GEOLOGY AND SOIL

MECHANICS
INDEX PROPERTIES OF SOIL
NPTEL

SHUBHAM DABRAL
SECTION:-A
ROLL NO.:-35
INDEX PROPERTIES OF
SOIL
• The test carried out in order to
classify a soil is termed as
classification tests.

• The numerical results obtained

on the basis of such tests is
termed as index properties of
soils.
 VOID RATIO (e ): The ratio of void volume (Vv) to soil volume (Vs)
Vv
e0< e < 
Vs

 POROSITY(n) : The ratio of void volume (Vv) to total volume (V)

Vv
n
0n1
V

n e
e
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VOID RATIO AND POROSITY
n
1 n 1 e
or
 WATER CONTENT () : The ratio of the amount of water (Ww) in the
soil (Ws) and expressed as a percentage

Ww0% <  < 

 x100%
Ws
 DEGREE OF SATURATION(S) : The ratio of water volume air (Vw) to
void volume (Vv) and expressed as a percentage

Vw 0%  S  100%
S x100%
Vv
 UNIT WEIGHT : The ratio of weight to volume
W
 w  w
V w

 SPECIFIC GRAVITY ; GS : The ratio of unit weight of soil to unit

weight of water
s
GS 
 w
3-PHASE DIAGRAM
In a 3-phase diagram(Partially
saturated):-

V ,the total volume of a given soil mass is

equal to the sum of volume of solids
(Vs),volume of water (Vw) and volume of
air (Va).
The volume od voids (Vv) is equal to the
sum of the volume of water and air.
The total mass of the soil mass (M)is equal
to the mass of solid and (Ms) and the mass
od water (Mw).The mass of the air is very
small and therefore neglected.
TWO-PHASE DIAGRAM
Although the soil is a three -phase
system ,it becomes a two –phase
system in the following two cases:-

1. When the soil is absolutely dry,

the water phase disappears.

2. When the soil is fully Saturated,

there is no air phase.
GRAIN SIZE DISTRIBUTION (GSD)
Mechanical analysis is a method of
separation of soils into different fractions
based on particle size.
The mechanical analysis done in two stages:-
1. Sieve analysis :-for coarse-grained soils
(particle size greater than 75 microns)
2. Sedimentation analysis or wet analysis
:-for fine-grained soils (size smaller than
75 microns).
As a soil mass may contain the particles of
both types of soils, combined analysis
comprising both sieve analysis and
sedimentation analysis may be required for
such soils.
T H A N K
Y O U !!!