University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines

Civil Engineering Department

GEOTECHNICAL
ENGINEERING (SOIL
MECHANICS)
Week 3
Additional
Practice problem
By: CE Faculty
Important Formulas
Degree of Unit Weight Dry Unit Weight Moist Density
Void Ration Saturation of Soil of Soil ( (1+ 𝑤 ) 𝐺𝑠 𝜌 𝑤
𝑉𝑣 𝑉𝜔 𝑊 𝐺𝑠 𝛾 𝑤 𝜌𝑚 =
𝑒= 𝑆= 𝛾= 𝛾 𝑑= 1+𝑒
𝑉𝑠 𝑉𝑣 𝑉 1+ 𝑒
𝑛 ( 1+𝑤 ) 𝐺 𝑠 𝛾 𝑤 Dry Density
𝑒= 𝛾= ¿ 𝛾 𝑑 ( 1 +𝑤 )
1 −𝑛 1+ 𝑒 𝐺 𝑠 𝜌𝑤
Specific 𝜌 𝑑=
Porosity Gravity Moist Unit 1 +𝑒
𝑉𝑣 𝛾𝑠 Weight of Soil
𝑛= 𝐺𝑠= Saturated Density
𝑉 𝛾𝑤 ( 𝐺𝑠 + 𝑆𝑒 ) 𝛾 𝑤
𝛾𝑚 =
𝑒 𝑊𝑠 1+𝑒 ( 𝐺𝑠 + 𝑒 ) 𝜌 𝑤
𝑛= 𝐺𝑠= 𝜌 𝑠𝑎𝑡 =
1+ 𝑒 𝑉 𝑠 𝛾𝑤 1+𝑒
𝛾 𝑚 =𝛾 𝑑 ( 1 +𝑤 )

Moisture of Four-way Relative Density

Saturated Unit

[ ][ ]
Content Formula 1 1
Weight of Soil ( −
𝑊𝑤 𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑥 − 𝑒 𝛾 𝑑 ( 𝑚𝑖𝑛) 𝛾𝑑
𝑤= 𝐺 𝑠 𝑤=𝑒𝑆 ( 𝐺 𝑠 +𝑒 ) 𝛾 𝑤
𝑊𝑠 𝐷𝑟 = =

[ ][ ]
𝛾 𝑠𝑎𝑡 = 𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑥 − 𝑒𝑚 𝑖𝑛 1 1
1+ 𝑒 −
𝛾 𝑑 ( 𝑚𝑖𝑛) 𝛾 𝑑 ( 𝑚𝑎𝑥 )
PRACTICE PROBLEM 1
A dry sand is placed in a container having a volume of 0.0089 cm3. The
dry mass of the sample is 0.014 g. Water is carefully added to the
container so not to disturbed the condition of the sand. When container
is filled, the combined mass of soil plus water is 0.0174 g. Calculate;
a.) Void Ratio of the soil in the container
b.) Porosity of Soil
c.) Water Content
d.) Specific Gravity of the Soil
e.) Saturated Unit Weight of Soil
f. ) Dry Unit Weight of Soil
g.) Effective Unit Weight of Soil

Given:
PRACTICE PROBLEM 1
Solution:
Given:
a.) Void Ratio of the soil in the container
𝑉𝑣
𝑉𝑣 𝑉 𝑣 =𝑉 𝑎 +𝑉 𝑤 𝑒= 𝑉 𝑠 =?
𝑒= where 𝑉𝑠
𝑉𝑠 𝑉 𝑎= 0 ,𝑉 𝑤 =?
𝑀𝑤 𝑉 𝑐 =𝑉 𝑠 +𝑉 𝑤
𝜌𝑤 = => 𝑀 =𝑀 𝑠 + 𝑀 𝑤
𝑉𝑤
𝑀 𝑤 =0.014 −0.0174 𝑉 𝑠 =0.0089 − 0 .0034
𝑀𝑤 𝑀 𝑤 =0.0034 g 3
𝑉 𝑤= 𝑉 𝑠 =0.0055 𝑐𝑚
𝜌𝑤
0.0034 𝑔 𝑉𝑣 0.0034
𝑉 𝑤= =0.0034 𝑐𝑚
3 𝑒= =
𝑔 𝑉𝑠 0.0055
1 3
𝑐𝑚
𝑒=0.61818
3 3
∴ 𝑉 𝑣 = 0+0.0034 𝑐𝑚 =0.0034 𝑐𝑚
PRACTICE PROBLEM 1
Solution:
Given:

b.) Porosity of Soil c.) Water Content or Moisture

𝑒 𝑉𝑣 Content
𝑛= 𝑛= 𝑊𝑤
1+ 𝑒 𝑉 𝑤=
𝑊𝑠
0.61818 0.0034
𝑛= 𝑛= 0.0034
1+ 0.61818 0.0089 𝑤=
0.014
𝑛=0.38202 𝑛=0.38202
𝑤=24.286 %
PRACTICE PROBLEM 1
Solution:
Given:

d.) Specific Gravity of the Soil e.) Saturated Unit Weight of Soil
𝐺 𝑠 𝑤=𝑒𝑆 where 𝑆=1 Fully Saturated ( 𝐺 𝑠 +𝑒 ) 𝛾 𝑤
𝛾 𝑠𝑎𝑡 =
1+ 𝑒
𝑒𝑆
𝐺𝑠=
𝑤 ( 2.545 +0.61818 ) ( 9.81 )
𝛾 𝑠𝑎𝑡 =
1+ 0.61818
( 0.61818 ) (1 )
𝐺𝑠=
0.24286
𝑘𝑁
𝛾 𝑠 𝑎𝑡 =19.18
𝐺 𝑠 =2.545 𝑚3
 PRACTICE PROBLEM 1
Solution:
Given:

f.) Dry Unit Weight of Soil g.) Effective Unit Weight of Soil
𝐺𝑠 𝛾 𝑤
𝛾 𝑑= 𝛾 𝑒𝑓𝑓 =𝛾 𝑠𝑎𝑡 − 𝛾 𝑤
1+ 𝑒

( 2.545 ) ( 9.81 )
𝛾 𝑒𝑓𝑓 =1 9.18 − 9.81
𝛾 𝑑=
1+ 0.61818
𝑘𝑁
𝛾 𝑒𝑓𝑓 =9.37 3
𝑘𝑁 𝑚
𝛾 𝑑= 15.43 3
𝑚
PRACTICE PROBLEM 2
A Granular Soil located in a borrow pit is found to have an in-place dry
density of 1895 kg/m3. In the laboratory, values of dry maximum density
and minimum density are determined as 2100 kg/m3 and 1440 kg/m3
respectively.
a.) Compute the relative density of soil in the borrow pit
b.) Compute the void ratio of the soil in the natural condition if the
maximum and minimum densities indicated void ratios of 0.28 at the
max density and 0.92 at minimum density.
c.) Compute the specific gravity of this soil

Given:
PRACTICE PROBLEM 2
Solution:
Given:

a.) Relative Density b.) void ration

𝐷𝑟 =
[ 1
𝛾 𝑑 ( 𝑚𝑖𝑛)][ ] −
1
𝛾𝑑 𝐷𝑟 =
𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑥 − 𝑒
𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑥 − 𝑒𝑚 𝑖𝑛

[ 1
𝛾 𝑑 (𝑚𝑖𝑛) ][ ]
−
1
𝛾 𝑑 ( 𝑚𝑎𝑥 ) 𝑒= 𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑥 − 𝐷𝑟 ( 𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑥 − 𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑛 )

[ ][ ]
1 1
−
𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑔 𝑒=0.92− ( 0.7640 ) ( 0.92 −0.28 )
1440 3
1895 3
𝑚 𝑚
𝐷𝑟 =

[ ][ ]
1 1
𝑘𝑔
−
𝑘𝑔
𝑒=43.10 %
1440 3
2100 3
𝑚 𝑚

𝐷𝑟 =76.40 %
PRACTICE PROBLEM 2
Solution:
Given:

c.) Specific Gravity of Soil

Formulas: 𝐺 𝑠 𝜌𝑤 𝑘𝑔
𝜌 𝑑= 𝜌 𝑤 =1000
1 +𝑒 where
3
𝛾𝑠 𝑚
𝐺𝑠=
𝛾𝑤
𝑊𝑠 𝜌 𝑑 ( 1+𝑒 )
𝐺𝑠= 𝐺𝑠=
𝑉 𝑠 𝛾𝑤 𝜌𝑤

𝐺 𝑠 𝑤=𝑒𝑆 1895 ( 1+ 0.431 )

𝐺𝑠=
1000

𝐺 𝑠 =2.712
University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines
Civil Engineering Department

QUESTIONS

By: CE Faculty