2.

Phase relationships
 Introduction
• Soil consists of a collection of solid particles with voids in between

2
• The voids contain a fluid and gas. The fluid is typically water while the gas
is typically air

• Soil comprises three phases:

- Soild : soil grains

- Fluid : pore fluid (typically water)
- gas : pore gas (typically air)

• Other liquids may exist in the voids e.g gasoline or

other chemicals that have leaked out of underground
tanks and pipelines or that have infiltrated from the
ground surface and leachate from landfills. While the
gases may include methane from decomposing organic
matter and petroleum vapours
3
• The terms pore air and pore water are commonly used

Voids = air + water

4
 Soil phase idealisation
• The components of a soil can be represented by a phase diagram
• Soils can be of either a three-phase or two-phase composition

5
• In a completely dry soil, there are two phases:
the solid soil particles and pore air

6
• A fully saturated soil is two phase, being composed of solid soil particles and
pore water

7
• A partially saturated soil is three phase, composed of solid soil particles,
pore air and pore water

8
• The relative proportions of the solids, air and water in soil have a
significant effect on soil behavior

• It is important to quantify these relative components

9
Phase diagram

In comparison to Ms
and Mw, air is
practically weightless
i.e Ma≈ 0

M = Mass, V = Volume

Subscript notation:
s = soil solids
a = air
w = water
v = void
t = total
10
• Density of water is the mass of the pore water per unit volume of the
water alone i.e ρw = Mw/Vw

• ρw = mass density of water

= 1.0 g/cm3 = 1000kg/m3

= 1.0 kg/litre = 1 Mg/m3

11
• Soil particle density (also called density of the soil solids) is the
mass of the soil particles per unit volume of the soil particles alone
i.e ρs = Ms/Vs

• Since soil particle density , ρs = Ms/Vs

• Specific gravity of soil solids, Gs = ρs /ρw

• Gs = ρs /ρw = Ms/(Vs ρw)

• Gs is the ratio particle density to the density of water. This value

varies between 2.2 and 2.8 for common soil minerals. Gs for silica
is about 2.65

12
• water content / moisture content:

Amount of water present in the soil.

w = (Mw/Ms) x 100%

Quiz: Can w exceed 100%? If yes, for what kind of materials?

13
Water content test:

Mass of wet soil and container = 220 g

Mass of dry soil and container (after drying in oven) = 160 g
Mass of container = 70 g
Mass of wet soil = M = Ms + Mw= 220-70= 150 g
Mass of dry soil = Ms = 160-70 = 90 g
Mass of water, Mw = 150- 90 = 60 g
Water content, w = Mw/Ms = 60/90 = 0.67 or 67%

14
• void ratio (e) – a measure of void as a fraction of soil solid volume.
e = Vv/Vs

• Porosity (n) – another measure of void as a fraction of soil volume

n = Vv/V or Vv/Vt
Sometimes n is expressed as a %
i.e n = (Vv/V) x100% . Range is 0-100%

V = Vt = total soil volume. Some books present total soil volume as V and
others as Vt

15
• Both e(void ratio) and n(porosity) are dimensionless parameters. n is
frequently expressed as a % and can not exceed 100%.

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

Are you able to express n in terms of e?

e
n
1 e
16
• degree of saturation (Sr)- Percent of void space filled with water.

Sr = (Vw/Vv) x 100%

17
• Bulk or total density (ρ)- Density of soil in its current state
ρ = M/V

Units:
kg/m3

Mg/m3

18
Other density definitions:
• Saturated density (ρsat)- density of soil when the voids are completely
filled with water.
ρsat = M/V

19
• Dry density (ρd)- density of soil when completely dry
ρd= Ms/V

Note: Dry
density is
different from
particle density,
ρs = Ms/Vs

20
• Effective (submerged or buoyant) density (ρ’ or ρb)
If the soil element is situated below the water table, the soil particles will
experience an upthrust , U so that their effective weight of soil particles, W’s
W’s= Ws-U = (W-Ww)-ρwgVs = W-ρwg(Vw+Vs)

W = Ws + Ww ; Ws = weight of solids, Ww = weight of the water in the voids

But below the water table, we can assume voids are completely filled with water,
hence Vw = Vv hence Vw+ Vs = V
W’= W-ρwgV

Dividing through by gV
𝑾 𝑾
= 𝒘
𝒈𝑽 𝒈𝑽
ρ’ is sometimes used
for calculations below
the water table
ρ’=ρsat-ρw

21
•Because soil weight is relevant to both loading
and resistance of soil, it is useful to consider the
weight W (force) density of the soil or unit
weight (ϒ), in kN/m3

ϒ (k N/m3) = ρ (kg/m3) x 9.81/1000

Typical range Acceleration due to gravity, g

= 9.81 m/s2
Sand: 17 – 23 kN/m3
Weight (N) = mass (kg) x g
Clay: 11 – 20 kN/m3

22
• Similarly, we can use weights to express the following:
Moisture content or water content, w = Ww/Ws

Total unit weight, ϒ=W/V

Dry unit weight, ϒd=Ws/V

unit weight of water, ϒw= 9.81 kN/m3=Ww/Vw

Specific gravity of soil solids, Gs = ϒs/ϒw

23
Deriving useful relations
1. Relating bulk/ total density (ϒ) with dry density (ϒd)
ϒ = ϒd(1+w)

Ww
Moisture content or water content, w 
Ws
W
Total/bulk density,  
V
 Ww 
Ws 1  
W Ws  Ww W
    s 

V V V
Ws
 1  w
V
   d (1  w)
24
2. Useful relationship between w, Sr , e and Gs
Sr = wGs/e

Ww Vw  w Vw Vv 1 Sr e
w     
Ws Vs  w G s Vv Vs G s G s

Vv
Alternatively : Given e 
Vs

Vw Vw Ww /  w  wG s
Sr    
Vv eVs eWs / G s  w  e
25
3. Relationship between Gs, ϒd and e
ϒd= Gsϒw/(1+e)

Ws G s  wVs Gs  w Gs  w Gs  w
d     
V Vs  Vv Vs  Vv  / Vs 1 e wG s
1
Sr
Recall :
V  Vs  Vv
Ws
Gs w 
Vs

26
4. Bulk or total density

 Ww 
Ws 1  
W Ws  Ww  Ws  Gs 1  w
    w
V Vs  Vv  Vv  1 e
Vs 1  
 Vs 
s Ws
Recall : G s  
 w Vs w
Ws
Hence :  Gs  w
Vs
27
• The expression for bulk density can be extended:

Sr e G s 1  w
Given : w  ; the expression    w becomes :
Gs 1 e
 Gs  S r e 
   w
 1 e 

If a soil sample is saturated at constant void ratio, e then with Sr

= 1 (i.e. 100%), the saturated density for the soil sample is
expressed as:
G s 1  e 
 sat  w
1 e

28
If the soil sample were to exist in dry condition at same void ratio i.e Sr = 0

 Gs 
d     w
1  e 

Similarly: Recall that effective density ϒ’=ϒsat- ϒw

derive an expression for from ϒ’

29
Va = 0 only if Sr = 1 or 100% (saturated state)

Example 1:
In its natural condition, a soil sample has a mass of
2290g and volume 1.15x10-3m3. After being
completely dried in an oven, the mass of the sample is
2035g. Determine the water content, total density,
total unit weight.

30
M = 2.29 kg

Ms = 2.035 kg

V = 1.15x10-3m3
Mw = M – Ms = 2.29 – 2.035 = 0.255 kg

w = Mw/Ms = 0.255/2.035 = 0.125 or

12.5%

Total density = M/V = 2.29/1.15x10-3

= 1990 kg/m3

Total unit weight = Mg/V

= 2.29x9.81/(1.15x10-3)

=19522.2N/m3
= 19.52 kN/m3
31
Example 2:

Given, ρ = 1.76Mg/m3, w =10% and Gs = 2.7. Calculate ρd, e and Sr

32
• Sometimes, no volumes or masses are stated. In such circumstances,
the data maybe assumed to be applicable to the entire soil strata. For
simplicity, it is there reasonable to assume V = 1 m3 or Vs = 1 m3

Assume V  1 m 3
M
  1.76  ; M  1.76 Mg
V

Mw
w  0 .10  ; M w  0 .10 M s
Ms

M  M w M s  0 . 10 M s  M s  1 . 76

1 . 1M s  1 . 76 ; M s  1 . 6 Mg and M w  0 . 16 Mg

33
 Mw M w 0.16
w  ; Vw    0.16 m 3
Vw w 1.0

Ms Ms Ms 1 .6
s  ; Vs     0.593 m 3
Vs  s G s  w 2 .7  1

V  Va  Vw  Vs  1

Va  0.16  0.593  1

Va  0.247 m 3

Vv  Vw  Va  0.16  0.247  0.407 m 3 34

 M s 1.6
d    1.60 Mg/m 3

V 1

Vv 0.407
e   0.686
Vs 0.593

Vw 0.16
Sr    0.393  39.3%
Vv 0.407

35
Example 3
e  0.60, Gs  2.6, Find  d

Assume V  1 m 3

V  Vv  Vs
Vv
0.6  ; Vv  0.6Vs
Vs

Hence :
0.6Vs  Vs  1
Vs  0.625 m 3
36
 s  Gs w and Ws   sVs

Ws  Gs wVs  2.6  9.81  0.625  15.94 kN

Ws 15.94
d    15.94 kN/m 3

V 1.0

37
Class exercise
a) 1.0 m3 of moist soil has mass 2000 kg. The water
content is 10% , Assume Gs = 2.7. Calculate the
i. void ratio
ii. porosity
iii. degree of saturation
iv. unit weight of soil
[e = 0.486, n = 32.7%, Sr = 55.7%, ϒ = 19.62 kN/m3]
b) Calculate the dry unit weight of a soil having e = 0.70
and Gs = 2.72 [Ans: ϒd = 15.7kN/m3]
c) A soil has a total density of 1.91Mg/m3, and a water
content of 9.5%. Assume Gs = 2.70. Calculate the void
ratio and degree of saturation of the soil. [ e = 0.56,
Sr = 47.2%]
38
 Class exercise (contd)
d) The following results were obtained from a laboratory
test to determine the particle specific gravity of a
medium sand.

Mass of density bottle, M1 = 35.825 g

Mass of density bottle + dry sand, M2 = 63.761 g
Mass of density bottle + sand + distilled water, M3 = 103. 619 g
Mass of density bottle + distilled water, M4 = 86.365 g

Calculate the specific gravity of the sand particles [Ans: Gs = 2.62]

39
Solution (d)- This is particularly important because it applies to a laboratory
test for obtaining Gs
M2-M1 = mass of dry sand particles (g)
M4- M1 = mass of water required to fill density bottle (g)
M3- M2 = mass of water in density bottle with sand particles (g)
(M4-M1)- (M3-M2) = mass of water displaced by sand particles (g) =
= volume of water displaced by sand particles (cm3)
=volume of sand particles (cm3)

Therefore density of sand particles =

( )

And as the density of water = 1 g/cm3

. .
Gs =
. . ( . . )

40
Class exercise (contd)
e) Given: e = 0.62, w = 15% and ρs = 2.65 Mg/m3

Calculate:
i. ρd
ii. ρ
iii. w at Sr = 100%
iv. ρsat at Sr = 100%

[Ans: ρd=1.636 Mg/m3, ρ = 1.88 Mg/m3, w = 23.4%, ρsat = 2.02 Mg/m3]

41