physical properties of soils Flashcards
what is a fully saturated soil
voids are filled completely with water
what is a fully dry soil
voids are filled completely with air
how do you calculate ‘e’, the void ratio
volume of voids divided by the volume of solids
what is the specific volume, ‘v’ and how do you calcuate it
-ratio between the total volume of soil and the volume of solids
v = total volume divided by total solids OR 1 + void ratio
what is porosity, ‘n’ and how do you calculate it
-the “empty” spaces of a material
n = volume of voids divided by total volume
what is the saturation ratio, ‘Sr’ and how do you calculate it
extent to which something is dissolved compared to its max
Sr = volume of water divided by volume of voids (x100)
what is the air content, ‘A’ and how do you calculate it
-volume of air present
A = volume of air divided by the volume of voids OR 1 - saturation ratio (Sr)
what is the moisture content, ‘w’ and how do you calculate it
-quantity of rater contained in a material
w = mass of water divided by mass of solids (x100)
how do you calculate the specific gravity, ‘Gs’ of soil solids
Gr = density of soil solids divided by the density of water (1000kg/m3)
what is bulk density, and how do you calculate it ‘row(p)’
dry weight per unit volume
row = total mass divided by the total volume
how do you calculate the dry density, ‘Pdry’
Pdry = mass of soil solids divided by the total volume OR density of soil solids (Ps) divided by the void ratio ( 1 + e)
how do you calculate the bulk unit weight of soil ‘gamma’
gamma = (density of water x (specific gravity + saturation ratio x moisture content)) divided by the void ratio (1+e)
when is a soil saturated
when the saturation ratio (Sr) is 1
when is a soil dry
when the saturation ratio (Sr) is 0
