Name....................................................................... Class....................Year.................... Roll..................................

Experiment No: Date: .........................................

Experiment: Field identification of different types of soil, determination of natural

moisture content.

Object: To classify soils in qualitative terms on the basis of visual inspection and simple
physical tests. To determine natural moisture content of soils by oven-drying method.

Apparatus: 1. A glass plate, 2-6 Nos. Of soil samples 2. Plastic water bottle.

Definitions:

Coarse grained soils consist of mineral fragments visible with the naked eye and/or having
a gritty feel when rubbed between the fingers;

Gravels consist of coarse grained particles larger than 2mm.Sands consist of coarse grained
particles finer than 2mm but coarser than 0.08 mm.

Well graded soils contain a good representation of particles of several sizes ranging
continuously from coarse to fine.

Uniform or poorly graded soils are composed of particles which are approximately of the
same size.

Fine grained soils are consist of mineral particles of microscopic or sub microscopic size
which have a smooth or floury feel when moistened with water.

Silts constitute the coarser fraction of fine grained soils and are generally characterised by
low dry strength, rapid reaction to the shaking time test and a plastic thread which is weak
and soft when wet and which crumbles easily as it dries.

Clays constitute the finest and most active constituent of soils and is generally
characterised by high to very high dry strength, lack of reaction to shaking test, and a
plastic thread which is strong when wet and which becomes stiff as it dries.

Organic soils are usually recognized by dark brown or black colour and the typical odour of
decaying vegetation.

Peat is a practically decomposed highly organic soil. It is usually brown to dark brown in
colour and contains a large amount of fibrous or wood by vegetable materials.

Muck is a well decomposed highly organic soil. It is usually black or very dark grey in
colour and has very low dry strength and a plastic thread which is weak and soft.

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Moisture content of a soil is the ratio of the weight of water present to the weight of dry
soil in a given soil mass. It is usually expressed as percentage of the dry mass e.g.

𝑾𝒘
𝝎= × 𝟏𝟎𝟎%
𝑾𝒔
Where, 𝑊𝑤 = 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠

𝑊𝑠 = 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑙

𝜔 = 𝑀𝑜𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡

Procedure:

Examine each unknown soil and record against their corresponding number on the data
sheets the following information:

1. Colour

2. Odour

3. Describe texture as:

a.) Coarse grained ( mostly sand and gravel)

b.) Fine grained ( mostly silt and clay)

c.) Mixed grained.

4. For coarse organised soils or coarse grained fraction of mixed grained soils:

a.) Describe gradient as: well graded, uniformly or poorly graded.

b.) Describe particle shape as: angular, sub angular, sub rounded or well rounded.

c.) Classify as: gravel, coarse sand, medium sand, fine sand or appropriate
combination.

5. For fine grained soils or fine grained fraction of mixed grained soils:

a.) Dry strength test:

Estimate Dry Strength by the effort required to break between the thumb and fore
finger an intact fragment of dry soil about 3mm (1/8 inch) in size. Describe dry strength as
low, medium or high.

b.) Dilatancy test:

Take a wet bat of soil in the palm of one hand and shake by striking the back of the
palm by the other hand. If the soil reacts to the test free water will rise to the surface giving

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it a shining appearance. This will disappear when the soil is squeezed between the fingers.
Describe reaction to this test as rapid, sluggish or none (Dilatancy).

c.) Plasticity test:

Take a sample of moist soil on a balance surface and roll it to a thread of 3mm (1/8
inch) diameter by the palm of one hand if successful, remould it and repeat the process
until the solid cracks or crumbles. Describe the condition of the plastic thread just before
the crumbling state is reached, as weak, medium stiff or tough.

d.) Classify as silt, clayey silt, silty clay or clay.

6. For organic soils:

a.) Indicate under textures (line-3.) what plant remains are visible and state of
decomposition.

b.) Classify (line-6.) as peat, muck, organic silt or organic clay.

Observations and Result:

Sample Nos.→ 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
1.Colour

2.Odour

3.Texture

4.Coarse
grained:
a.) Gradation

b.)Particle Shape

5. Fine grained:
a.) Dry strength

b.) Dilatancy

c.) Plasticity

6. Classification

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 Procedure (for Moisture Content):

1. Clean, dry the metal container and weigh with lid.

2. Take about 30g of soil specimen in natural state of fine grained soil or 250g
specimen if the soil is medium grained.

3. Place the soil specimen loosely in the container and weigh with lid.

4. Remove the lid of the container and place the container in the oven.

5. Maintain oven temperature at 105-1100C for normal soil and 60-800 C for soils
having organic content.

6. Dry the soil specimen in the oven till its mass is constant. Drying period of the
soil specimen is usually 16-24hours in normal conditions.

7. After drying, take the container out from the oven, keep the lid on it and place it
in desiccators for cooling.

8. Weigh the container with dry soil and the lid.

9. Record the observations as given in table.

Water Content Data:

Specimen → 1 2 3 4 5

Can/ Container no.

Wt. of can+ wet soil

Wt. of can + dry soil

Wt. of water (gm)

Wt. of can (gm)

Wt. of dry soil (gm)

Water content (%)

Date: Signature
Teacher - in - charge

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