Chapter 3

Weight-Volume Relationships

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3.1 Learning Objectives
• Define and develop nondimensional volume relationships such as:
• Void ratio
• Porosity
• Degree of saturation
• Define and develop weight relationships such as:
• Moisture content
• Unit weight (dry, saturated, and moist)
• Define and develop weight relationships in combination with volume
relationships

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3.2 Weight-Volume Relationships

• Soil consists of three phases: solid,

water, and air
• To develop weight-volume relationships,
we must separate the three phases

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 Volume Weight Mass

Va Air Wa=0 Ma=0

Vv
Vw Water Ww Mw
V W M

Vs Vs Solids Ws Ms

Soil Sample

Phase Diagram
Va : volume of air Wa : weight of air = 0
Vw : volume of water Ww : weight of water
Vs : volume of solids Ws : weight of solids
Vv : volume of voids (Va+Vw) Wv : weight of voids (Ww)
V : total volume of soil (Vv+Vs) W : total weight of soil (Wv+Ws)

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Volumes
– Total volume of soil (V=Vv+Vs=Va+Vw+Vs)
– Volume of solids (Vs)
– Volume of voids (Vv=Va+Vw)
– Volume of water (Vw)
– Volume of air (Va)
– Specific volume (v) : total volume of soil (V) which contains
unit volume of solids (Vs=1)
Weights
– Total weight of soils (W = Ws+Ww)
– Weight of solids (Ws)
– Weight of water (Ww)
Masses
– Total mass of soils (M = Ms+Mw)
– Mass of solids (Ms)
– Mass of water (Mw)

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Water/moisture content (w): ratio of weight of water (Ww) and
weight of solids (Ws) or ratio of mass of water (Mw) and mass of
solid (Ms)
Ww M w g M w
w  
Ws M s g M s
Air content or air voids (A): ratio of volume of air (Va) and the
total volume (V) of soils
Va
A
V
Void ratio (e): ratio of volume of voids (Vv) and total volume of
solids (Vs)
Vv
e
Vs
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Porosity (n): ratio of volume of voids (Vv) to the total volume of
soil (V)
Vv
n
V
Degree of saturation (Sr): ratio of the volume of water (Vw) to
volume of voids (Vv)

Vw
Sr 
Vv
Specific gravity (Gs): ratio of weight/mass of soil to the
weight/mass of same volume of water

Ws M g M Vs   s 
Gs   s  s   s
Ww M w  g M w Vw (  Vs )   w  w
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Unit weights
–Unit weight/moist unit weight/bulk unit
weight (γ )
–Particle unit weight (γs)
–Dry unit weight (γd)
–Unit weight of water (γw = 9.81kN/m3 = 62.4lb/ft3)
–Saturated unit weight (γsat , when Sr = 1.0)
–Buoyant unit weight (γ’ = γsat - γw )
Densities
–Density/moist density/bulk density (ρ)
–Particle density (ρs)
–Dry density (ρd)
–Density of water (ρw = 1000 kg/m3 )
–Saturated density (ρsat , when Sr = 1.0)
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 Quiz
1. If void ratio of a soil is 0.2, then its porosity will be?

2. If the specific gravity of soil solids is 2.67, and the

volume of soil solids is 0.012m3 , what is the weight of
the solids?

3. If the specific gravity of soil solids is 2.67, and water

content is 32% for a saturated soil, its void ratio will be?

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3.3 Relationships among Unit Weight, Void Ratio, Moisture
Content, and Specific Gravity

• If the volume of soil solids is 1, then the volume of voids is

numerically equal to the void ratio (e)
• The weights of soil solids and water are expressed as:
Ws  Gsg w

Ww  wWs  wGsg w
 Where:
 Gs = specific gravity of soil solids
 w = moisture content
 γw = unit weight of water

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Unit Weight Derivations
• Using the equations for weights of soil solids and water, we can derive the
equation for moist and dry unit weight, respectively, as follows:

 Where γd is the dry unit weight of soil

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Phase diagram for derivation of S e = w Gs

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 Relationships: Saturated Soil Sample

• Saturated soil exists when void spaces are completely filled with water

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 Saturated Unit Weight Definition
• The relationship of saturated unit weight (γsat) to void ratio (e), moisture
content (w), and specific gravity of solids (Gs) is:

W Ws +Ww Gsg w + eg w (Gs + e)g w

g sat    
V V 1+ e 1+ e
 With S = 1, the void ratio is:

e  wGs

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 3.4 Relationships among Unit Weight, Porosity,
and Moisture Content
• Consider a soil that has total volume (V) of 1
Vv
n
V
• Then Vv = n, thus Vs = 1 – n, and the weight of soil solids and weight of water
become:

Ws  Gsg w (1- n)
Ww  wWs  wGsg w (1- n)
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 Unit Weight Derivation

• Using the relationships for weights of soil solids and water, we can derive the
equations for dry and moist unit weight as follows:

Ws Gsg w (1 - n)
gd  
V 1

Ws +Ww
g
V

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 Unit Weight Definition in relation to Porosity (n)

• Thus, the relationship between dry and moist unit weight and porosity can be
expressed as:

g d  Gsg w (1- n)

g  Gsg w (1- n)(1+ w)

 Where:
 Gs = specific gravity of soil solids
 w = moisture content
 n = porosity

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3.5 Various unit weight relationships

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Typical void ratio, moisture content, and dry unit weight

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Example 3.2

W Ws +Ww Gsg w + eg w (Gs + e)g w

g sat    
V V 1+ e 1+ e

e  wGs
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Example 3.2

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Example 3.2

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Example 3.3

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Example 3.3

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Example 3.3

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Example 3.3

S e = w Gs S=0.93, e=0.769, Gs=2.71

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Example 3.3

S e = w Gs

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Example 3.4

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Example 3.4

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Example 3.4

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Example 3.4

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Example 3.4

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3.6 Relative Density
Relative density indicates the in situ denseness or looseness of granular soil,
defined as:
emax e
emax - e
Dr 
emax - emin emax emin

 where:
 Dr = relative density, usually given as a percentage
 e = in situ void ratio of the soil
 emax = void ratio of the soil in the loosest state
 emin = void ratio of the soil in the densest state

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Qualitative Description for Granular Soil
Deposits

• In-place soils seldom have relative densities less than 20-30%

• Compacting a granular soil to a relative density greater than 85% is
difficult

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 Relative Density in Terms of Porosity
• Void ratio (max and min) can be defined in terms of porosity:

nmax nmin
emax  emin 
1- nmax 1- nmin

 Thus, relative density in terms of porosity (n) can be defined as:

(1- nmin )(nmax - n)

Dr 
(nmax - nmin )(1- n)

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Relative Density in Terms of Dry Unit Weight

emax - e
Dr 
emax - emin

 For a determination of the minimum dry unit weight, sand is poured

loosely into the mold from a funnel with a 12.7 mm diameter spout. The
average height of the fall of sand into the mold is maintained at about
25.4 mm.
 The maximum dry unit weight is determined by vibrating sand in the
mold with a surcharge on top for 8 min.

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Example 3.5

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3.7 Void Ratios: emax and emin
Maximum and minimum void ratios for granular soils depend on
several factors, such as:
• Grain size
• Grain shape
• Nature of the grain-size distribution curve
• Fine contents, Fc (that is, fraction smaller than 0.075 mm)

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 3.8 Correlation Between emax, emin, emax – emin,
and Grain Size
 Cubrinovski and Ishihara (2002) study
 Clean sand (Fc = 0 to 5%)
 emax = 0.072 + 1.53emin
 Sand with fines (5 < Fc <= 15%)
 emax = 0.25 + 1.37emin
 Sand with fines and clay (15 < Fc <= 30%; Pc = 5 to 20%)
 emax = 0.44 + 1.21emin
 Silty soils (30 < Fc <= 70%; Pc = 5 to 20%)
 emax = 0.44 + 1.32emin
 Where:
 Fc = fine fraction for which grain size is smaller than 0.075 mm
 Pc = clay-size fraction (< 0.005 mm)

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Variation of emax and emin with percent of nonplastic fines (Based on the test results of Lade et
al., 1998). Note: For 50/80 sand and fines, D50-sand /D50-fine =4.22 and for 80/200 sand and
fines, D50-sand/D50-fine =2.4
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Correlation Between Void Ratio Range and
Median Grain Size (D50)

• Based on the best-fit linear-regression

lines, we can estimate relative density
for a specific soil sample

0.06
emax - emin  0.23+
D50 (mm)

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 Quiz
 A representative soil specimen collected from the field weighs 1.9 kN and
has a volume of 0.12 m3. The water content as determined in the
laboratory is 13.5%. What will be the dry unit weight of the soil?

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3.9 Summary

• Volume relationships consist of void ratio (e), porosity

(n), and a degree of saturation (S) defined as follows:
• Void ratio
e = Volume of void / Volume of solid
• Porosity
n = Volume of void / Total volume
• Degree of saturation
S = Volume of water in void / Total volume of void

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 3.9 Summary
• Weight relationships consist of moisture content (w) and unit weight
(γd, γ, γsat)
• Moisture content
w = Weight of water in void / Weight of solid
• The relationships of dry, moist, and saturated unit weights vary as
shown

Gsg w (1+ w)Gsg w (Gs + e)g w

gd  g g sat 
1+ e 1+ e 1+ e

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 3.9 Summary

• Relative density (Dr) is a measure of the denseness of granular soil in the field
• Maximum and minimum void ratios for granular soils are distinct for varying
fine contents and clay-size fraction
• The magnitude of emax – emin for sandy and gravelly soils can be correlated to
the median grain size (D50)

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