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Soil Formulas

This document defines key terms and formulas related to soil properties. It explains that soil is composed of solids, water, and air, with water and air occupying the spaces between solid particles called voids. It then defines various soil properties including void ratio, porosity, degree of saturation, water content, unit weight, and specific gravity. Finally, it provides the formulas for calculating these various soil properties based on the volumes and weights of solids, water, air, and voids in a soil sample.

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Junrey Mawe
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85 views

Soil Formulas

This document defines key terms and formulas related to soil properties. It explains that soil is composed of solids, water, and air, with water and air occupying the spaces between solid particles called voids. It then defines various soil properties including void ratio, porosity, degree of saturation, water content, unit weight, and specific gravity. Finally, it provides the formulas for calculating these various soil properties based on the volumes and weights of solids, water, air, and voids in a soil sample.

Uploaded by

Junrey Mawe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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COMPLETE SOIL FORMULAS

Soil is composed of solids, liquids, and gases. Liquids and gases are mostly water and
air, respectively. These two (water and air) are called voids which occupy between soil
particles. The figure shown below is an idealized soil drawn into phases of solids, water,
and air.
 

Weight-Volume Relationship from the Phase Diagram of Soil


total volume = volume of soilds + volume of voids

volume of voids = volume of water + volume of air

total weight = weight of solids + weight of water

Soil Properties
Void Ratio, e
Void ratio is the ratio of volume of voids to the volume of solids.

Porosity, n
Porosity is the ratio of volume of voids to the total volume of soil.
 

Degree of Saturation, S
Degree of saturation is the ratio of volume of water to the volume of voids.

Water Content or Moisture Content, w


Moisture content, usually expressed in terms of percentage, is the ratio of the weight of
water to the weight of solids.

Unit Weight, γ
Unit weight is the weight of soil per unit volume. Also called bulk unit weight (γ), and
moist unit weight (γm).

Dry Unit Weight, γd


Dry unit weight is the weight of dry soil per unit volume.

Saturated Unit Weight, γsat


Saturated unit weight is the weight of saturated soil per unit volume.

Effective Unit Weight, γ'


Effective unit weight is the weight of solids in a submerged soil per unit volume. Also
called buoyant density or buoyant unit weight (γb).

 
Specific Gravity of Solid Particles, G
Specific gravity of solid particles of soil is the ratio of the unit weight of solids (γs) to the
unit weight of water (γw).

Formulas for Properties of Soil


Symbols and Notations
   = void ratio
   = porosity
   = moisture content, water content
   = specific gravity of any substance
   = specific gravity of solids
   = degree of saturation
   = volume of soil mass
   = volume of air
   = volume of water
   = volume of solids
   = volume of voids
   = total weight of soil
   = weight of water
   = weight of solids
   = relative density
   = unit weight of soil mass, moist unit weight, bulk unit weight
   = unit weight of soil solids
   = unit weight of water
   =       = buoyant unit weight, submerged unit weight
   =      = dry unit weight
   = saturated unit weight
  = liquid limit
   = plastic limit
  = liquidity index
   = plasticity index
   = group index
 

Basic Formulas
Unit weight, 
Weight, 

Specific gravity, 
 

Physical Properties of Soil


Total weight, 

Total volume, 

Volume of voids, 

Void ratio,  ,   Note: 

Porosity,  ,   Note: 

Relationship between e and n,     and   

Water content or moisture content,  ,   Note: 

Degree of saturation,  ,   Note: 

Relationship between G, w, S, and e, 

Moist unit weight or bulk unit weight,

,   also       or   

Dry unit weight,     and   

Saturated unit weight, 

Submerged or buoyant unit weight,     or   

Critical hydraulic gradient,     or   


Relative Density,     or   
 

Atterberg Limits
Plasticity index, 

Liquidity index, 

Shrinkage index, 

Activity of clay,  ,   where   = soil finer than 0.002 mm in percent


 

Other Formulas

Volume of voids, 

Volume of solids, 

Volume of water, 

Weight of water, 

Weight of soil, 

Dry unit weight, 


 

Relationship between specific gravity of


solids, moisture content, degree of
saturation, and void ratio
The relationship between    ,    ,    ,   and       is given by the following
G = specific gravity of solid particles
w = moisture content or water content
S = degree of saturation
e = void ratio
 

The formula above can be derived as follows:

Thus,       as stated above.


 

Relationship between void ratio and


porosity
The relationship between       and       is given by
   and   
Derivation is as follows

       → void ratio

       → n = Vv / V

           (okay!)
 

       → porosity

       → e = Vv / Vs

           (okay!)

- See more at: http://www.mathalino.com/reviewer/geotechnical-engineering/physical-


properties-soil#sthash.puuibPl0.dpuf

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