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Dry Sieve Analysis PDF
Dry Sieve Analysis PDF
(SCE)
DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND GEOMATIC ENGINEERING
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that everything mentioned in the report is true.
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FACULTY: CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 1/7
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE 3/01/12
TEST TITLE : DRY SIEVE ANALYSIS DATE:
AMENDMENT 3/01/12
DATE:
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 63µm.
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, whereas 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.
FACULTY: CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 2/7
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE 3/01/12
TEST TITLE : DRY SIEVE ANALYSIS DATE:
AMENDMENT 3/01/12
DATE:
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.
1. A series of standard sieves with opening ranging from 7.5cm to 63m 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
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 soils and applications. The top sieve soil should have an
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.
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 on 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 on 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.
FACULTY: CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 5/7
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE 3/01/12
TEST TITLE : DRY SIEVE ANALYSIS DATE:
AMENDMEN 3/01/12
T DATE:
Sieve BS (mm) Mass Retained (g) Mass Passing (g) Percentage passing (%)
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 8
0.063 6.9 2.3 2
Pan 2.3
120
100
% PASSING
80
60
40
20
0
0.01 0.1 1 10
GRAIN SIZE
FACULTY: CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 6/7
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE 3/01/12
TEST TITLE : DRY SIEVE ANALYSIS DATE:
AMENDMENT 3/01/12
DATE:
2
d30
Cc =___________.
d 60d10
100
90
80
Percentage Passing (%)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100
Sieve Size (mm)
FACULTY: CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 7/7
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE 3/01/12
TEST TITLE : DRY SIEVE ANALYSIS DATE:
AMENDMENT 3/01/12
DATE:
8.0 QUESTIONS :