PROBLEM SET

(Submit on or before MIDTERM Exam, failure to Problem 5:

comply within the date of submission will not be Sample moist clay is found to have a moisture
entertained.) content of 400% and degree of saturation of 85%. The
specific gravity of the solids is 2.76. Determine the
voids ratio of this soil.
Problem 1:
A soil sample has a bulk unit weight of 19.6 kN/m3 at
Problem 6: A sample of dry sand having unit weight
a water content of 10%. Assuming G= 2.7, determine
of 16.50 kN/m3 and a specific gravity of 2.70 is
the percentage air in the voids (air voids).
placed in the rain. During the rain volume of the
sample remains constant but the degree of
Problem 2:
saturation increases to 40%. Determine the following:
In an experiment of determining the porosity and
a) The voids ratio of the sample in percent.
specific gravity of solids of a soil, a soil is dug out from
the ground, weighed, then oven dried, and then b) The unit weight of the sample after being in the
saturated with water. The weight of soil taken from rain.
the test hole is 1346 grams. It was then oven-dried c) The water content of the sample after being in
and weighed 1076 grams. After saturating it with the rain
water, it weighed 1462 grams. The volume of the test
hole was then measured and found to be 792 cc. Problem 7: A wet soil sample has a volume of 4.85 x
Determine the voids ratio of the soil. 10-4 m3 and weighs 8.5 N. After oven drying the
weight reduces to 7.5 N. Use G= 2.7. Determine the
Problem 3: following:
A specimen of moist clay has a mass of 183.4 grams. a) Unit weight,
After oven drying, the mass is reduced to 157.7 b) Moisture content,
grams. What is the moisture content of the sample. c) Degree of saturation.

Problem 4: Problem 8: A 480 cc soil sample taken from the site

Saturated silty clay encountered in a deep weighs 850.5 grams. After oven drying, it weighed
excavation is found to have a water content of 28%. 594.4 grams. If the specific gravity of solids is 2.72,
Determine unit weight of the clay in kN/m3 . Assume determine the degree of saturation of the soil.
G=2.7.
 container is filled, the combined weight of soil plus
water is 38.20 lbs. From this data compute the void
Problem 9: ratio of the soil in the container and specific gravity
A building requires a 10,000-m3 fill at a void ratio of of solid soils.
20%. Material for earth fill was available from a
borrow site at P320 per cubic meter. It was found that Problem 14: A saturated saoil has a unit weight of
the average void ratio from the site is 80%. Estimate 18.85 kN/m 3 and a water content of 32.50%.
the total cost of fill. Determine the specific gravity of the soil.
Problem 10: Problem 15: A soil sample has a void ratio of 0.76 and
A clay sample has unit weight of 20.06 kN/m3 with specific gravity of 2.74 and degree of saturation of
moisture content of 8.2%. The saturated unit weight of 85%. Compute the unit weight in tons/m 3.
the sample is 21.58 kN/m3 . Determine the porosity of
the soil. Problem 16: The specific gravity of the soil is 2.65. The
void ratio is 0.50; water content is 7.94%. What is the
Problem 11: In natural state, a moist sample has a wet density in kg/m 3?
volume of 0.33 cu.ft. and weighs 39.93 lbs. The oven
dry weight of soils is 34.54 lbs. If the specific gravity of Problem 17: A cubic meter of soil in its natural state
solid soil is 2.71, calculate the moisture content, moist weighs 17.75 kN. After being dried, its weight is 15.08
unit weight, void ratio, porosity, volume of voids, kN. The specific gravity of the soil is 2.70. Determine
volume of soil solid, and degree of saturation. the water content in % of the original soil sample.

Problem 12: A 150 cc sample of wet soil has a mass of Problem 18: A soil has known water content of
250 g when 100% saturated. When oven-dried, the 18%and specific gravity of 2.68. Determine the
mass is 162 g. Calculate the dry density , dry unit degree of saturation if it has a moist of 17.30 kN/m 3.
weight, moisture content, void ratio and specific
gravity of solid soils. Problem 19: The natural water content of a saturated
sample of clay is 400%. If the specific gravity of clay is
Problem 13: Dry sand is placed in a container having 2.40. Compute the porosity (n) in %.
a volume of 0.30 ft3. The dry weight of a sample is 31
lbs. water is carefully added to the container so as
not to disturb the condition of the sand. When the
Problem 20: A soil sample having a mass of 6.40 kgs was subsequently determined to be 276 cm3 . That
and has a total volume of 0.0052 m3.It has moisture same 400 g was then vibrated and tamped to a
content of 24% and specific gravity is 2.66. Compute volume of 212 cm3 . G= 271. Determine the relative
the degree of saturation. density of the soil.

Problem 21: A soil sample having a mas of 3.75 kg and Problem 28:
has a total volume of 0.0015 m3. It has a moisture A 480 cc soil sample taken from the site weighs 850.5
content of 28% and specific gravity of solid soils is grams. After oven drying, it weighed 594.4 grams. If
2.71. Compute the void ratio. the specific gravity of solids is 2.72, determine the void
ratio of the soil.
Problem 22: A sample that was taken from a hole has
a total weight of 275 grams after oven drying it Problem 29: A sample of saturated clay was placed
weighs 235.5 grams. If the specific gravity of the soil in a container and weighed. The weight was 6 N. the
sample is 2.65 and void ratio of 53%. Compute the clay in its container was placed in an oven for 24
degree of saturation of the soil. hours at 1050C. The weight was reduced to a
constant value of 5 N. The weight of the container is
Problem 23: A sample of moist sand taken from the 1 N. G= 2.7. Determine the following:
field was found to have a moisture content of 14% a) Water content of the soil in percent.
and a porosity of 38%. In a laboratory test that b) Void ratio in percent.
stimulates field conditions, it was found that at its c) Effective unit weight of the soil in kN/m3 .
densest state, its void ratio is 85% and at its loosest
state its void ratio is 40%. Determine the relative of the Problem 30: An embankment for a highway 30 m
sand. wide and 1.2 m in compacted thickness is to be
constructed from a sandy soil trucked from a borrow
Problem 24: A test of the density of soil in place was pit. The water content of the sandy soil in the borrow
performed by digging a small hole in the soil,
pit is 15% and its void ratio is 0.75. The specification
weighing the extracted soil, and measuring the
requires the embankment be compacted to a dry
volume of the hole. The soil (moist) weighed 895 g;
the volume of the hole was 426 cm3 . After drying, the unit weight of 18.2 kN/m3 . Length of embankment is
sample weighed 779 g. Of the dried soil, 400 g was 1.5 km. Assume G= 2.7. Determine the volume borrow
poured into a vessel in a very loose state. Its volume material required.
Problem 31: A hand carved sample of soft saturated Problem 35: A 50 cc of moist clay was obtained by
clay weighs 350 grams and has a volume of 200 cc. pressing a sharpened hollow cylinder into the wall of
After oven drying, it weighs 240 grams. Calculate the a test pit. The extruded sample had an initial weight
following: of 85 grams. After oven-drying it weighs 60 grams. If
a) moisture content in percent. G= 2.72, determine the degree of saturation of the
b) specific gravity of solids. sample.
c) porosity in percent.
Problem 36:
Problem 32: A soil sample was compacted. The result A cubic meter of soil in its natural state weighs 17.5
of the standard proctor test shows that at 100% kN. After oven-drying, the soil weighs 14.2 kN. Assume
compaction, the soil weighs 131.1 pcf with optimum G= 2.7.
moisture content of 14%. What is the saturated unit a) Calculate the void ratio of the soil.
weight of the soil in pcf? G= 2.67. b) Calculate the degree of saturation of the soil.
c) Calculate the saturated density of the soil in
Problem 33: kN/m3 .
The moist weight of 0.2 ft3 of a soil is 23 lb. The moisture
content and the specific gravity of soil solids are Problem 37: The mass of a sample of saturated soil is
determined in the laboratory to be 11% and 2.7, 520 grams. The dry mass, after over drying is 405
respectively. grams. Assuming G=2.7, calculate the effective unit
a) What is the moist unit weight in lb/ft3 ? weight of the soil mass, in kN/m3 ?
b) What is the dry unit weight in lb/ft3 ?
c) What is the degree of saturation in percent? Problem 38: A soil sample has a moisture content of
30% and degree of saturation of 45%. The solids
Problem 34: A soil sample was compacted. The result have specific gravity of 2.61. Determine the dry unit
of the standard proctor test shows that a 100% weight of the soil in
compaction, the soil weighs 131.1 pcf with optimum
moisture content of 14%. What is the maximum dry Problem 39: The dry density of a sand with a porosity
unit weight of the soil (at zero air voids) in pcf? G= of 0.387 is 1600 kg/m3 .
2.67. a) Calculate the void ratio of the soil.
b) Calculate the specific gravity of the soil solids.
 c) Calculate the effective density of the soil in a) What is the density of the in-situ soil?
kg/m3 . b) What is the porosity of the in-situ soil?
c) What is the degree of saturation of the in-situ
Problem 40: The void ratio of a soil is 0.85. What is the soil?
percentage error of the bulk unit weight if the soil
were 95% saturated and assumed to be totally Problem 45: The following data was obtained from
saturated? laboratory tests for a cohesive specimen: moisture
content, w, was 22.5%; Gs = 2.60; and to determine
the approximate unit weight, a sample having a
Problem 41 : The saturated unit weight of a soil is 19.49 mass of 224.0 g was placed in a 500 cm 3 of water
kN/m3 , and the specific gravity of the soil solids is 2.7. required to fill the container.
a) What is the void ratio of the soil? a) What is the total unit weight of the soil sample
b) What is the dry unit weight of the soil in kN/m3 ? in kN/m3 ?
c) What is the effective unit weight of the soil in b) What is the void ratio e?
kN/m3 ? c) What is the dry unit weight of the soil sample in
Problem 42: A compacted clay weighing 1.62 kg kN/m3 ?
weighs 0.88 kg when immersed (suspended) in water.
Problem 46: A fully saturated clay sample has a mass
Determine the bulk specific gravity of the clay.
of 1526 grams. After oven drying, its mass was
reduced to 1,053 grams. The specific gravity soil
Problem 43: A specimen of sand has a porosity of
particles is 2.7.
45%, and the specific gravity of its solids is 2.71.
a) Calculate the natural water content of the
Compute the specific weight of this soil in the
submerged state, in kN/m3 . sample in percent.
b) Calculate the void ratio in percent.
Problem 44: Given the following characteristics of a c) Calculate the porosity in percent.
soil sample:
Volume = 0.5 cubic ft. Problem 47: In its natural state, a moist soil has a
Mass = 56.7 pound mass volume of 9350cc and weighs 18kg. The oven-dried
The solids have specific gravity of 2.69. After oven weight of the soil is 15.54 kg. Use G= 2.67.
drying, the mass of the soil was 48.7 pounds. a) Determine the moisture content in percent.
 b) Determine the void ratio in percent.
c) Determine the degree of saturation in percent.

Problem 48: A clay sample has a unit weight of 21.1

kN/m3 at moisture content of 9.8%. When completely
saturated with water, its unit weight is 22.58 kN/m3 .
Determine the porosity of the soil.

Problem 49: A sample of saturated soil weighs 588 N

and has a volume of 0.03 m3 . If the voids ratio of the
soil is 0.75, determine the specific gravity of the
solids.

Problem 50: A sample moist soil has water content of

18% and moist unit weight of 17.3 kN/m3 . The specific
gravity of solids is 2.65. Compute the degree of
saturation of the soil.

Problem 51:
1. The weight of water expressed as a percentage of
the total dry weight of a soil material.
2. Degree of saturation is:
3. The ratio of volume of water to the volume of voids.
4. The ratio of volume of voids to the total volume.
5. The ratio of the total mass of soil to the total volume.

Prepared by:

Engr. JOHN MICHAEL B. CASIBANG, CE, MST, SO

Faculty, Civil Engineering Department