Chapter 2: Phase Relationship, Index Property and Soil

Classification
1. A sample of moist silty soil has a volume of 14.88 c.c. and weight 28.81 gms. After complete
drying out in an oven its weight is 24.83 gms. The unit weight of solid constituents is 2.7
gms/c.c. Calculate the void-ratio and degree of saturation of the sample.

2. A 50 c.c. volume of moist soil weights 95 gms. Its dry weight is 75 gms and the specific
gravity of solids is 2.68. Compute the water content, void-ratio, porosity and unit weight.

3. A pycnometer weighing 620 gms. was used in the following measurements on samples ‘A’
and ‘B’of the same soil. Sample ‘A’ was oven dried and ‘B’ was completely saturated.
Weight of pycnometer when filled with water only 1495 gms.
A B
Weight of sample only (gms.) 980 1,020
Weight of pycnometer full of soil sample and water 2’112 2,030
Find i) the specific gravity of the soil
ii) the water content and void ratio of sample B.

4. A saturated soil sample has water content of 30 %. The specific gravity of solid is 2.70.
Determine its void ratio and dry unit weight.

5. A sample of sand has porosity of 40 % and the specific gravity of its solid is 2.75. Find out
the dry unit weight, saturated unit weight, when fully saturated. Submerged unit weight and
the saturated unit weight, when the degree of saturation is 50 %.

6. The mass specific gravity of a soil is 1.82 and the specific gravity of solids is 2.67. Water
content in the wet soil is 30 %. Find out its void ratio, porosity and degree of saturation?

7. Prove that,
i) γd = (1-η) G γw, where γd is the dry unit weight, η is the porosity, G is the specific gravity
of solids and γw is the unit weight of water?
ii) Volume of air in a unit volume of soil is given by V a = (1-S) η, where Va is the
air content, S is the degree of saturation and η is the porosity?

8. A cube of dried clay having sides 4 cm long has a mass of 110 gms. The same cube of
soil, when saturated at unchanged volume has a mass of 135 gms. Draw a phase diagram
showing the constituents of volumes and weights and then determine the specific gravity of
soil solids and the void ratio.

9. A sample of clay weighing 700 gms was coated with paraffin wax. The combined weight
of the clay and the wax was found to be 708 gms. The volume of the displaced water
when the soil was immersed in water was 345 ml. The sample was then broken open the
water content and specific gravity of the soil sample was found to be 15 % and 2.7
respectively. Calculate the bulk unit weight, void ratio and degree of saturation. Take
specific gravity of paraffin as 0.89.
10. Dry sand of 10,676 gm is poured fully into a cylinder having internal diameter of 200 mm
and height of 200 mm. The porosity of the sand is 35 %. Water is carefully added until the sand
becomes saturated. While the porosity remains the same. Determine:
a) The saturated density of the soil.
b) The amount of water needed to saturate the soil.
c) The specific gravity of sand particles.
d) The water content of the sand at saturated condition.
e) The amount of water needed to produce a degree of saturation of 80 %.

11. The bulk unit weight of soil in its natural state is 21 kN/m 3 and the specific gravity of the
solid particles is 2.7. If the degree of saturation is 80 %, determine the water content and void
ratio of the soil in its natural state. Determine also the Relative Density (Density Index) of
the soil in its natural state, if its maximum and minimum void ratios are 0.8 and 0.4
respectively.

12. A saturated clay sample was found to have a dry mass of 57.38 gm when it was tested
with a sample of diameter of 6.35 cm and height of 1.75 cm. Determine the void ratio, dry
density, water content and bulk density of the soil sample. Also find the mass of soil if the
water content is decreased by 5 %. Take specific gravity of soil as 2.7.

13. A partially saturated soil sample from an earth fill has a natural moisture content of 20
% and bulk unit weight of 1.8 gms/cm3. The specific gravity of solids is 2.7. Determine the
degree of saturation and void ratio. If the sample gets saturated subsequently, determine its
unit weight.

14. A soil sample has a porosity of 35 %, the specific gravity of solids of 2.7 and a water
content of 15%. Determine the mass of the water required to be added to 100 m 3 of this soil
for full saturation.

15. A borrow area soil has a natural water content of 10% and bulk density of soil 1.80 gm/cm 3.
The soil is used for an embankment to be compacted at 20% moisture content to a dry density
of 1.90 gm/cm3. Determine the amount of water to be added to 1.0m3 of borrow of soil. How
many cubic meters of excavation is required for 1 m 3 of compacted embankment.

16. A mass of soil coated with a thin layer of paraffin weights 485 gms. When immersed in water
it displaces 320 c.c. of water. The paraffin is pealed off and is found to weigh 18 gms. The
specific gravity of soil grains is 2.7 and that of paraffin is 0.9. Find out the void ratio of the
soil if it has got the water content of 10 %.

17. Draw the grain size distribution curves for two soils A and B for which the following
observations were taken. The total weight of the soil sample was 500 gms in each case. Find
out uniformity coefficient of both soils and explain what these values indicate. Also find the
effective diameter of sample B
 Sieve opening
4.78 2.41 1.2 0.6 0.3 0.15 0.075 Pan
in mm
Sample A, Wt.
- 72 91 75 182 15 55 10
retained in gms
Sample B, Wt.
- - 4 8 201 52 227 8
retained in gms

18. The following observations were taken from liquid limit test on a soil
No. of blows 10 20 30 40
Water content (%) 80 75 70 65
Two tests of plastic limit were done which gave values of 28.2 % and 29.4 % respectively.
Draw a flow curve and find out liquid limit and plasticity index. If the specific gravity of soil
grains is 2.71, find out the void ratio of saturated soil at liquid limit.

19. The results of sieve analysis of two soil samples are as follows:

Wt. of soil retained on sieve

Sieve Size, mm
Soil A Soil B
37.5 0.0 -
19.0 26.0 -
9.5 31.0 -
4.8 11.0 0.0
2.4 18.0 8.0
1.2 24.0 7.0
0.6 21.0 11.0
0.3 41.0 21.0
0.2 32.0 63.0
0.2 16.0 48.0
0.1 15.0 14.0

A sedimentation test on material passing the 200 sieve indicated that the sample contained:

Wt in gms
Particle Size, mm
Soil A Soil B
0.06-0.02 8.0 2.0
0.02-0.006 4.0 1.0
0.006-0.002 2.0 0.0
Less than 0.002 1.0 0.0

Plot the grain size distribution curves for the two soils and determine the effective size D 10 and
coefficient of uniformity Cu. Comment briefly on the results.

20. The following index properties were determine for the two soils X and Y:
Property X Y
Liquid limit (%) 62 34
 Plastic limit (%) 26 19
Water content (%) 38 25
Specific gravity 2.72 2.67
Degree of saturation (%) 100 100
Which of these soils:
a. Contains more clay particles
b. Has a greater wet density
c. Has a greater dry density
d. Has a greater void ratio
Give reasons for your answers.

21. A sample of soil is prepared by mixing a quantity of dry soil with 10.5 % by weight of water.
Find the weight of this wet mixture, which will be required to produce by static compaction,
a cylindrical specimen 150 mm diameter and 125 mm deep with 5 % air voids. Take specific
gravity of solids is 2.7.

22. The sieve analysis of a given sample of soil gave information that 57% of the particle
pass through 75 micron sieve. The liquid and plastic limits of the soil were 62 and 28
percents respectively. Classify the soil as per the unified soil classification system.

23. The following index properties were determined from saturated soils A and B.
Property Soil A Soil B
Liquid limit (%) 60 40
Plastic limit (%) 30 20
Natural water content (%) 58 21
Specific gravity of solids 2.7 2.6
Which of these soils:
a) has a greater plasticity index? b) harder in its natural state? c) has greater bulk
density?

24. A sample of soil is saturated with natural water content of 24%., liquid limit and plastic
limit of which are 62% and 28% respectively. Determine the liquidity index and nature of
the soil.

25. A sample of soil is prepared by mixing a quantity of dry soil with 11% by weight of water.
Find the weight of this wet mixture, which will be required to produce by static compaction
a cylindrical specimen 150mm diameter and 125mm deep with 5% air voids. Take specific
gravity of solids are 2.7. Also find the dry density and void ratio of soil.

26. The following data has been obtained from liquid and plastic limit tests on a soil sample.

Details Liquid limit test data Plastic limit

Mass of container with wet soil, (g) 43.39 47.62 45.24 45.58 43.62 40.38
Mass of container with dry soil, (g) 40.18 43.61 41.87 41.5 41.94 38.85
Mass of container (g) 29.86 31.5 32.01 30.51 33.1 30.9
Number of blows (N) 34 27 23 17
Determine:
i) Liquid limit, Plastic limit and Flow index
ii) Classify the soil as per the unified soil classification system and
iii) Liquidity index if the natural water content of the soil is 28.9%.

27. For a sieve analysis the following grain size distribution has been obtained

Sieve no. 4 10 20 40 100 200 pan

Sieve opening (mm) 4.75 2 0.85 0.425 0.15 0.075
Soil retained (gm) 100 180 120 140 160 200 100
a) Determine the % finer in each sieve
b) Without drawing the grain size distribution curve determine the coefficient of
Uniformity and the Coefficient of Curvature.
c) According to the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) should the soil be
classified as Sand or Gravel? Explain your answer.

28. Soils A and B were saturated in their natural condition and they have the same specific
gravity. The water content and index properties of the soils are in the following table.

Soil A B
Liquid Limit (%) 62 62
Plastic Limit (%) 26 40
Natural water content (%) 27 60
Which of these soils:
a) has greater liquidity index?
b) is softer in its natural condition?
c) has greater plasticity index?
d) is more cohesive?
e) has greater void ratio in its natural condition?
Give reasons to your answers.

29. A soil sample has natural water content of 24%, liquid limit 62%, plastic limit 28% and
percentage of particles less than 2 micron 23%, Determine (i) Liquidity Index (ii) Activity
number (iii) Consistency Index and comment on the nature of soil.

30. A soil has the following characteristics:

% passing 75 micron sieve = 58%, Liquid limit = 40%
Plasticity Index = 10%, Liquid limit of Oven-dried sample = 25%
Classify the soil according to USCS Classification.

31. Earth is required to be excavated from borrow pits for building an embankment. The wet unit
weight of undisturbed soil is 1 8 kN/m3 and its water content is 8%. In order to build a 4 m
high embankment with top width 2 m and side slopes 1:1, estimate the quantity of earth
required to be excavated per meter length of embankment. The dry unit weight required in
the embankment is 15 kN/m3 with a moisture content of 10%. Assume the specific gravity
 of solids as 2.67. Also determine the void ratios and the degree of saturation of the soil in
both the undisturbed and remolded states.

32. A soil sample in its natural state has, when fully saturated, a water content of 32.5%.
Determine the void ratio, dry and total unit weights. Calculate the total weight of water
required to saturate a soil mass of volume 10 m3. Assume G = 2.69.