Irrigation Engineering, solved problems on chapter two

SOLVED PROBLEMS ON MASS-VOLUME RELATIONSHIPS OF SOILS

Example 1: If the water content of a certain saturated soil sample is 22 per cent and the specific gravity is
2.65, determine the saturated unit weight γsat, dry unit weight γd, porosity n and void ratio e.
SOLUTION:

Example 2: A moist clay sample weighs 0.55N. Its volume is 35 cm3. After drying in an oven for 24 hours,
it weighs 0.50N. Assuming specific gravity of clay as 2.65, compute the porosity n, degree of saturation S,
original moist unit weight, and dry unit weight.

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Irrigation Engineering, solved problems on chapter two

SOLUTION:

Problem -3
Given
 Weight of wet soil = W1 = 1870g
 Volume of soil = Vt = 1000cm3 = 10cm x 10cm x 10cm
 Weight of Oven dry soil = W2 = 1677g
 Apparent specific gravity of soil solids, Gs = 2.66
Required
1. Dry bulk density, DBD
2. Wet bulk density, WBD
3. Apparent specific gravity of dry soil, Asgdry
4. Apparent specific gravity of wet soil, Asgwet
5. Soil wetness
a. Mass wetness, SMC(w/w)
b. Volume wetness, SMC(v/v)
6. Depth of water
7. Porosity of soil, n
8. Void ratio, e
9. Degree of Saturation, s

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Irrigation Engineering, solved problems on chapter two

SOLUTION
Weight of water, Ww = Weight of wet soil - weight of oven dry soil
= W1 -W2 = 1870g -1677g= 193g
Draw the block diagram of the soil.

Weight of air, Wa = 0
Weight of solid, Ws = 1677g
Weight of water, Ww = 193g
Total weight of soil = WT = 1870g & Total volume of soil, VT = 1000cm3

(g) Porosity of soil

ws 1677 g Volume of water
a) DBD    1.677 g 3 (f) Depth of water 
vt 1000 cm 3
cm Area

wt 1870 g vw
b) WBD   g d
3  1.87 A
vt 1000 cm cm 3

193 g
DBD 1.677 g Vw 
mw

ww
 m  193cm 3
 cm 3  1.677
c) Gdry = w w 1 gm
w 1g cm 3
3
cm
193cm 3
1.87 g Depth, D 
WBD cm 3  1.87 100cm 2
d) Gwet = 
w  1.93cm
1g
cm 3
Vp
e) Soil Wetness n
VT
(i) Mass wetness (SMC w ) Ws
w GS 
V s w
ww 193
m   x600  11.5%
ws 1677 Ws 1677
Volume of solids, VS    630.5cm 3
Gs w 2.66(1)
(ii) Volume wetness SMC v %
v
 
Volume of pores or voids, VP
 
 v  SMC w w % * Gdry  11.5 *1.677  19.286%

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Irrigation Engineering, solved problems on chapter two

Vt  V p  Vs
V p  Vt  Vs
 1000cm 3  630.5cm 3  369.5cm 3

Vp 369.5cm 3
n  x100  36.95%
VT 1000cm 3
h) Void ratio, e
Vp 369.5cm 3
e   0.586
Vs 630.5cm 3

(i) Degree of Saturation, S

V
S  w x100
VP
193
 x100
369.5
 52.2%

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Irrigation Engineering, solved problems on chapter two

Problem -4
A soil sample was taken with core samples from a field when soil reached field capacity. The
wet soil/fresh core weighed 1113.14g & dry soil core weighed 980.57g. The inside diameter of
the core was 10cm and the length was 8cm. Determine Soil water content on weight basis (Mass
Wetness) & Soil water content on volume basis (volume wetness).
Given
 Diameter of Core Sampler , d= 10cm
 Length of Core sampler , h= 8 cm d=10cm
 Wt. of wet soil /fresh core = 1113.14g
 Wt. of oven dry soil core = 980.57g
Required
1) Soil water content on weight basis (Mass Wetness) H=L=8cm

2) Soil water content on volume basis (volume wetness)

Solution
(1) Soil water content on weight basis, Mass wetness


 m  SMC w w %  
Wt. of wet soil core - wt. of oven dry soil core
wt. of oven dry soil core
x100

1113.14  980.57
 x100  13.52%
980.57
(2) Soil water content on volume basis, (Volume wetness)

  
 v  SMC v v %  SMC w w % * Gdry 
 Apparent Specific gravity of dry soil, G dry
DBD
Gdry 
w
wt. of oven dry soil, M s
DBD 
 Volume of soil, Vt
M s  980.579
Volume of soil = Volume of core sampler
 2  * 8  628.57cm
  r 2 h  3.14 * 10
2
3

980.57 g
DBD   1.56 g 3
628.57cm 3
cm

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Irrigation Engineering, solved problems on chapter two

v
 w
 
Thus,  v  SMC v %  SMC w % * Gdry  13.52% *1.56  21.09%

Problem -5
The volume of water present in a 395cm3 soil core is 75m . The oven dry weight of the soil core
is 625g. Calculate the soil water content on weight basis.
Given

 Volume of soil, Vt  395cm 3

 Volume of water, Vw  75m  75cm 3
 Oven dry weight of soil core  625 g

Required 
 m  SMC w w % 
Solution
Oven dry weight of soil core, g 625.g
DBD    1.58 g 3
Volume of soil core, cm 3
395cm 3
cm

DBD 1.58 g
Apparent Specific gravity of dry soil, Gdry  = cm 3  1.58
w 1g
cm 3


SMC v % 
v

Volume of water, Vw

75cm 3
Volume of soil core, Vt 395cm 3
x100  19.0%


SMC w %   SMC v %
v
  19.0%
w   12.03%
Gdry 1.58

Andualem Leta 6