GATE 2024 CE (CE1) – Question 34
An embankment is constructed with soil by maintaining the degree of saturation as 75% during compaction. The specific gravity of soil is 2.68 and the moisture content is 17% during compaction. Consider the unit weight of water as 10 kN/m$^3$. The dry unit weight (in kN/m$^3$) of the compacted soil is ________________ (rounded off to 2 decimal places).
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Correct answer: 16.59 to 16.75
Explanation
From $Se = wG_s$, the void ratio is $e = \frac{0.17 \times 2.68}{0.75} = 0.6075$. The dry unit weight is $\gamma_d = \frac{G_s\gamma_w}{1 + e} = \frac{2.68 \times 10}{1.6075} = 16.67$ kN/m³.