Degree of Saturation
The amount of water that fills the pore spaces in the soil is referred to as the degree of saturation. The ground typically contains three phases: solid soil, water, and air. The earth is entirely saturated, and the degree of saturation is 100% if every pore or void in the soil is filled with water. It is referred to as partially saturated if the soil’s voids are partially filled with water.
Significance of calculating Degree of Saturation
It’s essential to calculate the degree of saturation for the reasons listed below:
- It is important to take into account the soil’s moisture content.
- It is helpful to determine the soil’s dry density.
- It helps to determine the soil’s needed compaction rate to build roads, etc…
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Facts about Degree of Saturation
- The degree of saturation ranges from zero to one hundred per cent. The degree of saturation is equal to 0% if the soil is entirely dry. The relationship to determine the saturation level is provided below:
S=Vw / Vv X 100%
Here, S stands for saturation level, Vw for water volume, and Vv for voids.
- Instead of being directly calculated by laboratory testing of the soil, the soil saturation level is determined from the field. Water content, specific gravity, and void ratio are used to calculate it indirectly.
As expressed below, there is a relationship between saturation, moisture content, and void ratio: Sr = wGs / e
When there is no saturation, dry unit weight is utilised to calculate the total stress. Bulk unit weight is utilised when it is between 0 and 100%. The calculation uses saturated unit weight when the value reaches 100%.
Degree of Saturation and soil
A soil mass, in general, is composed of three kinds of matter: Solids, liquids, and gaseous.
- Solids can be made of organic materials, minerals, or both. These solids, which can come in a variety of sizes and shapes, can fill in voids. These open areas are known as pores or voids.
- The ratios of solids, water, and air in a soil mass affect the physical characteristics of the mass. And we should properly examine the earth, particularly its physical characteristics, before erecting any construction on it.
- A few basic phrases that are widely used in soil engineering must be learned in order to determine these physical characteristics of soil.
- The amount of space filled with water in the soil sample can be used to calculate the degree of saturation. The term “totally saturated soil” refers to a soil that has all of its pores or voids filled with water. Soil is referred to as dry if there is no water in the area. And if some of this vacant space is filled, the soil sample is referred to as a partially saturated soil sample.
The soil samples in the illustration are all examples of soils that are just slightly saturated. Different amounts of water are present in each of these soils.
- We can see that a definition of the phrase “Degree of Saturation” is necessary to distinguish between various soil conditions and to determine how much partially saturated soil is saturated.
- We can picture the various components as having their own spaces. Volumes of the water, air, and solids in the soil mass are denoted by the letters Vs, Vw, and Va, respectively.
Phase diagrams illustrate the different phases of a soil mass that have been separated. The volume of water to the importance of voids in the soil sample determines the degree of saturation. The degree of saturation is occasionally expressed as a percentage and occasionally not.
Since the Degree of Saturation measures the volume of voids filled with water, it is 0 when there is no water in the soil because the value of Vw in the equation is zero.
Similarly, when all pores are filled with water, the volume of voids equals the volume of water existing in the soil, therefore in the equation, this ratio’s value becomes 1, and the degree of saturation equals 100% or just one if it isn’t expressed as a percentage.
- The permeability of the soil mass is also impacted by its saturation. The soil may have some voids with trapped air if it is only partially moist. These trapped air pockets could obstruct the flow channel, lowering the soil’s permeability. However, there won’t be such obstruction if the soil is thoroughly wet.
As a result, it can be said that partially saturated soil has a lower permeability than thoroughly waterlogged soil.
Conclusion
The degree of saturation, which determines the actual relationship between the weight of moisture present in a space and the weight that would exist if the space were saturated, is the most significant factor in the design of houses.
There are a lot of dynamic compressors for air. The air’s density, which fluctuates with water capacity, affects how well they work. The practical use of partial forces in contraction crises primarily depends on determining the blended volumes or poundages to be controlled at the input of each compression stage, as well as the molecular weightage of the mixture, exact gravity, and the proportional or exact weight of ingredients.
FAQs
What distinguishes the levels of saturation and water content?
The amount of water that a material, such as soil, rock, wood, or another solid object, contains is known as its moisture content and is commonly known as water content. The volume of water in a matrix divided by the volume of the voids is known as the saturation percentage (Saturation%), commonly referred to as a percentage.
What is the degree of saturation of concrete?
The degree of saturation (S) is defined in this study as the ratio of the absolute volume of absorbed water to the total volume of pores. In contrast, the water content in concrete can be measured in various ways.
How is the degree of saturation determined?
The ratio of the total volume of voids to the volume of free water in a sample, stated as a percentage, is known as the degree of saturation of soil and is calculated using the formula S = ((w*Gs)/e) or Degree of saturation = ((Water content*Specific gravity of the soil)/Void ratio.
What distinguishes a saturated state from a submerged one?
When the voids in the soil are simply filled with water, the soil mass is said to be saturated, and when the water level is higher than the soil level or the soil mass is drowned in water, the soil mass is said to be immersed.
Can the saturation degree be higher than 1?
So, the degree of saturation is equal to 0. Consequently, the saturation level ranges from 0 to 1. € Void ratio The volume of voids relative to the entire volume of soil solid is known as the void ratio.