Saturated Unit Weight from Void Ratio
Mediumunit weightphase relationships
A saturated soil has Gs = 2.68 and void ratio e = 0.70. Taking γw = 9.81 kN/m³, its saturated unit weight is most nearly:
- A15.5 kN/m³
- B17.2 kN/m³
- C19.5 kN/m³
- D21.8 kN/m³
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Answer: C. 19.5 kN/m³
For a saturated soil γsat = [(Gs + e)/(1 + e)]γw = [(2.68 + 0.70)/1.70](9.81) = (1.988)(9.81) ≈ 19.5 kN/m³. Using Gs alone in the numerator gives the dry unit weight of 15.5 kN/m³, which omits the weight of the pore water.
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