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Civil Engineering · Q46

Soil Mechanics And Foundation

Engineering and GATE · Civil Engineering · question 46

Q46

If the sand in-situ is in its densest state, then the relative density of sand is

A.
zero
B.
1
Answer
C.
between 0 and 1
D.
greater than 1

Answer: Option B

Solution

Answer: Option B
Solution:
Relative Density is like a special scale that tells us how "compact" or "dense" sand is. It's a very important property for sandy soils (soils without much clay) because it helps engineers know how stable the soil is.

This special scale for Relative Density goes from 0 to 1, representing the two extreme states of sand packing:

1. Zero (0): If the sand is in its absolute loosest state. This means the sand particles are as spread out as possible, with the maximum amount of empty space (voids) between them. In this scenario, the Relative Density is 0.

2. One (1): If the sand is in its absolute densest state. This means the sand particles are packed together as tightly as possible, with the minimum amount of empty space (voids) between them. In this scenario, the Relative Density is 1.

3. Between 0 and 1: If the sand is in any state somewhere between the loosest and densest conditions (which is typically what we find in nature), then its Relative Density will be a value between 0 and 1 (e.g., 0.3, 0.6, 0.8, etc.).

Now, let's look at our question: "If the sand in-situ is in its densest state..."

The question clearly states that the sand is already in its most densely packed possible state. As we just learned, when sand is in this extreme densest condition, its Relative Density is 1.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option B: 1.