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Architecture Engineering QUESTION #2364
Question 1
In soil compaction, the Zero Air Voids (ZAV) curve or 100% saturation curve represents:
  • The maximum dry density achievable for a given soil at any compactive effort
  • The theoretical maximum dry density \(\gamma_{d,max}\) at a given water content \(w\) if all air voids are eliminated, given by \(\gamma_d = \dfrac{G_s \gamma_w}{1 + w G_s}\)✔️
  • The field density achieved by standard Proctor compaction test
  • The relationship between void ratio and effective stress during consolidation
Correct Answer Explanation
The ZAV curve is the theoretical upper bound of dry density at any moisture content, computed as \(\gamma_d = \dfrac{G_s \gamma_w}{1 + w G_s}\), assuming \(S = 100\%\) (all voids filled with water, no air). In practice, compaction curves plot below and to the left of the ZAV curve. The ZAV curve does not represent an achievable state during compaction but serves as a reference limit.