Intergranular void ratio

Silt content affects the c values through its influence on m and hydraulic conductivity k. For the same sand-silt mix at different proportions of silt content, m appears to be influenced by equivalent intergranular void ratios (Figure 6a-b). Hydraulic conductivity is affected by both void ratio and silt content. Silt content has a significant effect on k than the influence of void ratio on k. Hydraulic conductivity of the soil specimens in this study ranged from 0.6 to 1.3x10 cm/s for the clean sand, 9x10 cm/s for 15% silt content. 

Silt content does influence the compressibility of the soil. However, at the same equivalent intergranular void ratio a clean sand and granular mix containing the same host sand and silt have similar volume compressibility. At the same equivalent interfine void ratio (e ), a sandy silt has similar volume compressibility as the host silt. 

The post-liquefaction volumetric strain data for clean sand from this study falls in the range of data for clean sands available in the literature. Silt content also affects the post-liquefaction volumetric strain response. However, at the same equivalent intergranular void ratio (6, ), a clean sand and granular mix containing the same host sand and non-plastic silt have similar post-liquefaction volumetric strain response. At the same equivalent interfme void ratio a sandy silthas similar post-liquefaction volumetric strain response as the host silt. Equivalent relative density may be a useful parameter to eollectively characterize the post-liquefaction compressibility and volumetric strain response of silty sands with clean sands. 

Figures 6a-b show the same data after splitting the data for Ottawa sand-silt mixes into two parts, one for sands and silty sands up to 25% silt content, and the other for sandy silts with silt eontent above 25%, and plotted against the equivalent intergranular and interfine void ratios (e and (Oj) (Thevanayagam et al. 2002), respectively ...

The terms percent voids, percent airspace, percent pore volume, and porosity are used interchangeably in the literature. Porosity is defined as the ratio of the volume occupied by the intergranular air to the total volume of the bulk sample and is expressed in percent. Usually, the porosity is calculated from the bulk and particle densities of a sample and thus can be considered as a derived quantity ... 

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