Tutorial : Chapter 2

2.1. (a) Define: (i) Void ratio, (ii) Porosity, (iii) Degree of saturation, (iv) Water content, (v) Dry
density, (vi) Bulk density, (vii) Submerged density. (b) Derive from fundamentals : (i) S.e = w.G,
where S represents degree of saturation, e represents void ratio, w represents water content, and
G represents grain specific gravity (ii) Derive the relationship between dry density and bulk
density in terms of water content.

2.2. Sketch the phase diagram for a soil and indicate the volumes and weights of the phases on
it. Define ‘Void ratio’, ‘Degree of saturation’, and ‘Water content’. What is a unit phase diagram ?

2.3. Establish the relationship between degree of saturation, soil moisture content, specific
gravity of soil particles, and void ratio. and The volume of an undisturbed clay sample having a
natural water content of 40% is 25.6 cm3 its wet weight is 0.435 N. Calculate the degree of
saturation of the sample if the grain specific gravity is 2.75.

2.4. (a) Distinguish between Black cotton soil and Laterite from an engineering point of view. (b)
Defining the terms ‘Void ratio’, ‘Degree of saturation’, and ‘Water content’, and explain the
engineering significance of determining these properties.

2.5. A piece of clay taken from a sampling tube has a wet weight of 1.553 N and volume of 95.3
cm3. After drying in an oven for 24 hours at 105°C, its weight is 1.087 N. Assuming the specific
gravity of the soil particles as 2.75, determine the void ratio and degree of saturation of the clay
sample.

2.6. Derive the formula between soil moisture content (w), degree of saturation (S), specific
gravity (G), and void ratio (e). A saturated clay has a water content of 40% and a bulk specific
gravity of 1.90. Determine the void ratio and specific gravity of particles.

2.7. Derive the relation between void ratio (e), specific gravity of particles (G), and moisture
content at full saturation (w). A certain sample of saturated soil in a container weighs 0.65 N. On
drying in an oven in the container it weighs 0.60 N. The weight of the container is 0.35 N. The
grain specific gravity is 2.65. Determine the void ratio, water content, and bulk unit weight.

2.8. (a) Define ‘Soil Texture’ and ‘Soil structure’. What are the various terms used to describe the
above properties of the soil ? (b) A clay sample containing natural moisture content weighs 3.462
N. The specific gravity of soil particles is 2.70. After oven drying, the soil weighs 2.036 N. If the
displaced volume of the wet soil sample is 24.26 cm calculate : (i) the moisture content of the
sample, (ii) its void ratio, and (iii) the degree of saturation. 3
2.9. (a) The porosity and the specific gravity of solids of 100% saturated soil are known. In terms
of these quantities and with the aid of a properly drawn sketch, derive a formula for the moisture
content of the soil. (b) A highly sensitive volcanic clay was investigated in the laboratory and found
to have the following properties : (i) γwet = 12.56 kN/m3 (iii) e = 9.0 (ii) G = 2.75 (iv) w = 311%. In
rechecking the above values, one was found to be inconsistent with the rest. Find the inconsistent
value and report it correctly. 3

2.10. A partially saturated soil from an earth fill has a natural water content of 19% and a bulk
unit weight of 19.33 kN/m. Assuming the specific gravity of soil solids as 2.7, compute the degree
of saturation and void ratio. If subsequently the soil gets saturated, determine the dry density,
buoyant unit weight and saturated unit weight.

2.11. In a field density test, the volume and wet weight of soil obtained are 785 cm3 and 15.80 N
respectively. If the water content is found to be 36%, determine the wet and dry unit weights of
the soil. If the specific gravity of the soil grains is 2.6, compute the void ratio.

2.12. A clay sample, containing its natural moisture content, weighs 0.333 N. The specific gravity
of the solids of this soil is 2.70. After oven-drying, the soil sample weighs 0.2025 N. The volume
of the moist sample, before oven-drying, found by displacement of mercury is 24.30 cm3.
Determine the moisture content, void ratio, and degree of saturation of the soil.

2.13 An oven-dried soil weighing 1.89 N is placed in a pycnometer which is then filled with water.
The total weight of the pycnometer with water and soil is 15.81 N. The pycnometer filled with
water alone weighs 14.62 N. What is the specific gravity of the soil, if the pycnometer is calibrated
at the temperature of the test ?

2.14 In a specific gravity test, 1.17 N of oven-dried soil was taken. The weight of the pycnometer,
soil, and water was obtained as 6.51 N. The weight of the pycnometer full of water alone was
5.80 N. What is the value of the specific gravity of solids at the temperature of the test? If, while
determining the weight of pycnometer, soil, and water, 2 cm 3 of air got entrapped, what is the
correct value of the specific gravity and what is the percentage of error ?

2.15 In order to determine the water content of a wet sand, a sample weighing 4 N was put in a
pycnometer. Water was then poured to fill it, and the weight of the pycnometer and its contents
was found to be 22.5 N. The weight of the pycnometer with water alone was 20.3 N. The grain
specific gravity of the sand was known to be 2.67. Determine the water content of the sand
sample.

2.16 An undisturbed sample of sand has a dry weight of 18.9 N and a volume of 1143 cm 3. The
solids have a specific gravity of 2.72. Laboratory tests indicate void ratios of 0.40 and 0.90 at the
maxi mum and minimum unit weights, respectively. Determine the density index of the sand
sample. 3. Laboratory
2.17 A sand at a borrow pit is determined to have an in-situ dry unit weight of 18.4 kN/m tests
indicate the maximum and minimum unit weight values of 19.6 kN/m3 and 16.32 kN/m3,
respectively. What is the density index of the natural soil ?

2.18 The following observations were recorded in a Field density determination by sand-
replacement method: Volume of Calibrating can = 1000 cm3 Weight of empty can = 10 N Weight
of can + sand = 26.6 N Weight of sand required to fill the excavated hole = 8.28 N Weight of
excavated soil = 9.90 N In-situ water content = 10% Determine the in-situ dry unit weight and the
in-situ dry unit weight.

2.19 A core-cutter 12.6 cm in height and 10.2 cm in diameter weighs 10.71 N when empty. It is
used to determine the in-situ unit weight of an embankment. The weight of the core-cutter full
of soil is 29.7 N. If the water content is 6%, what are the in-situ dry unit weight and porosity? If
the embankment gets fully saturated due to heavy rains, what will be the increase in water
content and bulk unit weight, if no volume change occurs? The specific gravity of the soil solids is
2.69.

2.20 Using Stokes’ law, determine the time of settlement of a sand particle of 0.2 mm size (specific
gravity 2.67) through a depth of water of 30 cm. The viscosity of water is 0.001 N-sec/m weight
is 9.80 kN/m3. 2 and unit

2.21 The liquid limit and plastic limit of a soil are 75% and 33%, respectively. What is the plasticity
index? The void ratio of the soil on oven-drying was found to be 0.63. What is the shrinkage limit?
Assume the grain specific gravity as 2.7.

2.22 A piece of clay taken from a sampling tube has a wet weight of 1.553 N and volume of 95.3
cm³ 3 After drying in an oven for 24 hours at 105°C, its weight is 1.087 N. The liquid and plastic
limits of the clay are 56.3% and 22.5%, respectively. Determine the liquidity index and void ratio
of the sample. Assume the specific gravity of soil particles as 2.75.

2.23 A completely saturated sample of clay has a volume of 31.25 cm 3 and a weight of 0.5866
N. The same sample after drying has a volume of 23.92 cm3 and a weight of 0.4281 N. Compute
the porosity of the initial soil sample, specific gravity of the soil grains, and shrinkage limit of the
sample.

2.24 In a shrinkage limit test, the following data were obtained: Initial weight of the saturated
soil = 1.928 N Initial volume of saturated soil = 106.0 cm 3 Weight after complete drying = 1.462
N Volume after complete drying = 77.4 cm3 Determine the shrinkage limit, the specific gravity of
soil grains, initial void ratio, bulk unit weight, and dry unit weight and final void ratio and unit
weight.
 2.25 The Atterberg limits of a clay soil are: Liquid limit = 63%, Plastic limit = 40%, and shrinkage
limit = 27%. If a sample of this soil has a volume of 10 cm³ at the liquid limit and a volume of 6.4
cm³ at the shrinkage limit, determine the specific gravity of solids, shrinkage ratio, and volumetric
shrinkage.

2.26 A 100 cm 3-clay sample has a natural water content of 30%. Its shrinkage limit is 18%. If the
specific gravity of solids is 2.72, what will be the volume of the sample at a water content of 15%?

2.27 The oven-dry weight of a pat of clay is 1.17 N and the weight of mercury displaced by it is
0.855 N. Assuming the specific gravity of solids as 2.71, determine the shrinkage limit and
shrinkage ratio. What will be the water content, at which the volume increase is 10% of the dry
volume?

2.28 Four soil samples collected from a borrow area, to form a low earth dam, are classified as
GW, CL, SC and SM. What is your inference? (b) The following data relate to five soil samples.

LL (%) 25 15 45 23 50

PL (%) 25 60 35 80 36
Plot these on Casagrande’s A-line chart and classify the soils.

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