SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND BULKING OF SAND

AIM: To determine the specific gravity of Fine aggregate.

Apparatus:pycnometer, weighing machine.

Theory:Specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a volume of the substance to the weight of an
equal volume of the reference substance.

Procedure: The pycnometer is used for aggregate less than 10mm size. 1.Dry the pycnometer
thoroughly& weigh it with the cap (W1). 2. Pycnometer is filled with aggregate to about 1/3 rdand
weigh again. 3. Add sufficient water till top and allow the entrapped air into escape. 4. After air
bubble on the cap gently tight to avoid leakage of water. 5. Fill the pycnometer with water slowly up
to top of cap without spilling (W3) through the Pipe. 6. Clean the pycnometer by washing with water
thoroughly. 7. Fill the pycnometer with only water as alone and weigh it (W4). 8. Repeat the test
twice as more and take the average for better result.

Precautions:. The aggregate sample should be perfectly dry and clean. 2. The accuracies in weighing
and failure to completely eliminate the entrapped air are the main source of error. 3. Cap of the
pycnometer with washer should gently to avoid leakage.

Calculations: Specific gravity of aggregateG = W1= Weight of empty pycnometer

W2= Weight of empty pycnometer +dry aggregate

W3= Weight of empty pycnometer + dry aggregate + water

W4=Weight of empty pycnometer + water

Result: The specific gravity of aggregate =

Bulking of fine aggregate or sand is the phenomenon of increase in sand volume

due to the increase of moisture content. Bulking test on fine aggregates has to
be performed before using it in construction.

The moisture content in the sand makes thin films around sand particles.
Hence, each particle exerts pressure. Thus they move away from each
other causing increasing in volume. The bulking of the aggregates is
dependent on two factors:

1. The fineness of the aggregates

2. Percentage moisture content

As shown in figure-1 below, the bulking of the sand increases with the
increase in moisture content. This happens up to a limit beyond which any
moisture addition will decrease the volume.

A fully saturated fine aggregate does not show any bulking. The rate of bulking
is inversely proportional to the size of the aggregates. Hence, fine aggregates
bulk more compared to coarse aggregates.
 Reference : IS : 2386 ( Part III ) – 1963
Theory : Free moisture forms a film around each particle. This film of
moisture exerts what is known as surface tension which keeps the
neighbouring particles away from it. Similarly, the force exerted by surface
tension keeps every particle away from each other. Therefore, no point
contact is possible between the particles. This causes bulking of the volume.
It is interesting to note that the bulking increases with the increase in
moisture content upto a certain limit and beyond that the further increase
in the moisture content results in the decrease in the volume and at a
moisture content representing saturation point, the fine aggregate shows
no bulking.
Theory: In volume batching of concrete, dry quantity of fine aggregate to be added depends upon
the volume of cement. Free moisture forms a film around each particle. This film of moisture exerts
what is known as surface tension which keeps the neighbouring particles away from it. Therefore no
point contact is possible between particles. This causes bulking of sand means increases in volume of
sand

Procedure : 1. Put sufficient quantity of the sand loosely into a container.

Level off the top of the sand and pushing a steel rule vertically down
through the sand at the middle to the bottom, measure the height. Suppose
this is h1 cm.
2. Empty the sand out of the container into another container where none
of it will be lost. Half fill the first container with water. Put back about half
the sand and rod it with a steel rod, about 6 mm in diameter, so that its
volume is reduced to a minimum. Then add the remainder of the sand and
rod it in the same way.
3. The percentage of bulking of the sand due to moisture shall be calculated
from the formula: 1 100 1           h h Percentage Bulking
Conclusion /
Result : Bulking of a given sample of fine aggregate is found to be ……. %

A graph is plotted with percentage water content along X -axis and

percentage bulking along y-axis. From the graph the following results are
obtained:

1. % of bulking occurred =
2. % of water content at maximum bulking=
3. % of water content when bulking is zero=
4. % of bulking for the initial water content (W) of the sample =