Weight-Volume Relationships

Outline of this Lecture

1.Density, Unit weight, and
Specific gravity (Gs)
2.Phases in soil (a porous
medium)
3.Three phase diagram
4.Weight-volume relationships

For a general discussion we have

Weight W

W = Mg
density
Unit weight

M
=
V
W
=
V

So that

W Mg
= =
= g
V
V

Unit weight: = g
Unit weight is the product of density and
gravity acceleration. It is the gravitational
force caused by the mass of material
within a unit volume (density) in the unit of
Newtons per cubic meter in SI system.

Specific Gravity (Gs)

Specific gravity is defined as the ratio of
unit weight (or density) of a given material
to the unit weight (or density) of water since

=
=
Gs =
w w g w

Specific Gravity
Expected Value for Gs
Type of Soil

Gs

Sand

2.65 - 2.67

Silty sand

2.67 2.70

Inorganic clay

2.70 2.80

Soils with mica or iron

2.75 3.00

Organic soils

< 2.00

Three Phases of Soils

Naturally occurred soils always consist of
solid particles, water, and air, so that soil
has three phases: solid, liquid and gas.

Soil model
Solid Particles
Volume
Voids (air or water)

Three Phase Diagram

Air
Water

Solid

Mineral Skeleton

Idealization:
Three Phase Diagram

Fully Saturated Soils (Two phase)

Water

Solid

Mineral Skeleton

Fully Saturated

Dry Soils (Two phase) [Oven Dried]

Air

Solid

Mineral Skeleton

Dry Soil

Three Phase Diagram

Ww

Ws

Weight

Va

Air

Wa~0

Vv
WT

Vw

Water
VT

Solid

Vs

Volume

Phase relationship: the phase diagram

Ww

Va

Air

Wa~0

Vv
WT

Ws

Wt: total weight

Ws: weight of solid
Ww: weight of water
Wa: weight of air = 0

Vw

Water
VT

Solid

Vs

Vt: total volume

Vs: volume of solid
Vw: volume of water
Vv: volume of the void

Ww

Ws

Va

Air

Wa~0

Vv
WT

Vw

Water
VT

Solid

Vs

Vt = Vs + Vv = Vs + Vw + Va;
It is convenient to assume the volume of the
solid phase is unity (1) without lose generality.
Mt = Ms + Mw; and
Wt = Ws + Ww, since W=Mg

Void ratio: e = Vv/Vs; Porosity n = Vv/Vt

Vv
Vv
Vv / Vt
n
e= =
=
=
Vs Vt Vv 1 Vv / Vt 1 n
Vv
Vv
Vv / Vs
e
=
=
n= =
Vt Vs + Vv 1 + Vv / Vs 1 + e
Apparently, for the same material we always
have e > n. For example, when the porosity is
0.5 (50%), the void ratio is 1.0 already.

Ww

Ws

Va

Air

Wa~0

Vv
WT

Vw

Water
VT

Solid

Vs

Degree of saturation: S =Vw/Vv x 100%

Saturation is measured by the ratio of volume.
Moisture content (Water content): w = Ww/Ws,
Ww weight of water, Ws weight of solid
Water content is measured by the ratio of weight.
So that w can be greater than 100%.

Ww

Ws

Va

Air

Wa~0

Vv
WT

Vw

Water
VT

Solid

Vs

Degree of saturation: S =Vw/Vv x 100%

Saturation is measured by the ratio of volume.
Moisture content: w = Ww/Ws, Ww=Vww
Ww weight of water, Ws weight of solid
Water content is measured by the ratio of weight.

Definition of 3 types of unit weight

Total unit weight (moisture unit weight, wet unit
weight) :

Wt Ws + Ww
=
=
Vt
Vt
Dry unit weight d :

Ws
d = , Vt > Vs d < s
Vt
Saturated unit weight (when saturation S=1) sat :

sat

Wt
=
Vt

Moisture unit weight :

Solid unit weight s

dry unit weight d

Wt Ws + Ww
=
=
Vt
Vt
Ws
s =
Vs

Ws
d = , Vt > Vs d < s
Vt
Since

Ws Wt Ww Wt Ww
WwWs
d =
=
=

=
= w d
Vt
Vt
Vt Vt
WsVt
so that

d + w d =

and

d =

1+ w

From the original form of the dry unit weight

d =

1+ w

By taking the Taylor expansion and truncated at the

first order term:

d =

1+ w

= (1 w + w2 w3 + w4 w5 + ...) (1 w)

Because the moisture content w is a number always

smaller than one, i.e., w<1.
Thus, the dry unit weight d can be approximated as:

d = (1 w)

Relationships among S, e, w, and Gs

Vw
S = , then Vw = SVv = Se,
Vv

given Vs = 1

A simple way to get Das, Equation 3.18

Ww wVw weS eS
w=
=
=
=
, Vs = 1, Vv = 1
Ws sVs Gs w Gs
thus Se = wGs
When the soil is 100% saturated (S=1)
we have, Equation 3.20

e = wGs

Relationships among , n, w, and Gs

Ws = sVs = Gs w (1 n),

given Vs = 1 n

Ww = wWs = wGs w (1 n)

So that the dry unit weight d is

Ws Gs w (1 n)
d =
=
= Gs w (1 n)
1 n + n
Vt
And the moist unit weight is

Wt Ws + Ww Gs w (1 n) + wGs w (1 n)
=
=
=
Vt
Vt
1
= (1 + w)Gs w (1 n) = Gs w (1 n)(1 + w)

Relationships among , n, w, and Gs (cont.)

When S=1 (fully saturated soil)

sat

Ws + Ww Gs w (1 n) + n w
=
=
= [Gs (1 n) + n] w
Vt
1

the moisture content w when S=1 can be expressed as

Ww
n w
n
e
w=
=
=
=
Ws Gs w (1 n) Gs (1 n)
Gs
recall

Se = wGs , thus e = wGs

S =1

Weight-Volume Relationships (Table 3.1)

The 3rd column is a special case of the 1st column when S = 1.

Example:
Determine moisture content, void ratio,
porosity and degree of saturation of a soil
core sample. Also determine the dry unit
weight, d
Data:

Weight of soil sample = 1013g

Vol. of soil sample = 585.0cm3
Specific Gravity, Gs = 2.65
Dry weight of soil = 904.0g

Example
134.9cm3
243.9cm3
109.0cm3

Air

Wa~0

W =1.00

Water

109.0g
1013.0g

585.0cm3
s =2.65
341.1cm3

Volumes

Solid

904.0g

Weights

Results

From the three phase diagram we can find:

Moisture content, w

w=

Ww 109 ( g )
=
100 = 12.1%
Ws 904 ( g )

Void ratio, e

Porosity, n

Vv 243.9cm3
e= =
= 0.715
3
Vs 341.1cm
Vv 243.9 (cm3 )
n=
=
100 = 41.7%
VT 585.0 (cm 3 )

Degree of saturation, S

S =

Dry unit weight, d

d =

Vw
109
=
100 = 44 . 7 %
243 . 9
Vv
W s 904
g
=
= 1 .55
VT 585
cm 3

Measurement of the submerged density (or unit weight)

Now consider the submerged case, i.e., the twophase system has been put into the water:

M w buoyancy = e w e w = 0 and
M s buoyancy = Gs w 1 w = (Gs 1) w
Thus, the submerged density is

submerg

M t M w + M s 0 + (Gs 1) w (Gs 1) w
= =
=
=
=
Vt
Vt
1+ e
1+ e

In a two-phase system, i.e., if S=100%, and we let

Vs=1, we then have:

Vt = 1 + e , since Vw = Vv = e

Consider the not-submerged case, i.e., the twophase system has been just put in the air:

M w = wVw = e w

and

M s = sVs = Gs wVs = Gs w
Thus, the saturated density is

sat

M w + M s e w + Gs w w (e + Gs )
=
=
=
Vt
1+ e
1+ e

and the dry density is

M s Gs w
=
d =
Vt
1+ e

Recall that the saturated density is

sat

M w + M s w ( e + Gs )
=
=
1+ e
Vt

If we do the following

( e + Gs ) w
(e + Gs ) w (1 + e) w
sat w =
w =
1+ e
1+ e
(e + Gs 1 e) w (Gs 1) w
=
=
=
1+ e
1+ e
i.e., = sat w

If you have got the submerged density and

sure you know water density w

sat

M w + M s w ( e + Gs )
=
=
1+ e
Vt

You can calculate the saturated density sat.If you

know w then you can calculate the void ratio e. if
you think you can know e from the dry density d

Gs w
d =
1+ e
You can also calculate the submerged density
when the sample is not 100% saturated.

(Gs 1) w + e( S 1)
=
1+ e