Module 2.
RELATIVE DENSITY
GEOTECH 1
SOIL MECHANICS
[Link] P. CASTRO
Department of Engineering and Architecture
Bataan Heroes College
Learning Objectives:
After studying this module, students should be able:
To fully understand terminologies about soil and procedures of each laboratory.
To identify the type of soil.
To solve complex problems with confidence
SUBMERGED SOIL
For this condition, the soil solids are buoyed up by the water pressure, and the
submerged soil weight becomes less for the same soil above water.
A submerged weight equals the soil solid weight above water minus the weight
of water displaced.
Derivation:
WSUB WS WW VW VS
WSUB GSVS W GWVW W
VS W GS GW
WSUB VS W (GS 1.0)
WSUB
SUB ; VT = VV VS
VT
VS W GS 1.0
SUB
eVS VS
VS W GS 1.0
SUB
VS 1 e
W GS 1.0
SUB
1 e
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If the soil above water table is 100% saturated:
SUB SAT W
For Approximation:
SUB 1
2 WETSOIL
Solving Problem:
1. An undisturbed, one cubic foot volume of soil obtained from a test pit is found to have a
wet weight of 103.2 lb. The dry weight of the sample is 84.5 lb. What would be the effective
unit weight of a soil if it were submerged below the ground water table? The specific
gravity of the soil solid is determined to be 2.70.
2. In an undisturbed soil formation, it is known that the dry soil weight is 115 pcf. The specific
gravity of the soil particles is 2.75. (Assume 1 unit of volume).
a. What is the saturated wet unit weight of the soil?
b. What is the effective submerged weight of the soil?
3. Determine the effective submerged weight of the following soil: (Assuming 1 unit
of volume).
SOIL Dry unit Sp. Gr of solid
weight
A 112 pcf 2.65
B 21.6 kN/m3 2.58
C 18.45 kN/m3 2.78
4. An undisturbed soil sample has a wet unit weight of 120 pcf when the water content is
15%. The specific gravity of the soil particles is 2.65.
a. Approximate the effective submerged weight of this soil.
b. Determine the effective submerged weight using the exact formula.
5. The saturated unit weight of a soil is 18.6 kN/m3, and the specific gravity of the solids is
2.67.
a. What is the void ratio of the soil?
b. What is the dry unit weight of the soil in kN/m3?
c. What is the effective unit weight of the soil in kN/m3?
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RELATIVE DENSITY
For a granular soil, the shear strength and resistance to compression are related to
the density (or unit weight) of the soil; higher shear strength and more resistance to
compression are develop by the soil when it is in a dense or compact condition than when it
is in a loose condition.
Soil Structure - refers to the orientation and distribution of particles in a soil mass and the
forces between adjacent soil particles.
Soil Structure of Granular Soils:
LOOSE DENSE
(high void ratio) (low void ratio)
The smaller the void ratio the higher the strength and the lower compressibility will be.
Relative Density (DR)
Is the measurement of possible denseness or looseness of a granular soil in its in-situ
condition.
The comparison of void ratio of soil in its densest condition and loosest condition.
Relative Conditions of a Granular Soil
VV voids
VV voids voids VV
VS VS VS
solid solid solid
Loosest condition Intermediate Densest condition
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FORMULAS:
emax eo
DR 100%
emax emin
eo - void ratio in its natural cond.
emax - void ratio in its loosest cond.
emin - void ratio in its densest cond.
In terms of dry density,
1 1
D
DR min 100% ; O dry density in in-situ cond.
1 1
min max
* All ∂ are dry densities
Qualitative Description of Granular Soil Deposits:
RELATIVE DENSITY (%) DESCRIPTION OF SOIL
DESPOSIT
0 – 15 Very Loose
15 – 50 Loose
50 – 70 Medium
70 – 85 Dense
85 - 100 Very Dense
Cubrinovski and Ishihara (2002) provided the following description of soil based on the
variation of emax and emin.
Clean sand (Fc = 0 to 5%)
Sand with fines (5 < Fc < 15%)
Sand with fines and clay (15 < Fc < 30%; Pc = 5 to 20%)
Silty soils (30 < Fc < 70%; Pc = 5 to 20%)
Where: Fc – fine fraction for which grain size is smaller than 0.075 mm
Pc – clay size fraction (< 0.005 mm)
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Solving Problem:
1. For a sandy soil, ℯmax = 0.86, ℯmin = 0.43, and Gs = 2.66. What is the required void
ratio at 𝐷𝑟 = 56%?
2. An undisturbed sample of sand has a dry weight of 4.2 lbs and occupies a total volume
of 0.038 ft3. The soil solids have a specific gravity of 2.75. Laboratory test performed
to determine the maximum and minimum densities indicate void ratios of 0.42 at the
max. density and 0.92 at the minimum density. Compute the relative density of this
material.
3. A sand at a borrow pit is determined to have an in-place dry unit weight of 115 pcf.
Laboratory tests performed to determine the maximum and minimum unit weights give
values of 122 pcf and 102 pcf respectively. From these data, what is the relative density
of the natural soil?
4. For sand the maximum and minimum possible void ratios were determined in the
laboratory to be 0.94 and 0.33 respectively.
a. Find the moist unit weight of sand in Kn/m3 compacted in the field at a relative
density of 60% and moisture content of 10%. Gs = 2.65.
b. Calculate the maximum and minimum dry unit weight in Kn/m3 that the sand
can have.
5. For a given sandy soil, the maximum and minimum dry unit weights are 108 𝑙𝑏/𝑓𝑡 3
and 92 𝑙𝑏/𝑓𝑡 3 , respectively. Given 𝐺𝑠 = 2.65, determine the moist unit weight of this
soil when the relative density is 60% and the moisture content is 8%.
SOIL MECHANICS Page 6 of 8
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Bataan Heroes College
ASSESSMENT:
Solve the following.
1. The saturated unit weight of a soil is 19.49 kN/m3, and the specific gravity of the solids
is 2.7. a.) What is the void ratio of the soil? b.) What is the dry unit weight of the soil
in kN/m3? c.) What is the effective unit weight of the soil in kN/m3?
2. Determine the effective submerged weight of the following soil: (Assuming 1 unit
of volume).
SOIL Dry unit Sp. Gr of solid
weight
A 106 PCF 2.65
B 19.8 KN/m3 2.58
C 1892 kg/m3 2.78
3. A clay sample has the following properties: Porosity = 0.35 (in situ) Maximum void
ratio = 0.85 Minimum void ratio = 0.42 Specific gravity of solids = 2.72 Moisture
content = 62% Determine the dry unit weight of the soil in its nature state, in pcf.
4. For the given sandy soil, 𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 0.75, 𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 0.46, and 𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 02,68. What will be
the moist unit weight of compaction (𝑘𝑁/𝑚3 ) in the field if 𝐷𝑟 = 78% and 𝑤 = 9%?
5. The moisture content of a soil sample is 18.4% and its dry unit weight is 100 𝑙𝑏/𝑓𝑡 3 .
Assuming that the specific gravity of solids is 2.65.
a) Calculate the degree of saturation
b) What is the maximum dry unit weight to which this soil can be compacted
without change in its moisture content?
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REFERENCES:
Principles of Geotechnical Engineering 7th Ed. By: Braja M. Das
Essentials of Soil Mechanics and Foundations 2nd Ed. by: David McCarthy
Crisostomo, Janet. Lecture: Soil Mechanics
This module or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or
distributed in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the College or
the Author.
For Permission: Contact Bataan Heroes College, Roman Super Hi-way, Balanga City,
Bataan, Philippines
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