Experiment No.

3a
SIEVE ANALYSIS OF SOIL

Scope

This method describes a procedure for the quantitative determination of the distribution of
particle sizes in soil by means of standard sieves.

Apparatus

1. Set of sieves (U.S. Standard)

2. Balance, sensitive to 0.1 gram
3. Oven with temperature control
4. Brush
5. Pans

Procedure

Drying and Weighing

1. Place in an oven approximately 500 grams of soil sample and dry to constant weight. If
the soil to be tested has many particles coarser than the openings in a No. 4 sieve, alarger
weight of soil should be used.
2. After drying, allow the sample to cool, weigh accurately to 0.1 gram and record the
weight obtained as oven-dried weight.

Washing and Drying

(This procedure may be omitted to the total amount of material finer than the openings of the No.
200 are not required or when the accuracy requirements for the sieve analysis do not require
washing of the particles).
1. Place the sample in the container or pan containing water and agitate with the hand
vigorously to assure as thorough separation of the particles.
2. Pour the wash water over a No. 200 sieve and return the soil retained on the sieve to the
pan and enough water taking care not to allow the water to overflow the pan.
3. Repeat the agitating and pouring of the wash samples over the No. 200 sieve until all the
particles finer than No. 200 sieve are removed from the soil sample. This can be noted
when the water appears to be clean.
4. Remove from the pan, containing the wash soil sample, all the excess water very
carefully so as not to spill any soil from pan.
5. Dry the washed sample in the oven to constant weight, and allow to cool after drying.
6. After cooling, weigh accurately the cooled sample and record the weight obtained as
wash oven-dried weight. The difference between this weight and the oven-dried weight in
Step 2 (Drying and Weighing) shall be recorded as "wash".
Sieving Procedure

1. Arrange the selected set of sieves by nesting one over the other with the coarser sieve on
top of the next smaller sieve, and place the sieve pan at the bottom where the No. 200
sieve is resting. (The selection of sieves to be used for a given test will depend on the soil
to be tested, e.g., the coarser the soil, the larger the top sieve should be. A good selection
is to have a nest composed of each sieve having an opening approximately one-half that
of the coarser sieve above it in the nest.)
2. Pour the dried wash sample into the uppermost sieve and perform the sieving operation
by hand shaking using a horizontal motion of rotation and constant vertical motion,
accompanied by occasional jarring action so as to keep the sample moving continuously
over the surface of the sieves. Sieving may be accomplished with a mechanical sieve
shaker, if available. Hand sieving for at least l0 minutes of is desirable for soils with
small particles.
3. Dismantle the sieve arrangement and weigh all particles retained on each sieve including
that retained in the sieve pan. Record all the weight obtained opposite each corresponding
sieves on the worksheet.

FIGURE 1 (Left) US Standard Sieves to be used, (Right) Motorized Sieve Shaker and Set of
Sieves

Calculation

Cumulative Weight Retained = Sum of Weight Retained on all Coarser Sieves

Cumulative Weight Passing = Total Weight Retained - Cumulative Weight Retained
Cumulative Weight Passing
Cumulative Percent Passing = × 100 %
Total Weight Retained
Cumulative Percent Retained = l00% - Cumulative Percent Passing
Questions

1. What is the purpose of grain size analysis?

2. What is a grading curve?
3. Under what conditions should you use wet sieving instead of dry sieving?
4. On which basis do you select the number and opening of sieves for the sieve analysis of a
given soil?
5. A mass of volcanic ashes with highly crushable grains is brought to the laboratory. What
precaution do you take to determine its grain size distribution?
6. On what range of particle size does the sieve analysis apply?
7. Is it possible to carry out sieve analysis on a sample of clay?

TABLE 1 US. Standard Sieve Sizes

Sieve No. Opening Sieve No. Opening (mm)
4 4.750 50 0.300
6 3.350 60 0.250
8 2.360 80 0.180
10 2.000 100 0.150
16 1.180 140 0.106
20 0.850 170 0.088
30 0.600 200 0.075
40 0.425 270 0.053

Example:
An air-dry soil sample weighing 500 grams was brought to the soils laboratory for
mechanical grain-size analysis. The laboratory data were as follows:

Cumulative Cumulative Cumulative Cumulative

Weight
Weight Weight Percent Percent
Sieve No. Retained
Retained Passing Passing Retained
(grams)
(grams) (grams) (%) (%)
3/8 51.4 51.4 441.6 89.57 10.43
4 71.0 122.4 370.6 75.17 24.83
8 81.6 204.0 289.0 58.62 41.38
16 90.3 294.3 198.7 40.30 59.70
30 78.0 372.3 120.7 24.48 75.52
50 27.5 399.8 93.2 18.90 81.10
100 31.1 430.9 62.1 12.60 87.40
200 42.5 473.4 19.6 3.98 96.02
PAN 19.6 493.0 0 0 100
TOTAL 493
 PRELIMINARY DATA SHEET

Name: ________________________________ Group No. ______________________

Course/Section: _________________________ Date: __________________________

Experiment No. 3a
SIEVE ANALYSIS OF SOIL

Cumulative Cumulative Cumulative Cumulative

Weight
Weight Weight Percent Percent
Sieve No. Retained
Retained Passing Passing Retained
(grams)
(grams) (grams) (%) (%)
3/8
4
8
16
30
50
100
200
PAN
TOTAL

_____________________________ ____________________________
Student’s Signature Instructor’s Signature
 FINAL DATA SHEET

Name: ________________________________ Group No. ______________________

Course/Section: _________________________ Date: __________________________

Experiment No. 3a
SIEVE ANALYSIS OF SOIL

Cumulative Cumulative Cumulative Cumulative

Weight
Weight Weight Percent Percent
Sieve No. Retained
Retained Passing Passing Retained
(grams)
(grams) (grams) (%) (%)
3/8
4
8
16
30
50
100
200
PAN
TOTAL

_____________________________
Student’s Signature
PRELIMINARY GRAPHICAL SOLUTION
FINAL GRAPHICAL SOLUTION