A sample of moist soil having a wet mass of 1000 gm and a volume of
640 cm3 was dried in the oven and found to have a dry mass of 800 gm
Assuming the typical value of particle density (ρp ) 2.65 g/cm3.
Calculate:
(1) bulk density (ρb), (2) porosity (f), (3) void ratio (e),
(4) mass wetness (w), (5) volume wetness (θ),
(6) water volume ratio (vw), (7) degree of saturation (s),
(8) and air-filled porosity (fa)
, Solution:
(1) Bulk density:
𝑀𝑠 800
ρ𝑏 = = = 1.25gm/cm3
𝑉 640
(2) Porosity:
ρ𝑏 1.25𝑔𝑚/𝑐𝑚3
𝑓 =1− =1− 3 = 1 - 0.472 = 0.528×100 = 52.8%
ρ𝑠 2.65 𝑔𝑚/𝑐𝑚
𝑉𝑓 𝑉𝑡− 𝑉𝑠
(3) void ratio: 𝑒 = =
𝑉𝑠 𝑉𝑠
𝑴𝒔
𝝆𝒔 =
𝑽𝒔
𝑀𝑠 800𝑔𝑚 3
𝑉𝑠 = = 3 = 301.9 cm
ρ𝑠 2.65 𝑔𝑚/𝑐𝑚
640 cm3−301.9 cm3
𝑒= =1.12
301.9 cm3