PHYSICAL

PROPERTIES
OF SOIL
Presentation by:
Engr. Darwin Manalo
First Semester, 2023-2024
TABLE OF CONTENT
1 WEIGHT-VOLUME RELATIONSHIP
RELATIONSHIP AMONG UNIT WEIGHT, VOID RATIO,
2 MOISTURE CONTENT AND SPECIFIC GRAVITY
RELATIONSHIP AMONG UNIT WEIGHT, POROSITY
3 AND MOISTURE CONTENT
4 RELATIVE DENSITY

5 CONSISTENCY OF SOIL

6 LIQUIDITY INDEX
 INTRODUCTION
Soil mass is generally a three-phase system. It consists of solid
particles, liquid and gas. For all practical purposes, the liquid
may be water (although in some cases, the water may contain
some dissolved salts) and the gas as air. The phase system may
be expressed in SI units either in terms of mass-volume or
weight-volume relationships. The inter relationships of the
different phases are important since they help to define the
condition or the physical make-up of the soil.
 INTRODUCTION
In this chapter we will discuss the following:
Define and develop non-dimensional volume relationships such
as void ratio, porosity, and degree of saturation.
Define and develop weight relationships such as moisture
content and unit weight (dry, saturated, and moist) in
combination with the volume relationships.
 WEIGHT-VOLUME
RELATIONSHIP
Weight-volume relationships include relationships among
parameters such as void ratio, porosity, degree of saturation,
moisture content, and weight. The parameters are fundamental
to the study of geotechnical engineering.
WEIGHT - VOLUME RELATIONSHIP
Figure shows an element of soil of volume V and weight W as it
would exist in a natural state. To develop the weight–volume
relationships, we must separate the three phases (that is, solid,
water, and air) as shown. Thus, the total volume of a given soil
sample can be expressed as:

where:
Vs = volume of soil solids
Vv = volume of voids
Vw = volume of water in the voids
Va = volume of air in the voids
 WEIGHT - VOLUME RELATIONSHIP
Assuming that the weight of the air is negligible, we can give
the total weight of the sample as:

where:
Ws = weight of soil solids
Ww = weight of water
 WEIGHT - VOLUME RELATIONSHIP
The volume relationships commonly used for the three phases in
a soil element are void ratio, porosity, and degree of saturation.
Degree of
Void Ratio (e) Porosity (n) Saturation (S)
 WEIGHT - VOLUME RELATIONSHIP
The relationship between void ratio and porosity can be derived
as follows:
 WEIGHT - VOLUME RELATIONSHIP
The common terms used for weight relationships are moisture
content and unit weight.

Moisture Unit
Content (w) Weight (y)

where: where:
Ws = weight of soil solids W = total weight
Ww = weight of water V = total volume
 SAMPLE
PROBLEM
PROBLEM 1
A soil sample has a weight of 0.7 kg and the volume was
found to be 3.5 × 10-4 m³. After drying out the weight was
reduced to 0.6 kg. The particle specific gravity test gave 2.6.
Determine the following:

(a) Moisture content

(b) Dry Density
(c) Void Ratio
(d) Porosity
(e) Degree of saturation
PROBLEM 2
A soil sample has a moist weight of 700g and a dry weight of
600g. It also have an specific gravity of 2.7 and moist density
of 1.8 g/cm3. Determine the:

(a) Water content

(b) Void Ratio
(c) Porosity
(d) Degree of saturation
PROBLEM 3
A cylindrical soil sample prepared for laboratory testing has a
diameter of 71 mm, a heights of 142 mm, and weighs 10.675
x10-3 kN. If the degree of saturation is 93% and the specific
gravity of soil solids is 2.71, determine:

(a) Void ratio

(b) Water content
(c) Porosity
(d) Water content under fully saturated condition (Note: in
fully saturated condition, S=100%)
PROBLEM 4
In its natural state, a moist soil has a volume of 9.34x10-3 m3
and weighs 177.6x10-3 kN. The oven dried weight of soil is
153.6x10-3 kN. if Gs is 2.67, calculate

(a) Moisture content (%)

(b) Moist unit weight (kN/m3)
(c) Dry unit weight (kN/m3)
(d) Void ratio
(e) Pososity
(f) Degree of saturation (%)
 PROBLEM 5
The moist weight of 5.66x10-3 m3 of a soil is 102.3x10-3kN. The
moisture content and the specific gravity of the soil solids are
determined in the laboratory to be 11% and 2.7, respectively.
Calculate the following:

(a) Moist unit weight (kN/m3)

(b) Dry unit weight (kN/m3)
(c) Void ratio
(d) Porosity
(e) Degree of saturation (%)
(f) Volume occupied by water (m3)
 PROBLEM 6
If a soil sample has a dry unit weight of 19.5kN/m3, a moisture
content of 8% and a specific gravity of solid particles is 2.67.
Calculate the following:

a. Void Ratio
b. Moist Unit Weight
c. Saturated Unit Weight
d. The mass of water to be added to cubic meter of soil to reach
the 80% saturation.
e. The volume of solid particles when the mass of water is 25
grams for saturation.
 PROBLEM 7
During a compaction test in the geotechnical laboratory, the
students compacted a clayey soil into a cylindrical mold 4 in. in
diameter and 4.58 in. in height. The compacted soil in the mold
weighed 4 lb, and it had a moisture content of 12%. If Gs is 2.72,
determine the following:

a. Dry unit weight

b. Void ratio
c. Degree of saturation
d. Additional water (in lb) needed to achieve 100% saturation in
the soil sample
RELATIVE DENSITY
 RELATIVE DENSITY
The term relative density is commonly used to indicate the in situ
denseness or loose-ness of granular soil. It is defined as
RELATIVE DENSITY

where:
Dr = Relative Density (%)
n = In situ porosity
nmax = porosity in loosest state
nmin = porosity in densest state
RELATIVE DENSITY

where:
Dr = Relative Density (%)
ydry = In situ dry unit weight
yd (max) = dry unit weight in loosest state
yd (min) = dry unit weight in densest state
 RELATIVE DENSITY

where:
Dr = Relative Density (%)
pdry = In situ density
pd (max) = density in loosest state
pd (min) = density in densest state
RELATIVE DENSITY
 PROBLEM 8
For a given sandy soil, emax = 0.75 and emin = 0.4.
Let Gs = 2.68. In the field, the soil is compacted to
a moist unit weight of 112 lb/ft3 at a moisture
content of 12%. Determine the relative density of
compaction.
ATTERBERG LIMIT
 ATTERBERG LIMIT
When clay minerals are present in fine-grained soil, the soil can be
remolded in the presence of some moisture without crumbling. This
cohesive nature is caused by the adsorbed water surrounding the clay
particles. In the early 1900s, a Swedish scientist named Atterberg
developed a method to describe the consistency of fine-grained soils
with varying moisture contents. At a very low moisture content, soil
behaves more like a solid. When the moisture content is very high, the
soil and water may flow like a liquid. Hence, on an arbitrary basis,
depending on the moisture content, the behavior of soil can be divided
into four basic states— solid, semisolid, plastic, and liquid—as shown in
Figure 4.1.
ATTERBERG LIMIT
 ATTERBERG LIMIT

The moisture content, in percent, at which the transition

from solid to semisolid state takes place is defined as
the shrinkage limit. The moisture content at the point of
transition from semi-solid to plastic state is the plastic
limit, and from plastic to liquid state is the liquid limit.
These parameters are also known as Atterberg limits.
 LIQUID LIMIT
A schematic diagram (side view) of a liquid limit device is shown in
Figure 19a. This device consists of a brass cup and a hard rubber base.
The brass cup can be dropped onto the base by a cam operated by a
crank. To perform the liquid limit test, one must place a soil paste in the
cup. A groove is then cut at the center of the soil pat with the standard
grooving tool (Figure 19b). By the use of the crank-operated cam, the
cup is lifted and dropped from a height of 10 mm (0.394 in.). The
moisture content, in percent, required to close a distance of 12.7 mm
(0.5 in.) along the bottom of the groove (see Figures 19c and 19d) after
25 blows is defined as the liquid limit.
LIQUID LIMIT
LIQUID LIMIT
LIQUID LIMIT
 LIQUID LIMIT
It is difficult to adjust the moisture content in the soil to meet the
required 12.7 mm (0.5 in.) closure of the groove in the soil pat at 25
blows. Hence, at least three tests for the same soil are conducted at
varying moisture contents, with the number of blows, N, required to
achieve closure varying between 15 and 35. The moisture content of the
soil, in percent, and the corresponding number of blows are plotted on
semi-logarithmic graph paper (Figure 4.5). The relationship between
moisture content and log N is approximated as a straight line. This line is
referred to as the flow curve. The moisture content corresponding to
N=25, determined from the flow curve, gives the liquid limit of the soil.
LIQUID LIMIT
 PLASTIC LIMIT
The plastic limit is defined as the moisture content in percent, at which
the soil crumbles, when rolled into threads of 3.2 mm (1/8 in.) in
diameter. The plastic limit is the lower limit of the plastic stage of soil.
The plastic limit test is simple and is performed by repeated rolling's of
an ellipsoidal-sized soil mass by hand on a ground glass plate (Figure
4.10). The procedure for the plastic limit test is given by ASTM in Test
Designation D-4318.
PLASTIC LIMIT
 PLASTIC LIMIT
Table 4.3 gives the ranges of liquid limit, plastic limit, and activity
(Section 4.7) of some clay minerals (Mitchell, 1976; Skempton, 1953)
 PLASTICITY INDEX
The plasticity index (PI) is the difference between the liquid limit and
the plastic limit of a soil, or

Burmister (1949) classified the plasticity index in a qualitative manner

as follows:
 SHRINKAGE LIMIT
Soil shrinks as moisture is gradually lost from it. With continuing loss of
moisture, a stage of equilibrium is reached at which more loss of
moisture will result in no further volume change (Figure 4.13). The
moisture content, in percent, at which the volume of the soil mass
ceases to change is defined as the shrinkage limit.
Shrinkage limit tests are performed in the laboratory with a porcelain
dish about 44 mm (1.75 in.) in diameter and about 12.7 mm (1/2 in.) high.
The inside of the dish is coated with petroleum jelly and is then filled
completely with wet soil. Excess soil standing above the edge of the
dish is struck off with a straightedge. The mass of the wet soil inside the
dish is recorded. The soil pat in the dish is then oven-dried. The volume
of the oven-dried soil pat is then determined.
SHRINKAGE LIMIT
 SHRINKAGE LIMIT
By reference to Figure 4.13, the shrinkage limit can be determined as:

where:
wi = initial moisture content when the soil is
placed in the shrinkage limit dish
delta w = change in moisture content (that is,
between the initial moisture content and the
moisture content at the shrinkage.
 SHRINKAGE LIMIT
However,

Where: Where
M1 = mass of the wet soil pat Vi = initial volume of the wet
in the dish at the beginning soil pat (that is, inside volume
of the test (g) of the dish, cm3 )
M2 = mass of the dry soil pat Vf = volume of the oven-dried
(g) (see Figure 4.14) soil pat (cm3 )
pw= density of water (g/cm3 )
 SHRINKAGE LIMIT
Finally, combining two equations:
 SHRINKAGE LIMIT

Photograph of soil pat in the shrinkage limit dish: (a) before drying;
(b) after drying.
 PROBLEM 9
The following data shows the results of the plastic
limit test. Determine the plastic limit. If the liquid
limit is 45.30 %, determine the plasticity index.
 SHRINKAGE LIMIT
Shrinkage Ratio:

Specific Gravity
 LIQUIDITY INDEX AND
CONSISTENCY INDEX
Liquidity Index

Consistency Index