Layout of Soil Mechanics Lab

Apparatus:

1) Sand Cone Apparatus

2) Electro Mechanical Sieve Shaker
3) Drying Oven
4) Direct Shear Test Apparatus
5) Liquid Limit Test Apparatus
6) Plastic Limit Test Apparatus
7) Shrinkage Limit Test Apparatus
8) Speedy Moisture Meter
9) Core Cutter Test Apparatus
10) Proctor Compaction Test
11) Balance
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1) Sand Cone Apparatus:
The Sand Cone Apparatus is used to determine the in-place density of any soil that can be
excavated to a stable condition with hand tools. This method is generally limited to
materials with a maximum particle size of 2 in (5.1 cm).

2) Electro Mechanical Sieve Shaker:

It is used to expose the particles in a sample to all the openings in each sieve in a stack. A
sieve stack is the result of fitting each sieve to be used in a given particle size analysis
into the one above. The sieve with the largest mesh holes is at the top with each
subsequent sieve of a tighter mesh size than the one above it.

3) Drying Oven:
A drying oven is a device for applying low heat over a long time to a variety of objects
for a variety of purposes. Drying oven is meant for sterilization and drying for laboratory
equipment, such as glassware.
4) Direct Shear Test Apparatus:
A direct shear test apparatus is used to measure the shear strength properties of soil or
rock material, or of discontinuities in soil or rock masses. It is also used to determine the
angle of friction and cohesion.

5) Liquid Limit Test Apparatus:

The Atterberg limits are a basic measure of the critical water contents of a fine-grained
soil, such as its shrinkage limit, plastic limit, and liquid limit. As a dry, clayey soil takes
on increasing amounts of water, it undergoes dramatic and distinct changes in behavior
and consistency. Depending on the water content of the soil, it may appear in four states:
solid, semi-solid, plastic and liquid.
6) Plastic Limit Test Apparatus:
Plastic limit test apparatus is widely used for determining the plastic limit in soil as the
water content at which a soil will just begin to crumble when rolled into a thread of 3 mm
diameter.

7) Shrinkage Limit Test Apparatus:

The shrinkage limit (SL) is the water content where further loss of moisture will not
result in any more volume reduction.
8) Speedy Moisture Meter:
It is a well-established portable test method for the determination of moisture content of
soils, sand and fine aggregates. The procedure involves the reaction between water and
calcium carbide which when mixed together gives off a gas. The amount of gas is directly
proportional to the amount of water present in the sample and results in percentage are
taken from a pressure gauge.

9) Core Cutter Test Apparatus:

The core cutter is driven into the soil using the driving hammer. Then the core is dug out,
trimmed, weighed, dried and the density and moisture content calculated. It is made of
steel protected against corrosion.
10) Proctor Compaction Test:
The Proctor compaction test is a laboratory method of experimentally determining the
optimal moisture content at which a given soil type will become most dense and achieve
its maximum dry density.

11) Balance:
Weighing balances are devices used to measure weight or calculate mass.