In this work, the effects of the gas and liquid flow rates, as well as of the size and shape of particles, on the total liquid saturation in gas-liquid cocurrent downflow and upflow through packed beds are investigated. Experimental values of the liquid saturation are obtained using air and water as the percolating fluids. The results indicate that the air and water flow rates affect the liquid saturation under downflow and upflow conditions. Concerning the particle characteristics, it was observed that the particle shape affects the values of beta(t) for downflow and upflow conditions, whereas the influence of particle size is more significant in the downflow configuration. The experimental values are compared to the predictions of some correlations presented in the literature, and new correlations are proposed for predicting beta(t) in downflow and upflow configurations.