SOIL

Composition of Soil
By: Alran Eric Cifra
Group 3
Composition of Soil

 Soil deposit consist of soil particles and void spaces between

particles, either partially or completely filled with water;
 Void spaces are not completely filled with water, are either filled
with air or other gases.
 Soil deposits are composed of solid, liquid and gas.
 45 % Minerals
 25 % Air
 25 % Water
 5 % Organic Matter
Engineers are interested?
 To know the particles of soil deposit;
 Strength and compressibility because they are necessary in
determining the bearing capacity and stability of the foundation.
 Soil is directly related to:
 Soil density weight per unit volume
 Water content of the soil
 Void ratio
 Degree of saturation
 Relationship between Volume and Mass
Weight
Volume of
Weight of Air = 0 AIR
Air = Va
Volume of
Weight of Water = Ww Voids = Vv
Total Weight = Wt

Total Volume = Vt
Volume of
WATER
Water = Vw
Mass of Water = Mw

Weight of soild = Ws

SOLID
Volume of
PARTICLES  
Mass of solid = Ms Solid = Vs
(Soil)
Soil density weight per unit volume:
 Total weight of the soil volume;
 Weight of the solid (Ws) + Weight of the water is equal to the Total weight
(Wt) i.e.
Ws + Ww = Wt
 Similarly, for measurement of the mass
Ms + Mw = Total mass
Ms + Mw = Mt
 Total Volume of the soil sample of the bulk includes the soil and liquid air
or gas. The volume of water and air is called volume of voids;
 Total volume (Vt) = volume of solid + volume of voids,
Vt = Vs + (Vw + Va) Note: Volume of water + volume of air = Vv
Vt = Vs + Vv
 Relationship between the weight and volume of any materials;
W = Vg Uw
 While mass and volume
M = Vg Dw
Where:
W = Weight of the material (Solid, liquid or gas)
V = Volume occupied by the material
G = Specific Gravity of the material
Uw = Unit weight of water at temperature stated
(in most soil work, Uw = 62.4 pounds/ft3, 9.80 dynes/cm3; or 9.81
kN/m3 regardless of temperature)
M = Mass of the Materials
Dw = Density of Water (1 gm/cm3 or 1.95 slugs/ft3)
 The specific gravity of most commonly occurring rock or soil or soil materials is between
2.30 and 3.10.
 The specific gravity of soil solids lies within the range of 2.60 to 2.75
 The unit weight of soil U could be expressed as:
Wt (p/ft3,kN/m3)
Wet unit weight Uwet =
Vt
 

Dry unit weight Udry = Ws (p/ft ,kN/m )

3 3

Vt
 For Soil Density:  

Mt (kg/m3,gm/cm3)
Wet density Dwet =
Vt
 

Ms (kg/m3,gm/cm3)
Dry density Ddry =
Vt
 

 Note: 1gm/cm3 = 62.4 pounds per cubic ft.

*The weight of (1) one cm3 of water = 980 dynes
*The weight of (1) one ft3 of water = 62.4 lbs.
 Water content of the soil
 By definition, Water content W is the ratio of the weight of water
in soil volume to the weight of soil solids, or of the mass of water
in a soil to the mass of solids;
W% = Ww x 100% or Mw x 100%
Ws Ms

Where:
W% = Water content in percentage
Ww = Weight of water
Ws = Weight of dry soil
Mw = Mass of water
Ms = Mass of Solid
 The relationship of water content and the weight of dry soil to
the total wet weight of the soil volume should be:
Wt = Ws + Ww
Since: Ww =(w%)Ws
100%

By substitution: Wt = Ws + (w%)Ws
100%
The weight of dry mass could
By Factoring: Wt = Ws (1+W%) 100% be found easily with these
equations when the weight of a
large soil mass sample and the
Ws = Wt water content is known from a
representative sample.
1 + w% 100%

Similarly: Ms = Mt
1 + w% 100%
 Void ratio and Porosity
 The Void ratio and Porosity in relation with the solid and void
volume follows:

e = Volume of voids
Volume of solid

e = Vv
Vs

The Void ratio is expressed in decimal number, and the Porosity P

is conventionally expressed in percentage;
p% = Volume of voids x 100%
Total Volume
 And the relationship between void ratio and porosity is:
P%
e= 100% p% = e 100%
1–p% 1+e
100%
 Degree of Saturation
 The degree of saturation S, indicates the portion of the void spaces
in a soil material that is filled with water. The degree of saturation
is expressed in percentage.
S% = Vw x 100%
Vv
Full saturation or 100% saturation means that all voids are filled with
liquid.
Since,
Vt = Vs + Vv and e = Vv
Vs
Vt = Vs + eVs = (1+e) or;

Vs = Vt
1+e
Example:

 One cubic foot of soil sample weighing 130 lbs. was taken from a
test pit. The entire sample is thoroughly dried and finally
weighted 120 lbs. Solve for the water content, wet unit weight,
and the dry unit weight.

Air
Wt = 130 lbs
Water Vt. 1.0 cu. Ft

Ws = 120 lbs Solid

Solution:

 Weight of water: Ww = 130 – 120 = 10 lbs

 Weight of dry soil: Ws = 120 lbs
 Total volume of sample = 1.0 cu. Ft

 Wet unit weight Uwet = Wt = 130 lbs = 130 lbs/cu.ft

Vt 1.0

 Dry unit weight Udry = Ws = 120 lbs = 120 lbs/cu.ft

Vt 1.0
 Water content w% = Ww x 100% = 10 lbs x 100%
Ws 120 lbs

w% = 8.333%
 Solution:
 Compute for the wet density, dry unit weight, void ratio, water
content and degree of saturation from a sample of moist soil with
mass weight of 20 kg that occupies a total volume of 0.008 cubic
meter and 0.006 cubic meter of volume of solid. The sample is
dried in oven and weighted 18 kg. The specific gravity of soil solid
is 2.60.

Vs AIR
Vv Mt = 20 kg
Vw WATER

Vs = 0.006 cu. M SOLID Ms = 18 kg Vt = 0.008 cu.m

 Solution:
Wet density: Dwet = Mt = 20kg = 2,500 kg/m3
Vt 0.008
Dry Unit: Udry = Ws = Msg
Vt Vt
= 18 kg (9.81m/s2) = 22.072 kN/m3
0.008 m3

Water content: w% = Mw x 100%

Ms
= 20 – 18 x 100% = 11.1%
18
Void ratio: e = Vv = 0.008 – 0.006 = 0.33
Vs 0.006
Degree of saturation: S% = Wgs = 11.1 x 2.60 = 87%
e 0.33
Submerged soil
 For under water condition, the soil solid is buoyed up by pressure of
the surrounding body of water. Therefore, the weight of submerged
soil, become lighter compared with the soil above water.
 The weight of the in voids of soil is Zero when submerged, because
all voids assumed to be filled with water, and the weight of the soil
is reduce by the weight of water displaced.
 Therefore, the submerged weight is equal to the soil weight above
the water minus the weight of water displaced;
Wsub = Vs gs Uw – Vs gw Uw
= Vs Uw (gs – gw) by factoring
= Vs Uw (gs-1)
 Since the unit weight is the total weight divided by the total Volume;

Usub-soil = Wsub = Vs Uw (gs-1)

Vtotal Vs(1+e)

Usub-soil = gs – 1 Uw
1+e

For easy computation, the submerged weight is ½ the wet soil above the
water table, except the soil containing significant decomposed
vegetation or organic materials.

Usub soil = ½ Uwet soil (approximately)

For soil above the water table but 100% saturated;

Usub soil = Usat soil – Uw

Usub soil = Usat soil – 62.4 lbs/ft3
Example
 One cubic foot undisturbed soil from a test pit, weighs 100 lbs net
weight. The dry weight of the sample is 80 lbs. What will be the
effective unit weight of the soil if is submerged below the ground
water level when the specific gravity is 2.60?
Solution:
Usub soil = ½ Uwet = ½ (100%) = 50 lb/ ft3
using the accurate formula, we have;
Vs = Ws = 80 lbs
gs Uw 2.60(62.4)
= 80 = 49 ft3
162.24
Vv = Vt – Vs
= 1.0-0.49 = 0.51 ft3

e = Vv = 0.51
Vs 0.49
Usub = (gs – 1)Uw = (2.60 – 1)(62.4)
1+e (1 + 1.04)
= 48.94 lbs/ft3

Or Submerged weight

Wsub = Vs Uw (gs – 1)
= (0.49)(62.4)(2.60 – 1)
= 48.92 lbs/ft3

Or for the Volume of one cubic foot

Usub = Wsub = 48.92 lbs/ft3

Vt 1.0 ft3
= 48.92 lbs/ft3
THANK YOU!