# Wet Bulk Density of Soil

Written by Jerry Ratzlaff on . Posted in Geotechnical Engineering

Wet bulk density of soil, abbreviated as $$Y_{sat}$$, is the ratio between the total mass of soil and the total volume of soil.

## Wet bulk density of soil formulas

 $$\large{ \rho_{sat} = \frac { m_l \;+\; m_s} {V_t } }$$ $$\large{ \rho_{sat} = \frac{ G_s \;+\; e }{ 1 \;+\; e } \; \rho_w }$$ $$\large{ \rho_{sat} = \frac{ G_s \; \rho_w \; \left( 1 \;+\; w \right) }{ 1 \;+\; e } }$$

### Where:

 Units English Metric $$\large{ \rho_{sat} }$$  (Greek symbol rho) = saturated bulk density of soil $$\large{ \frac{lbm}{ft^3} }$$ $$\large{ \frac{kg}{m^3} }$$ $$\large{ \rho_w }$$  (Greek symbol rho) = density of water $$\large{ \frac{lbm}{ft^3} }$$ $$\large{ \frac{kg}{m^3} }$$ $$\large{ m_l }$$ = mass of liquid $$\large{lbm}$$ $$\large{kg}$$ $$\large{ m_s }$$ = mass of solid $$\large{lbm}$$ $$\large{kg}$$ $$\large{ SG_s }$$ = specific gravity of soil $$\large{dimensionless}$$ $$\large{ V_t }$$ = total volume of soil $$\large{ft^3}$$ $$\large{m^3}$$ $$\large{ e }$$ = void ratio $$\large{dimensionless}$$ $$\large{ w }$$ = water content $$\large{dimensionless}$$