Maximum and minimum void ratios and median grain size of granular soils: their importance and correlations with material properties

Abstract

Synopsis: The relationships between maximum and minimum void ratios of granular soil with various percentages of fine contents have been presented. The maximum and minimum void ratios are functions of soil properties such as grain size distribution, uniformity coefficient, angularity, and percentage of fine contents. Based on the existing results, it appears that the difference between the maximum and minimum void ratios, not maximum void ratio or minimum void ratio alone, is the controlling parameter for compressibility, relative density, and strength of granular soils. In spite of some scatter, the difference between the maximum and minimum void ratio bears a unique relationship to the median grain size. Several correlations relating the median grain size with the strength and compressibility are presented.