Geotechnical Engineering

Phase relationship of soils

1
 Three phases of soil 2

Soil element Three phases

in natural state of the soil element

Total volume = V Wa = 0 Air Va

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
Specific gravity, Gs.
 Moisture content, w 5

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

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

A small w indicates a dry soil, while

a large w indicates a wet one. Ws Solids

Usual values: 3 to 70%

Moisture content values greater than 100% are found in soft soils
below ground water table.
 Unit weight, g 6

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

W

V
Two variations of unit weight are commonly used, the dry unit
weight, d, and the unit weight of water, w:

Ws Ww
d  w 
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, sat.
 Volume relationships 7

The common terms used for

volume relationships
are
void ratio, e
and
porosity, n
and
degree of saturation, S
 Void ratio, e 8

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 Vw
Water
have low void ratios. V

Typical values in the field Solids Vs Vs

range from 0.1 to 2.5.
 Porosity, n 9

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

total volume.
Volume
Vv
n Va
V Air
Vv

Typical values in the field Water Vw

V
range from 0.09 to 0.7.

Solids Vs Vs
 Degree of Saturation, S 10

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

water.
Vw Weight
S   100% Volume
Vv
Wa = 0 Air Va
S has max. value of 100% Vv
when all of voids are
Ww Water Vw
filled with water. Such W V
soil are called saturated
soils.
Ws Solids Vs Vs
S values above GWT are
usually 5 to 100%.

S = 0 is found in very arid

areas.
 e – n relationship 11

Vv Vv
Vv Vv V V n
e    
Vs V  Vv V  Vv 1  Vv 1  n
V V

Vv Vv
Vv Vv Vs Vs e
n    
V Vs  Vv Vs  Vv 1  Vv 1  e
Vs Vs

n e
e n
1 n 1 e
 g – gd relation 12

Moisture
content, w
 Ws Ww 
Ws   
W Ws  Ww  Ws Ws 
  
V V V
Dry unit weight , gd
Ws 1  w Ws
  1  w   d 1  w
V V

   d 1  w


d 
1  w
 Specific gravity of solids, Gs 13

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  
w Vs 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.

Typical values of e, w and gd 14
 g-e-w relationship 15

Vs = 1
Ws
Gs  Ws  GsVs w Ws  Gs w
Vs w
Ww
w Ww  wWs Ww  wGs w
Ws
Weight Volume
Ww
Vw 
Air w
Vv = e
wGs w
Ww = wGsgw Water Vw = wGs   wGs
w
W

W s = G s gw Solids Vs = 1
V = 1+e Vw  wGs
 g-e-w relationship 16

W Ws  Ww Gs w  wGs w
  
V 1 e 1 e
1  w Gs w  Gs w Gs w
  d 
1 e 1  w 1  e 1 e
Weight Volume
Gs w
d  Air
1 e Vv = e
Ww = wGsgw Water Vw = wGs

Gs w W
e 1 V = 1+e
d Ws = Gsgw Solids Vs = 1
 g-e-w relationship 17

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 (fully saturated) 18

Se  wGs
W Ws  Ww Gs w  wGs w
  
V 1 e 1 e
Gs w  Se w  
 Gs  Se  w

1 e 1 e
Weight Volume
If soil is saturated,
i.e., void spaces are
V v = Vw = e
completely filled with W w = e gw Water
water, then S = 1
V = 1+e

 sat 
 Gs  e  w
W
1 e Solids Vs = 1
Ws = Gsgw
 g-n-w relationship 19

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

Ws
Gs 
Vs w
Ws  GsVs w Ws  Gs w 1  n 

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

V=1
Ws = Gsgw(1–n ) Solids Vs = 1-n
 g-n-w relationship 20

Ws Gs w 1  n 
d    Gs  w 1  n 
V 1

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 21

W Ws  Ww Gs w 1  n   wGs w 1  n 
  
V V 1
  Gs 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
Summary 22