kN/m3 and
moisture content of 16.6%.
➀ Compute the dry unit weight.
➁ Compute the porosity of the soil.
➂ Compute the degree of saturation.
Solution:
➀ Dry unit weight
 Solution:
➁ Porosity of the soil ➂ Degree of saturation
4. Problem CE Board May 2016
A soil sample has a dry unit weight of 17 kN/m3 and a void ratio of 0.60.
➀ Evaluate the specific gravity of the soil.
➁ Obtain the unit weight of the sample in kN/m3 when fully saturated.
➂ What is the hydraulic gradient at quicksand condition?
Solution:
➀ Sp. gr. of soil
 Solution:
➁ Unit wt. of sample when fully saturated ➂ Hydraulic gradient at quicksand
condition