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Density Methods
Density Methods
Equipment
Sand cone apparatus which consists of a one-gallon plastic bottle with a metal cone attached to it.
One-Gallon plastic can with cap.
Balance sensitive to 1 g.
Base plate
Tools for excavating a hole in the ground
Clean, uniformly graded sand ranging from #20 to #30 sieve such as Ottawa Sand
Proctor compaction mold without attached extension (used for calibration)
Plastic air-tight bag for carrying wet excavated soil from field to the lab.
Metal tray with a hole in the centre.
Oven with temperature kept at about 105-110o
Test procedure
1- Measure the weight of Proctor mold + Base, W1 (Go to row 1 of table)
2-
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
3- Measure the weight of plastic Gallon+Cone+Sand, W3 (before use) (Go to row 5 of table)
4-
(d). Measure the weight of plastic Gallon+Cone+Sand, W4 (after use) (Go to row 6 of table)
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
6- Go to the field where the soil's unit weight is to be measured, place the metal tray and fasten the 4
screws.
78-
9-
Having the valve closed turn the gallon+cone upside down and place the cone in the center hole
of tray and open the valve so that sand flows down to the hole.
After flow of sand stops close the valve and pick the assembly up, the sand in the cone will be
poured into the tray. This sand will be left there in the field. (Notice, Unlike this picture, the
plastic bag should be kept closed while transferring to the lab to avoid moisture loss and
consequently weight of the soil)
10-
11-
Measure the weight of plastic Gallon+Cone+Sand, W6 (after use) (Go to row 9 of table)
12-
13-
Measure the weigh the evaporating dish + wet soil from the field, W8 (Go to row 12 of table)
14-
Put the evaporating dish + wet soil in the oven and after 24hrs weigh it again, W9 (Go to row 13 of
table). In the
sample test we
did for you W9
turned out to be
2.251 Kg.
15-
Having the information you got so far in the table, Calculations can be carried out easily. Do the
calculations, fill out the table and include the answers to the following questions in your reports.
2.
Suppose the soil of test # 6 Standard and Modified Compaction tests was taken from the exact
same point in the field where you performed Sand Cone test, what will the Compaction Ratio in
this test be? Can compaction ratio ever be greater than 1 or 100%? Why?
Name any two other methods for obtaining the In-situ density of soils?
Sample table
Test Steps
Quantity
4.178 kg
5.609 kg
0.00095 m3
1506 kg/m3
Calibration cone
5. Weight of plastic Gallon+Cone+Sand (before use), W3
5.466 kg
3.755 kg
1.711 kg
7.387 kg
3.919 kg
0.00117m3
0.507 kg
2.334 kg
2.251 kg
14. Moist unit weight of the soil in the field, t (in-situ soil) = (W8 - W7) / V2
15. Water content in the field, w(%)= (W8 - W9) / (W9- W7)*100
16. Dry unit weight in the field, d (in-situ soil)= [t (Row 14)] / [1+ w(%) / 100]
10
1561 kg/m3
4.76%
1490 kg/m3
Quantity
11