Faculty of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Department of Infrastructure & Geomatic Engineering

Subject: Geotechnics I (BFC 21702)

Tutorial: CHAPTER 2 (Weight-Volume relationship)

1. A 12.47kg soil sample has a volume of 0.006m3, a moisture content of 10.2%, and a specific
gravity of solids of 2.65. Compute the bulk density, dry density, void ratio, porosity and
degree of saturation. (Answer: 2078 kg/m3, 1887 kg/m3, 0.405, 28%, 66%)
2. A certain soil has the following properties: Gs = 2.71, n = 41.9% and w = 21.3%. Find the
bulk unit weight (kN/m3), dry unit weight (kN/m3), void ratio and degree of saturation.
(Answer: 18.736 kN/m3, 15.446 kN/m3, 0.721, 79.95%)
3. An undisturbed block sample of clay weight 101.4 kg and has a dimension of 0.4 m x 0.4 m
x 0.4 m. Its moisture content is 25%. By assuming the specific gravity as 2.65, determine the
bulk unit weight, dry density, void ratio, porosity and degree of saturation of the clay.
(Answer: 1584 kg/m3, 1268 kg/m3, 1.06, 51.56%, 60.61%)
4. A sample of soil is compacted into a 9.44 x 10-4 m3 laboratory mould. The mass of the
compacted soil is 1.91 kg, and its moisture content is 14.5%. Using a specific gravity of
solids of 2.66, compute the degree of saturation, dry density (kg/m3), bulk unit weight and
dry unit weight in (kN/m3) of this compacted soil. (Answer: 75.95%, 1769 kg/m3, 19.85
kN/m3, 17.35 kN/m3)
5. A saturated soil has a moisture content of 38.0% and a specific gravity of solids of 2.73.
Compute the void ratio, porosity, bulk unit weight (kN/m3) and dry unit weight (kN/m3) of
this soil. (Answer: 1.04, 50.98%, 18.12 kN/m3, 13.13 kN/m3)
6. A sample of clay was obtained from a point below the groundwater table. The specific
gravity of solid is 2.65. A moisture content on this sample produced the following data:
Mass of can = 10.88 g
Mass of can + moist soil = 116.02 g
Mass of can + dry soil = 85.34 g

Compute the moisture content, void ratio, bulk unit weight, dry unit weight and porosity of
this soil. (Answer: 41.1%, 1.09, 17.56 kN/m3, 12.44 kN/m3, 52.13%)
7. An undisturbed cylindrical soil sample is 60 mm in diameter and 152 mm long. It has a mass
of 816 g. After finding the mass, a small portion of soil was removed and moisture content
test was performed on it. The results of this test on the sub-sample were:
Mass of can = 22.01 g
Mass of can + moist soil = 124.97 g
Mass of can + dry soil = 112.72 g

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 Compute the moisture content, bulk density (kN/m3), dry density (kN/m3), void ratio and
degree of saturation
(Answer:

8. The moist density of a soil is 1680 kg/m3. Given w = 18% and Gs = 2.73. Determine the dry density,
porosity, degree of saturation and the mass of water in kg, to be added to reach full saturation.
(Answer: d = 1424 kg/m3, n = 0.478, Sr = 53.56%, mass of water = 221.73 kg)

9. A sand with Gs = 2.66 and e = 0.60 is completely dry. It then becomes wetted by a rising
groundwater table. Compute the unit weight (kN/m3) under the following conditions:
a) When the sand is completely dry
b) When the sand is 40% saturated
c) When the sand is completely saturated.

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