Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Specific Gravity of Soil

Report Prepared by;

Asmaa Sarmad Zuhair C
2023/November 8

1
Soil Mechanics Laboratory

1.1 Introduction
Knowing the specific gravity of soils helps engineers understand how porous the
soil is or how many voids it contains. It also indicates how saturated the soil is
with water.

Engineers use these measurements to perform important calculations that predict

whether the soil at a site will be stable enough to support a structure and allow
proper drainage.

There are a couple of ways you can perform this test.

1- By vacuum:

2- By heating:

and it is the ratio of the weight in air of a given volume of soil particles to the
weight in air of an equal volume of distilled water at a temperature of 4ºC.

Where ::

Gs: specific gravity of soil grains.

Ys : unit weight of the soil grains(kN/m3).

Yw : unit weight of water at 4C0(kN/m3).

2.1 Purpose and significance:

• To determine the specific gravity of soil solids (𝐺).

• It is used in calculating the phase relationships of soils, such as void ratio (𝐺) and degree of
saturation (𝐺).

2
Soil Mechanics Laboratory

• It is used to calculate the density of the soil solids.

3.1 Test Methods :

(A) 3.2 By vacuum

(B) 3.3 By heating

A- By Vacuum:

3.2.1 Apparatus

1- Density bottle (50 ml) with stopper.

2- Constant temperature water bath (usually 25°C)

3- Vacuum desiccators, 4- Drying oven.

5- Balance (0.01 gm sensitivity).

6- Source of vacuum and vacuum tubing.

7- Distilled water, wash bottle, rubber, gloves .

3
Soil Mechanics Laboratory

3.2.2 Test Procedure

1- Prepare the density bottle (w1) wash, clean, dry in oven(105-110) Cᵒ

2- Preparation of test specimen between (10-30)gm, oven (105-110) Cᵒ, cooling.

3- Placing in density bottles, weigh each density bottle(w2).

4- Adding liquid and applying vacuum used de-aired distilled water half full for 24 min

5- Removal of air.

6- Transfer to constant temperature bath half an hour.

7- Weighing w3.

8- Weighing bottle with liquid(w4).

Gs= [ (𝒘𝒘−𝒘𝒘) / (𝒘𝒘−𝒘𝒘)−(𝒘𝒘−𝒘𝒘)] × 𝒘𝒘

Where:

Gs: specific gravity of soil corrected to 20° C .

w1: weight of density bottle.

w2: weight of density bottle + dry soil.

w3: weight of density bottle + dry soil + liquid.

w4: weight of density bottle + liquid only.

4
Soil Mechanics Laboratory

B- By heating

3.3.1 Apparatus
1- Pycnometer (volumetric bottle).

2- Constant temperature water bath (usually 25°C).

3- Heat source (such as a burner or hot plate).

4- Desiccators, 5- Drying oven.

6- Balance( 0.01 gm sensitivity).

7- Thermometer (graduated to 0.1 °C).

8- Distilled water, wash bottle, pipette, gloves.

3.3.2 Test procedure:

1- Prepare the pycnometer (w1) wash, clean, dry in oven (105-110) ºC.

2- Put approximately 50 gm of oven-dry soil into a calibrated pycnometer which is already half
full of de-aired distilled water.
3- Remove all of the air which is entrapped in the soil by 10 minutes of boiling

using a burner or hot plate accompany with agitation.

4- Cool the pycnometer to some temperature within the range of the calibration curve for the

5
Soil Mechanics Laboratory

pycnometer.
5- Add water to bring the bottom of meniscus to the calibration mark.
6- Dry the outside of the pycnometer and the inside of the neck above the meniscus.
7- Weighing the pycnometer with water and soil .

8- Weighing bottle with liquid (w4).

Typical values between (2.65-2.85).

4.1 Data sheet

5.1 Results & Calculations

Gs= [(𝒘𝒘−𝒘𝒘) / (𝒘𝒘−𝒘𝒘)−(𝒘𝒘−𝒘𝒘)]×𝒘𝒘
Gs at (20°c) = K × GsT

6
Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Where K = 1 at (20°c )

So when Gs is at (31°c) ; K = 0.9971, As it shown in Table 1. below.

»» Gt=0.9971

Gs1=[(28.57-18.57)/(84.74-18.57)-(90.88-28.57)]×1.55
Gs1=2.59×0.9971

Gs1= 2.582

Gs2= 2.632×0.9971 →Gs2=2.624

Gs3=2.625×0.9971 → Gs3=2.617

With average Gs = 2.607

So, As it appears that this soil is Ottawa Sand.

It is a well-graded, high-purity natural silica sand that
conforms to specific size and shape requirements.

6.1 conclusion
Specific gravity is a fundamental property of soils and other construction
materials.

7
Soil Mechanics Laboratory

This dimensionless unit is the ratio of material density to the density of water
and is used to calculate soil density, void ratio, saturation, and other soil
properties.

Applications include the foundation design for structures, calculations for the
stability of soil embankments, and estimations of settlement for engineered soil
fills.

Now, Specific gravity of the soil helps you to find out the density, porosity, void
ratio, degree of saturation.

All these factors help in determining the quality of soil, whether it is good to be
used for construction purposes or not.

So, basically Specific gravity plays a key role in the field of Civil Engineering.

THANK YOU