FACULTY OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

LAB SOIL MECHANICS AND FOUNDATION

FULL REPORT
Subject Code
Code & Experiment Title
Course Code
Date
Section / Group
Name of Group Members

Lecturer/Instructor/Tutor

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Elsie Joanes
N
S
S
D

Dr. Agus Bin Sulaeman

Received Date

Examiner Comment

Received

__________________________________________________________

STUDENT CODE OF ETHIC

(SCE)
DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

I, hereby confess that I have prepared this report on my own effort. I also admit not
to receive or give any help during the preparation of this report and pledge
that everything mentioned in the report is true.
1) Group Member 1 __________________________________________(Signature)
Name
: __________________________________
Matrix No. : __________________________________
2) Group Member 2 __________________________________________(Signature)
Name
: __________________________________
Matrix No : ___________________________________
3) Group Member 3 __________________________________________(Signature)
Name
: __________________________________
Matrix No. : __________________________________
4) Group Member 4 __________________________________________(Signature)
Name
: __________________________________
Matrix No. : __________________________________
5) Group Member 5 __________________________________________(Signature)

Name
: __________________________________
Matrix No. : __________________________________

TEST TITLE : DRY SIEVE ANALYSIS

1.0 OBJECTIVE

The sieve analysis determines the grain size distribution curve of soil sample by passing them
through a stack of sieves of decreasing mesh opening sizes and by measuring the weight
retained on each sieve. The sieve analysis is generally applied to the soil fraction larger than
75m
2.0 LEARNING OUTCOME
At the end of this experiment, students are able to:
2.1 Understand the methods used to determine the size of soil particles in the laboratory;
2.2 Carry out the calculation processes used in particle size determination;
2.3 Understand the methods used to determine the consistency properties of fine grained
soils in the laboratory;
2.4 Carry out the calculation and plotting processes used in consistency limit methods of
classification;
2.5 Appreciate the way in which particle size and consistency properties are used to classify
and predict the probable behavior of soils and also to indicate the type of tests needed to
assess their engineering characteristics.
3.0 THEORY

(BS1377 : Part 2:1990:9.3), Sieving can be performed in either wet or dry conditions. Dry
sieving is used only for soil with a negligible amount of plastic fines such as gravels and clean
sands, where as wet sieving is applied to soils with plastic fines. According to the British
Standard, dry sieving may be carried out only on materials for which this procedure gives the
same results as the wet-sieving procedure. This means that it is applicable only to clean granular
materials, which usually implies clean sandy or gravelly soils that is, soils containing negligible
amounts of particles of silt or clay size. Normally the wet-sieving procedure should be followed
for all soils. If particles of medium gravel size or larger are present in significant amounts, the
initial size of the sample required may be such that riffling is necessary at some stage to reduce
the sample to a manageable size for fine sieving.
BS 1377: 1990, allows either wet or dry sieving to be used, but the wet method is preferred.
After oven drying, the test sample mass is determine before being separated into two parts, the first
comprises that retained on a 20 mm sieve and the second that passing 20 mm. That greater than 20
mm is dry sieves, while that smaller is wet sieve prior to being re-sieved dry. The sieves used are
generally chosen from the range (in mm) of 75, 63, 50, 37.5, 28, 20, 14, 10, 63.5, 3.35, 2, 1.18, 0.6,
0.425, 0.3, 0.212, 0.15 and 0.063. The mass retained on each sieve is recorded, from which the
percentage of the sample passing each sieve can be calculated. Material passing the 63 micron
(0.063 mm) sieve is retained for a fine particle analysis, if the amount justifies the further test. The
combined results of the coarse and fine analyses are plotted on a semi-logarithmic graph of the form
show in Figure 1.0, to give the particle size distribution curve.

Figure 1 : Particle size grading curves of some typical soil

4.0 TEST EQUIPMENTS

1. Series of standard sieves with opening ranging from 7.5cm to 75m including a cover plate
and bottom pan.
2. Test sieve having the following aperture size 10mm, 6mm, 1mm, 0.6mm, 0.3mm, 0.15mm,
0.063 mm.
3. Mechanical sieve shaker
4. Balances sensitive 0.5g
5. Soft wire brush

Figure 2 : Typical stack of sieve for grain size analysis

5.0 PROCEDURES

1. Oven dry the sample, allow it to cool and measure its weight.
2. Select a stack of sieves suitable to the soil being tested. A stack of six or seven sieves is
generally sufficient for most soil and applications. The top sieves soil should have and
opening slightly larger than the largest particles. Arrange the stack of sieves so that the
largest mesh opening is at the top and the smallest is at the bottom
3.

Attach a pan at the bottom of the sieve stack. Pour the sample on the top sieve. Add the
cover plate to avoid dust and loss of particles while shaking.

Figure 3: The soil sample is poured on the stack of sieves

4. Place the stack of sieves in the mechanical shaker and shake for about 10 min or until
additional shaking does not produce appreciable changes in the amounts of material
retained in each sieve.
5. Remove the stack of sieves from the shaker. Beginning with the top sieve, transfer its contents
to a piece of the paper or a larger recipient. Carefully empty the sieve without losing any
material, and use a brush to remove grains stuck in its mesh opening. Measure the weight of
soil retained in each sieve and notes the corresponding sieve mesh opening and number.

Figure 4: The soil particles stuck in the mesh opening of the sieves are removed with a brush
6. Repeat step 5 for each sieve. As a preliminary check, the weights retained on all the sieves
and the bottom pan are added, and their sum is compared to the initial sample weight. Both
weights should be within about 1% if the difference is greater than 1% too much material
was lost and weighing and or sieves should be repeated.

6.0 SAMPLE CALCULATIONS

Data : Total mass of dry sample = 115.5g

Sieve BS (mm)

Mass Retained (g)

Mass Passing (g)

% finer by weight

5.00

0.0

0.0

100

2.00

0.0

115.5

100

1.180

5.5

110.0

95

0.600

25.7

84.3

73

0.425

23.1

61.2

53

0.300

22.0

39.2

34

0.212

17.3

21.9

19

0.150

12.7

9.2

0.063

6.9

2.3

Pan

2.3

Total mass

Lost

115.5 g
0

From the data, plot a graph partical size versus percentage passing.

7.0 DATA SHEET

Sieve no.

Mass

Mass

Cummulative

size (mm)
5.00
2.00
1.180
0.600
0.425
0.300
0.212
0.150
0.063
Total

Retained (g)
0
30
40
57
89
113
26
15
4
374

Passing (g)
374
344
304
247
158
45
19
4
0

Percentage passing (%)

100
34
30
25
16
5
2
0.4
0

% Passing

= 100 - % Retained.

Mass of dry sample =

1000

gram

Calculations
Formula Mass Passing,
Total mass retained (Mass retained)
Take 2.00mm and 1.180mm sieve size for calculation examples:
2.00mm, 374g - (30g) = 304g
1.180mm, 304g 57g = 247g
Formula Cummulative Percentage passing (%),
(mass passing/ total dry sample) x 100%
Take 2.00mm and 1.180mm sieve size for calculation examples:
2.00mm, (344/1000) x 100% = 34%
1.180mm, (304/1000) x 100% = 30%
Plot particles size distribution chart.

Cu

d 60
d 10
= (3.8)/(0.35) = 10.86

Cc

d 30
d 60d10

= (1.4)2 / (3.8)(0.35) = 1.474

Errors and suggestions
Errors
1. The sieves are not well-shake
2. Time taken for the sieve to shake is not accurate.
3. The grain on the sieve was not fully removed from sieve.
Suggestions
1. Make sure all the grain is removed from the sieves.
2. Time taken must follow the procedure.
3. Make sure the sieves are well-shake

Discussion
A sieve analysis (or gradation test) is a practice or procedure used (commonly used in
civil engineering) to assess the particle size distribution (also called gradation) of a granular
material. The size distribution is often of critical importance to the way the material performs

in use. Sieve analysis can be done whether we or dry. In this experiment we have done for dry
analysis.
From the graph plotted, we can see that there is a coarse soil. The biggest particle of
coarse soil is 5mm and the smallest and the finest are 0.06. Therefore, we can say that the
soils used are contained coarse and fine grains.
Conclusion
From this experiment, we have determined the grain size distribution curve of soil
sample by passing them through a stack of sieves of decreasing mesh opening sizes and by
measuring the weight retained on each sieve. The sieve analysis is generally applied to the
soil fraction larger than 75m. This analysis was successful

8.0 QUESTIONS :

1. What is the purpose of grain size analysis?

The purpose is to determine the percentage of different grain sizes contained within a
soil. The sieve analysis is performed to determine the distribution of the coarser, larger-sized
particles, and the hydrometer method is used to determine the distribution of the finer
particles.

2. Under what conditions should you use wet sieving instead of dry sieving?
Wet sieve is used when we want to remove fines of materials that may be difficult to
sieve, prior to drying and testing a sample normally. It applies to solids with the following
properties practically insoluble in water, not affected by water; for example: solids that
expand when wet would not work and remain unchanged by heat up to 110C.

3. What is the smallest and largest mesh openings used in practice for determining
grain size distribution?
For this dry sieving experiment, the kind of opening that we used are the series of
standard sieves and opening ranging from 7.5cm- 75m including a cover plate on the top. of
those sieves and a bottom pan. Then, to shake those sieves, we used the mechanical sieves
shaker and vibrate those sieves by layers for 10 minutes.
4. Is it possible to carry out a sieve analysis on a sample of clay?
A sieves analysis can be performed on any type of non-organic or organic granular
materials including sand, crushed rock, clay, granite, feldspars, coal and soil, a wide range of
manufactured powders, grain and seeds, down to a minimum size depending on the exact

method. Being such a simple technique of particle sizing, it is probably the most common
method. So, we can see that we can absolutely carry out a sieves analysis on a sample of clay.

5. Classify the type of soil that you use in the laboratory according to BS 5930.
From the graph that been plotted with the data have, we can classify the type of soil
that have been in the lab experiment. Here, we can probably saw that the soils used are
contained of coarse sand and fine gravel. It is because that the dots that plotted in the graph
are mostly in the coarse sand and fine gravel area.

9.0 SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (BS 5930)