NPTEL- Advanced Geotechnical Engineering

!
"

!# $!%

"# $"&

'# (% $)'# (%
*$+

'# (% ,*$)*$+

(1.11)

The dry unit weight can also be determined from Figure 1.2 as
.

!#
"

'# (%

(1.12)

*$+

The degree of saturation can be given by

/0 =

"%
"1

!% 2(%
"1

)'# (% 2(%
+

)'#
+

(1.13)

For saturated soils, /0 = 3. So, from Eq. (1.13),

4 = 567

(1.14)

By referring to Figure 1.3, the relation for the unit weight of a saturated soil can be obtained as
789

!
"

!# $!%
"

'# (% $+(%
*$+

(1.15)

Figure 1.3 Weight-volume relation for saturated soil with :7 = 3

Basic relations for unit weight such as Eqs. (1.11), (1.12), and (1.15) in terms of porosity n can also be
derived by considering a soil mass that has a total volume of unity as shown in Figure 1.4. In this case (for
V=1), from Eq. (1.5) :; = <, So, :7 = : > :; = 3 > <

Dept. of Civil Engg. Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur

NPTEL- Advanced Geotechnical Engineering

Figure 1.4 Weight-volume relation with : = 3

The weight of soil solids is equal to ,3 > <-67

?) = 5?7 = 5,3 > <-67
!

"

= 67

!# $!%

"

) ,3

).

),

and the weight of water

Thus the moist unit weight is

,*@A-'# (% $),*@A-'# (%
*

> <-,3 B 5-

(1.16)

The dry unit weight is

.

!#
"

= ,3 > <-67

(1.17)

If the soil is saturated (Figure 1.5).

789

!# $!%
"

= ,3 > <-67

B<

= [67 > <,67 > 3-]

Dept. of Civil Engg. Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur

(1.18)

NPTEL- Advanced Geotechnical Engineering

Figure 1.5 weight-volume relationship for saturated soil with : = 3

Several other functional relationships are given in Table 1.1

Table 1.1 Functional relationships of various soil properties for saturated soils
Jumikis, A.R., Soil Mechanics, 1962, pp. 90-91, D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., Princeton, New Jersy
Sought quantities
Quantities
) and:
67 C
67 C

Specific
gravity 67

Dry unit weight

.

D3 >
> )
6
67 > 3 7

67
3 B 567

67 C 5

67 C <

67 ,3 > <-

67 C 4

67
3B4

.G 5

3
E
67

>5

>

3B5
6
3 B 567 7

>

3
E
67 F .

[67

> <,67 > 3-]

67 B 4
3B4

Saturated
moisture
content, %

<
67 ,3 > <4
67
789

789
.F

,3 B 5-

Porosity n

67 ) > 789
, 789 > ) -67

789

789

. GF 789

Saturated unit
weight 789

.
.

Dept. of Civil Engg. Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur

>3

3>

Void ratio e
67 F .
>3
FF .

67 F

67

67 ) > 789
,67 > 3-67

789

567
3 B 567

>
>

567

789

)F

<
3><

4
3B4
789

>

789

.
)

> .
> 789

5 .
>5

NPTEL- Advanced Geotechnical Engineering

.G <

,3 > <-

.G 4

> 5,

789 G <

789
789

>

>< )
,3 > <-

,3 B 4-

789
)

5G 4

3B5

>4

<
,3 > <-5
4
5

5G <

<

789

><

789

><

<
5 )
4
,3 > 4_5

4
3B4

4
3B4

)
.

< )
789 > < )
4 )
789 B 4, 789 >
3B5
5
4 3B5
5 3B4
<

)
)

<
3><

5 789
,3 B 5-

789

)-

789

789 G 4

B<

4 )
B
3B4

,3 B 4-

789 G 5

)-

4
3B4

5
> 5,

789
789

<
3><

>

)-

<
3><

4
3B4

From Eq. (1.12), the dry unit weight is

.

'# (%
*$+

,HIJK-,LIK**$MIK

= 3NIO3FPQ2RS

From Eq. (1.13), the degree of saturation is

/0 ,T- =

)'#
+

3UU =

,MIHV-,HIJKMIK

3UU = WUINT

Part (b):From Eq. (1.14), for saturated soils,

4 = 567 X or 5,T- =

'#

3UU =

MIK

HIJK

3UU = YZIW\T

From Eq. (1.15), the saturated unit weight is

789

'# (% $+(%
*$+

LIK*F,HIJK$MIK*$MIK

= 3WIZ^FPQ2RS

1.2.2 General Range of Void Ratio and Dry Unit Weight Encountered in
Granular Soils
The loosest and the densest possible arrangements that we can obtain from these equal spheres are,
respectively, the simple cubic and pyramidal type of packing as shown in Figure 1.6. The void
corresponding to the simple cubic type of arrangement is 0.91; that for the pyramidal type of arrangement is
0.34. In the case of natural granular soils, particles are neither of equal size nor perfect spheres. The smallsized particles may occupy void spaces between the larger ones, which will tend to reduce the void ratio of
natural soils are compared to that for equal spheres.

Dept. of Civil Engg. Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur