EFFECT OF EGG SHELL POWDER ON

GEOTECHNICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL

Project report submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of

Master of Technology

In

Geotechnical Engineering

By

Harpreet Singh (1312121)

Under the supervision of

Dr. Kulbir Singh Gill

Department of Civil Engineering Guru Nanak Dev. Engineering

College, Gill Road, Gill Park, Ludhiana, Punjab 141006
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project entitled E FFEC T OF E GG SH ELL POWDER

ON GE OTECH NICA L PR OPER TIES OF S OIL submitted by Mr. Harpreet Singh
(Roll No. 1312121) in fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Master of Technology
Degree in Geotechnical Engineering at GURU NANAK DEV ENGINEERING COLLEGE
is an authentic work carried out by them under my supervision and guidance.

Date:
Place: Ludhiana

Dr. Kulbir Singh Gill

Associate Professor,
Department of Civil Engineering,
Guru Nanak Dev. Engineering College Ludhiana.
 ACKNOWLEDGMET

I would like to take this opportunity to thank G.N.D.E.C for providing me with such a

vibrant and learning atmosphere.

First and foremost, I want to convey my most sincere gratitude to Dr. K.S GILL,

Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, G.N.D.E.C for taking out time from the

hectic schedule and guiding me - all so in the most warm and friendly manner.

I would also like to extend my thankfulness to all the professors of the Department of

Civil Engineering for the collective knowledge imparted to me, making me capable enough to

see through the entire process.

I am grateful to the staff and members of the Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory for

their relentless service and cooperation with me.

Last but not the least, I appreciate all my friends just for being there and extending the

moral support.

HARPREET SINGH

i
ABSTRACT

Nowadays, considerable attention has been paid to the utilization of alternative materials, which

bear higher engineering quality than traditional materials and are financially affordable. Soil is

one of the most important materials used in a variety of construction projects including earth

canals and earth dams. The fact that soil may provide all the resistance characteristics necessary

for a project illustrates the importance of various methods used to improve soil quality. Clay soil

is widely used in most of the construction projects. Clay soils, particularly soft clay soils, have

good plastic properties so that increased moisture results in their decreased shear strength,

compressive strength and volume changes. These damages typically take an irreparable toll on

structures, which further clarifies the importance of soil improvement. Considering millions of

tons of waste produced annually across the country, which not only poses the problem of disposal

but also adds to environmental contamination and health risks, utilization of such refuse and

industrial wastes and their subsidiary products as alternatives to construction materials may

effectively contribute to environmental preservation and minimization of their adverse effects on

the Environment. In the present study, eggshell powder was used as a waste to combine with soil

so that index properties compaction and shear strength properties of clay soil were investigated

at different mixture proportions. Then the shear strength of soils already measured, were

compared with those of the experimental specimens mixed with eggshell powder at different

proportions.

ii
Contents Page no.

List of Figures

List of Tables

Abstract

Chapter – 1

INTRODUCTION

Chapter – 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Soil Stabilization

2.2.1 Definition

2.1.2 Needs and Advantages

2.1.3 Method

2.2 Applications of Agricultural and Domestic Wastes in Geotechnical Applications.

2.2.1 Agricultural wastes

2.2.2 Domestic Waste

2.3 Soil Properties

2.3.1 Atterberg Limits

2.3.2 Specific Gravity

2.3.3 Shear Strength

Chapter – 3

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION

3.1 Scope of work

3.2 Material Used

3.3 Brief steps involved in experiments

3.3.1 Specific Gravity of Soil

3.3.2 Liquid Limit

3.3.3 Plastic Limit

3.3.4 Proctor Compaction Test

iii
 3.3.5 Unconfined Compression Strength Test

Chapter – 4

RESULTS AND DISSCUSSIONS

4.1 Specific gravity

4.2 Index Properties

4.2.1 Liquid Limit

4.2.2 Plastic Limit

4.4.3 Plasticity Index

4.4 Standard Proctor Compaction Test

4.4 Unconfined Compression Test

4.5 Discussion

4.5.1 Inferences from UCS Test

CONCLUSIONS

References

iv
 LIST OF TABLES

TABLE PAGE NO.

2.1

v
 CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION

1
 For any land-based structure, the foundation is very important and has to be strong to

support the entire structure. In order for the foundation to be strong, the soil around it plays a

very critical role. So, to work with soils, we need to have proper knowledge about their properties

and factors which affect their behavior. The process of soil stabilization helps to achieve the

required properties in a soil needed for the construction work.

From the beginning of construction work, the necessity of enhancing soil properties has

come to the light. Ancient civilizations of the Chinese, Romans and Incas utilized various

methods to improve soil strength etc., some of these methods were so effective that their

buildings and roads still exist.

In India, the modern era of soil stabilization began in early 1970’s, with a general shortage

of petroleum and aggregates, it became necessary for the engineers to look at means to improve

soil other than replacing the poor soil at the building site. Soil stabilization was used but due to

the use of obsolete methods and also due to the absence of proper technique, soil stabilization

lost favor. In recent times, with the increase in the demand for infrastructure, raw materials and

fuel, soil stabilization has started to take a new shape. With the availability of better research,

materials and equipment, it is emerging as a popular and cost-effective method for soil

improvement.

Here, in this project, soil stabilization has been done with the help of cement and egg

shell powder. Egg shells are obtain as waste after the use of eggs. The improvement in the shear

strength parameters has been stressed upon and comparative studies have been carried out using

unconfined compression test.

2
Soil modification or stabilization is usually carried out to achieve the following

goals:

• Increasing soil strength, geotechnical properties and bearing capacity

• Preventing structure subsidence

• Reducing adhesion in highly adhesive soils

• Increasing adhesion in soils with low adhesion (sands)

• Increasing safety factor against slope, levees and earth dam sliding

• Reducing soil plasticity index.

3
 CHAPTER-2
LITERATURE REVIEW

4
2.1 Soil Stabilization

2.1.1 Definition

Soil stabilization is the process of altering some soil properties by different methods,

mechanical or chemical in order to produce an improved soil material which has all the desired

engineering properties.

Soils are generally stabilized to increase their strength and durability or to prevent erosion

and dust formation in soils. The main aim is the creation of a soil material or system that will

hold under the design use conditions and for the designed life of the engineering project. The

properties of soil vary a great deal at different places or in certain cases even at one place; the

success of soil stabilization depends on soil testing. Various methods are employed to stabilize

soil and the method should be verified in the lab with the soil material before applying it on the

field.

Principles of Soil Stabilization:

• Evaluating the soil properties of the area under consideration.

• Deciding the property of soil which needs to be altered to get the design value and choose

the effective and economical method for stabilization.

• Designing the Stabilized soil mix sample and testing it in the lab for intended stability

and durability values.

2.1.2 Needs & Advantages

Soil properties vary a great deal and construction of structures depends a lot on the

bearing capacity of the soil, hence, we need to stabilize the soil which makes it easier to predict

the load bearing capacity of the soil and even improve the load bearing capacity. The gradation

of the soil is also a very important property to keep in mind while working with soils. The soils

may be well-graded which is desirable as it has less number of voids or uniformly graded which

though sounds stable but has more voids. Thus, it is better to mix different types of soils together
5
to improve the soil strength properties. It is very expensive to replace the inferior soil entirely

soil and hence, soil stabilization is the thing to look for in these cases.

• It improves the strength of the soil, thus, increasing the soil bearing capacity.

• It is more economical both in terms of cost and energy to increase the bearing capacity

of the soil rather than going for deep foundation or raft foundation.

• It is also used to provide more stability to the soil in slopes or other such places.

• Sometimes soil stabilization is also used to prevent soil erosion or formation of dust,

which is very useful especially in dry and arid weather.

• Stabilization is also done for soil water-proofing; this prevents water from entering

into the soil and hence helps the soil from losing its strength.

• It helps in reducing the soil volume change due to change in temperature or moisture

content.

• Stabilization improves the workability and the durability of the soil.

2.1.3 Methods

A. Mechanical method of Stabilization

• In this procedure, soils of different gradations are mixed together to obtain the desired

property in the soil. This may be done at the site or at some other place from where it

can be transported easily. The final mixture is then compacted by the usual methods to

get the required density.

B. Additive method of stabilization

• It refers to the addition of manufactured products into the soil, which in proper

quantities enhances the quality of the soil. Materials such as cement, lime, bitumen,

fly ash etc. are used as chemical additives. Sometimes different fibers are also used as

reinforcements in the soil.

6
 C. Agriculture and Domestic waste method of stabilization

It is important to mention here that recent trends on soil stabilization have evolved

innovative techniques of utilizing local available environmental and industrial waste material for

the modification and stabilization of deficient soil. In the process of soil stabilization and

modification emphasis is given for maximum utilization of local material so that cost of

construction may be minimized to the minimum extent. At the same time safe disposal of

agricultural and domestic wastes become challenging task for engineers. Hence an attempt has

been made by researchers to use agricultural and domestic wastes as soil stabilizers. The

beneficial effects of certain agricultural and domestic wastes are discussed below.

2.2.1 Agricultural wastes

1) Rice husk ash

Rice husk ash is a major agricultural product obtained from paddy. For every 40 kN of

rice 10kN of husk is produced. The husk is disposed off either by dumping it in an open heap

near the mill site or on the road side to be burnt later. Burning the rice husk generated about 15-

20% of its weighing as ash. The ash being very light is easily carried by wind and water

contributing to air and water pollution. The huge quantity of ash generated requires large areas

for disposal. The high percentage of siliceous material present in rice husk ash indicated that it

has pozzolanic properties. The normal method of conversion of husk to ash is by incineration.

Musa Alhassan investigated soil-RHA with respect to compaction characteristics, California

bearing ratio (CBR) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests. The results obtained,

indicates a general decrease in the Maximum Dry Density (MDD) and increase in Optimum

Moisture Content (OMC) with increase in RHA content. There was also slight improvement in

the CBR and UCS with increase in the RHA content. Hence Rice husk ash can be used as

stabilizer to solve many problems associated with its accumulation.

7
2) Sugarcane bagasse ash

The Bagasse Ash is the fibrous waste produced after the extraction of the sugar juice from

cane. This material usually poses a disposal problem in sugar factories particularly in tropical

countries. In many tropical countries there are substantial quantities of Bagasse (the fibrous

residue from the crushing the sugar cane) and husks from rice both are rich in amorphous silica,

which react with lime. Mohammed Abdullahi investigated and reported that The Optimum

Moisture Content (OMC) increased while Maximum Dry Density (MDD) decreased with

increasing bagasse and cement content when added with lateritic soil. The cohesion decreases

while the angle of internal friction increases. This may be due to reduction of clay - size fraction.

The liquid limit reduced while the plastic limit increased and consequently the plasticity index

reduced with increase in bagasse ash content. The reduction in plasticity was due to a reduction

in liquid limit. Hence sugarcane bagasse ash can be effectively used as a soil stabilizer.

3) Groundnut shell ash

Groundnut shell is an agricultural waste obtained from milling of groundnut. The ash

from groundnut shell has been categorized under pozzolana, with about 8.66% Calcium Oxide

(CaO), 1.93% Iron Oxide (Fe2O3), 6.12% Magnesium Oxide (MgO), 15.92% Silicon Oxide

(SiO2), and 6.73% Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3). The utilization of this pozzolana as a replacement

for traditional stabilizers will go a long way in actualizing the dreams of most developing

countries of scouting for cheap and readily available construction materials. Groundnut shell ash

has been used in concrete as a partial replacement material for cement. Oriola, Folagbade et al

conducted a series of laboratory tests such as unconfined compressive Strength and California

Bearing Ratio tests on highly expansive soil with ground nut shell ash and observed improvement

of UCC and CBR values. Hence ground nut shell ash in soil stabilization gives greater benefits

to the environment than simply disposing it in the environment.

8
4) Burnt olive waste

Olive waste is the byproduct obtained from extracting the olive oil from olives. The

quantity of the by-product olive cake residue generated in most parts of the Mediterranean

countries continues to increase and expected to be double in amount within 10–15 years. This

increase intensifies the problems associated with the disposal of this by-product. Olive cake

residue has a potential for use as a soil stabilizer and large volumes can be beneficially used. This

study is directed towards determining if olive cake residue can be utilized to increase the strength

and stability of expansive soils which constitute a costly natural hazard to lightweight structures

on shallow foundations. Mousa F. Attom et al proposes a partial solution to the problems

associated with the increase of olive waste in Jordan. Chemical analysis was performed to

identify the constituents of the olive waste after burning at 550°C. A laboratory study consists of

the following tests on samples treated with burnt olive waste: Atterberg Limits, Unconfined

Compressive Strength, Standard Proctor Density, and Swelling Pressure tests. It was found that

the addition of 2.5% by weight of the burnt olive waste will increase the unconfined compressive

strength and the maximum dry density, while the addition of 7.5% of the olive ash by weight

minimizes the swelling pressure of the soil. The test results show promise for this material to be

used as stabilizer and to solve many of the problems associated with its accumulation.

2.2.2 Domestic wastes

Domestic waste materials comprise waste generated in the form of post-consumer

commercial and household waste. Domestic waste materials include paper waste, plastics,

Scrap tires, glass/ceramics, and carpet waste.

1) Waste papers

Waste paper refers to discarded forms of newspaper, magazines, office paper and other

paper products of various grades and fibers. According to Tchobanoglousb et al. (1993) waste

9
paper constitutes the largest component of municipal solid waste by weight. The types of paper

that are recyclable include newspaper, corrugated cardboard, high-grade paper, and mixed paper.

The process of waste paper recycling begins at the community level where it is sorted and left

for collection. After collection it is sorted further at the waste collection facility and finally baled

or shredded. Although the vast majority of this waste paper is recycled to produce other paper

products, its use has been extremely limited in highway applications, mainly in aesthetic

applications.

2) Plastics

Plastics are much more varied in terms of origin and properties. Trash bags, plastic pipes,

milk jugs, battery casings, plastic cups/plates, and plastic soda bottles all are potential sources

for waste plastic. These sources are composed of various types of polymers among them Poly

Ethylene Terephthalate (PETE) in soda bottles, High- Density Polyethylene (HDPE) in milk

bottles, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) in piping, Low-Density Poly Ethylene (LDPE) in thin film

packaging, Polypropylene(PP) in crates, and polystyrene (PS) in cups/plates. The properties of

the recycled plastic rest mainly on the type of resin or polymer used in the product, as are

recycling options and processing. For example, reclaimed HDPE and PETE bottles are

granulated into small flakes and separated by floatation. The flakes are then melted and turned

into pellets or formed into plastic lumber.

3) Waste glass

The majority of recycled glass is used as feed stock for the production of other glass

containers, but it is also used in engineering applications. As a product of super cooling, it is

composed primarily of silicon dioxide (sand) and sodium carbonate. Crushed waste glass

typically exhibits angular particles. Further crushing can cause a decrease in the angularity and

10
produce a material similar in properties to natural sand. Waste glass was investigated for use in

asphalt pavement, base, and embankment applications.

4) Carpet waste

Carpet waste, also referred to as carpet fibers, consists of waste from industrial production

and discarded consumer carpet. The carpet waste generated each year and accumulated in

landfills represents an abundance of useful resources, as it may be converted into various useful

products. The rate of carpet disposal is about 2-3 million tons per year in the U.S. and about 4-6

million tons per year worldwide. A carpet typically consists of two layers of backing (usually

fabrics from polypropylene tape yarns), joined by CaCO3 filled styrene-butadiene latex rubber

(SBR), and face fibers (majority being nylon 6 and nylon 66 textured yarns) tufted into the

primary backing. To use post-consumer carpet as concrete or soil reinforcement, the carpet is

shredded to recover fibers. It is generally not necessary to disassemble yarns in the carpet into

individual fibers. Youjiang Wang studied the use of Recycled carpet waste fibers as

reinforcement in concrete and soil to improve their properties. Besides performance

enhancement, the use of recycled fibers for concrete and soil reinforcement offers additional

benefits such as low cost raw materials, resource utilization and reduced need for land filling.

5) Scrap tires

Scrap tires perhaps rank among the most extensively researched and implemented

recycled materials in recent years. Potentially usable forms include whole tires, sliced tires, tire

chips, tires herds, and smaller, soil-like particles referred to collectively as crumb rubber. A

typical whole scrap automobile tire weighs about 91N, while a typical truck tire weighs about

182N. However not all of the rubber is recoverable. The size of the tire chips is a function the

shredding machine itself. To produce a smaller sized chip, it is often necessary to employ more

than one processing machine. Slit tires are basically whole tires spit in half or have the sidewall

11
separated from the tread. Shredded or chipped tires undergo two stages of shredding. Primary

shredding produces strips 30 to 45cm in length. Secondary shredding produces lengths of 10 to

15cm. Ground rubber is produced as regularly shaped and cubical particles as large as ¾ of an

cm. Crumb rubber exhibits fine particles ranging in size from passing No.4 to No.200 sieves.

Composed primarily of various types of rubber, recycled tire shreds also contain carbon black,

polymers, and fabrics as well as steel wire or belt materials. Craig H. Benson after his

investigation reported that Shredded tires can be used as lightweight fill, backfill behind the

retaining walls, construction of high strength embankments, drainage material, daily cover at a

landfill, thermal insulation to protect landfill lining systems from freezing and also used in

leachate collecting systems because scrap tires can adsorb toxic organic chemicals normally

found in leachate.

6) Eggshell powder

Eggshell Powder (ESP) has not being in use as a stabilizing material and it could be a

good replacement for industrial lime, since its chemical composition is similar to that of lime.

Chicken eggshell is a waste material from domestic sources such as poultries, hatcheries, homes

and fast food centers. This amounts to environmental pollution. Eggshell waste falls within the

category of waste food, they are materials from the preparation of foods and drinks, if subjected

to adequate scrutiny, and they could be suitable for soil stabilization. The use of lime for

stabilization is becoming expensive requiring an economical replacement.

Literature has shown that eggshell primarily contains lime, calcium, and protein. It has

being in use as a source of lime in agriculture, which confirms that lime is present in considerable

amount in eggshell. Subsequent findings revealed that ESP was used for stabilization of a

cohesion less soil in Japan. This study is thus directed towards identifying eggshell powder as an

effective stabilizing agent by replacing a certain percentage of lime in the stabilized soil with

ESP. Since the quantity of eggshell that may be required for ‘stabilization of a large area may

12
not be met, it is suggested ‘that the ESP be used as a supplement in lime stabilization. O.O. Amu

et al studied the effect of eggshell powder on the Stabilizing Potential of Lime on an Expansive

Clay Soil. He conducted series of tests to determine the optimal quantity of lime and the optimal

percentage of lime-ESP combination. The optimal quantity of lime was gradually replaced with

suitable amount of eggshell powder. Results of the Maximum Dry Density (MDD), California

Bearing Ratio (CBR), Unconfined compression test and Untrained triaxial shear strength test all

indicated that lime stabilization at 7% is better than the combination of 4% ESP + 3% lime.

13
2.3 Soil properties

2.3.1 Atterberg Limits

1) Shrinkage Limit:

This limit is achieved when further loss of water from the soil does not reduce the volume

of the soil. It can be more accurately defined as the lowest water content at which the soil

can still be completely saturated. It is denoted by wS.

2) Plastic Limit:

This limit lies between the plastic and semi-solid state of the soil. It is determined by

rolling out a thread of the soil on a flat surface which is non-porous. It is the minimum

water content at which the soil just begins to crumble while rolling into a thread of

approximately 3mm diameter. Plastic limit is denoted by wP.

3) Liquid Limit:

It is the water content of the soil between the liquid state and plastic state of the soil. It

can be defined as the minimum water content at which the soil, though in liquid state,

shows small shearing strength against flowing. It is measured by the Casagrande’s

apparatus and is denoted by wL.

14
2.3.2 Specific gravity

Specific gravity of a substance denotes the number of times that substance is heavier than

water. In simpler words we can define it as the ratio between the mass of any substance of a

definite volume divided by mass of equal volume of water. In case of soils, specific gravity is the

number of times the soil solids are heavier than equal volume of water. Different types of soil

have different specific gravities, general range for specific gravity of soils:

Sand 2.63-2.67

Silt 2.65-2.7

Clay and silty clay 2.67-2.9

Organic soil <2.0

Table-2.1

15
2.3.3 Shear strength

Shearing stresses are induced in a loaded soil and when these stresses reach their limiting

value, deformation starts in the soil which leads to failure of the soil mass. The shear strength of

a soil is its resistance to the deformation caused by the shear stresses acting on the loaded soil.

The shear strength of a soil is one of the most important characteristics. There are several

experiments which are used to determine shear strength such as DST or UCS etc. The shear

resistance offered is made up of three parts:

i) The structural resistance to the soil displacement caused due to the soil particles getting

interlocked,

ii) The frictional resistance at the contact point of various particles, and

iii) Cohesion or adhesion between the surface of the particles.

In case of cohesion less soils, the shear strength is entirely dependent upon the frictional

resistance, while in others it comes from the internal friction as well as the cohesion.

Methods for measuring shear strength:

a) Direct Shear Test (DST)

This is the most common test used to determine the shear strength of the soil. In this

experiment the soil is put inside a shear box closed from all sides and force is applied from one

side until the soil fails. The shear stress is calculated by dividing this force with the area of the

soil mass. This test can be performed in three conditions- undrained, drained and consolidated

undrained depending upon the setup of the experiment.

b) Unconfined Compression Test (UCS test)

This test is a specific case of triaxial test where the horizontal forces acting are zero. There

is no confining pressure in this test and the soil sample tested is subjected to vertical loading

only. The specimen used is cylindrical and is loaded till it fails due to shear.

16
 CHAPTER-3
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS

17
3.1 Scope of work

The experimental work consists of the following steps:

1. Specific gravity of soil

2. Determination of soil index properties (Atterberg Limits)

i) Liquid limit by Casagrande’s apparatus

ii) Plastic limit

3. Determination of the maximum dry density (MDD) and the corresponding optimum

moisture content (OMC) of the soil by Proctor compaction test

4. Determination of the shear strength by:

i) Unconfined compression test (UCS)

18
3.2 MATERIALS USED

1) Soil

The soil used in this study was collected from village sahnewal District Ludhiana. The

sample was thoroughly oven dried, weighted and stored in sacks at room temperature. The

general properties of the soil was thoroughly studied in the laboratory. The soil was tested for

liquid limit, optimum moisture content, maximum dry density and unconfined compression

strength.

2) Egg Shell Powder (ESP)

Eggshell powder (ESP) has not being used as stabilizing material and it could be good

replacement for industrial lime, since it’s chemical composition is similar to that of lime. Chicken

eggshell is a waste material from domestic sources such as fast food joints and homes. Literature

has shown that eggshell powder primarily contains CaO (99.83%) and the remaining consists of

Al2O3, SiO2, Cl, Cr2O3, MnO and CuO. The eggshell waste was washed and dried before

grinding. The eggshell powder was sieved using IS Sieve No.200 (75μ), and the powder passing

the sieve was used. This sieve was chosen in order to achieve a uniform powdery.

19
3.3 Brief steps involved in experiments

3.3.1 Specific gravity of the soil

The specific gravity of soil under investigation was determined as per standard density

bottle method and with usual test method prescribed in I.S. 2720 (Part 3) 1980.

The pycnometer was dried thoroughly and weighted with cap tightly screwed on. The cap

and pycnometer was made with a vertical line parallel to the axis of the pycnometer so that each

time the cap was screwed the same amount. The cap was unscrewed and about 200gm of oven

dried soil passing 4.75mm I.S. Sieve was put in and weighted again. Sufficient water was add to

cover the soil about half full and cap was screwed on. It was then shaken well and connected to

vacuum pump to remove entrapped air. Air was allowed to evacuate for at least 20 minutes.

Pycnometer was shaken occasionally to assist in the air evacuation. After the entrapped air had

been largely removed, the pump was disconnected and pycnometer was filled with water about

three fourth full. Vacuum was reapplied for at least 5 minutes. Evacuation was continued until

very few bubbles appear on the top of the water. After the air had been eliminated, pycnometer

was filled with water completely up to the mark. The pycnometer was dried from the outside and

weighted. Then pycnometer was filled with water up to its top and screwed. The pycnometer was

weighted after drying it on the outside thoroughly. The test was repeated twice more.

(𝑤2−𝑤1)
Specific Gravity =
(𝑤4−𝑤1)−(𝑤3−𝑤2)

W1 = Weight of bottle in gram.

W2 = Weight of bottle + Dry soil in gram

W3 = Weight of bottle +Soil + water

W4 + Weight of bottle + Water

20
3.3.2 Liquid limit

The Liquid limit of the soil under analysis was determined according to the standard

procedure prescribed in I.S.270 (Part V) 1970.

About 120 gm. of oven dry soil was sieved through 425 micron I.S. sieve after that soil

mixed with known quantity of water in a dish for obtain uniform past. After required time of

maturing of soil to ensure that water will penetrate into the pores of soil, a small amount of soil

of this paste is placed in the cup of the liquid limit device, and the surface is smoothened and

levelled with a spatula to a maximum depth of 1 cm. By using casagrande tool width 2mm at

bottom, 11 mm at top and 8mm deep a groove is cut through the sample along the symmetrical

axis of the cup in one stoke.

After cut by groveling tool, the handle of casagrande tool is turned until the two parts of

the soil sample come in to contact the bottom of the groove along a distance of 12mm at a rate

of 2 revolutions per second and number of blows were recorded ranging between 25 and 40 at

incensing percentage of water. Moisture content at recorded number of bows as per the standard

procedure and flow curve is prepared.

3.3.3 Plastic limit

For determination of the plastic limit of a soil I.S. 2720 (Part 5)-1970 was followed. Soil

is air-dried and sieved through a 425𝜇 IS sieve. About 30gm of soil is taken in evaporating dish.

It is mixed thoroughly with distilled water till it becomes plastic and can be easily molded with

fingers.

About 10gm of the plastic soil mass is taken in one hand and ball is formed. The ball is

rolled on a glass plate to form a soil thread of uniform diameter. The rate of rolling is kept about

80 to 90 strokes per minute. The process is repeated till the thread crumbles. The water content

at which the soil starts crumble just about 3mm diameter is determine by standard procedure.

21
 Ip = WL - WP

WL- Liquid limit

WP- Plastic limit

Liquid Limit, wL

Fig.-3.1

22
3.3.4 Standard Procter Test

This test was performed as per standard procedure laid down in I.S. 2720 (Part 7) 1965.

It consists of mound 1000 ml capacity with an internal diameter of 100 mm and internal effective

height is 127.3 mm. The hammer has a mass of 2.6 kg and the free fall o hammer is 310mm.

About 2.5 Kg of oven dry and cooled soil was taken. The soil was sieved through I.S

sieve of 4.75mm. This soil was mixed thoroughly by adding 10% of water by weight. The sample

was covered with wet cloth and allowed to mature. The mould was cleaned, dried and greased

lightly. The empty mould attached to base plate was weighted without collar. The collar was then

attached to the mould. The mixed soil sample then placed n mould to about one-third of its height

and each layer was compacted by 25 free falls of standard hammer. The soil surface of compacted

soil was screeched with spatula before the second layer was placed. Utmost care was taken that

blows were equally distributed over the surface of each layer. After three layers were laid, collar

was removed and excess of the soil was trimmed of to make it level with mould. Mould and soil

together was weighed. Its dry density was determined as per the standard procedure.

𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑(𝑔𝑚𝑠)

Wet density =
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 (𝑐𝑐)

𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 (𝑔𝑚𝑠)

Moisture content % = × 100
𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑙 (𝑔𝑚𝑠)

𝑊𝑒𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦
Dry density (gm. /cc) = 𝑚𝑜𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡
1+
100

23
3.3.5 Unconfined Compression Strength Test

This test was conducted as per I.S 2720 (Part 10) - 1973

a) Preparation of Sample

Required quantity of oven dried soil was sieved through I.S sieve 475𝜇 and then soil

sample was prepared by taking into consideration of weight of the soil calculated from the

volume of mould and maximum dry density. Tap water was used and mixed at O.M.C. A

homogeneous sample was prepared by mixing thoroughly the soil and water in an open bowl.

Mould used was split type and it was properly greased with oil from inside and soil mixture

prepared was put in layers and compacted. The sample was removed by splitting the mould into

two parts.

a) Testing of soil sample

The specimen was placed on the bottom plate of the unconfined compression machine

(proving ring type) then raised gradually to make its contact with the upper plate. The dial gauge

and proving ring were set to zero. The compression load was applied to the specimen by turning

the handle to produce an axial strain of 1⁄2 to 2% per minute. The shearing was continued till the

specimen failed. The compression force was determined from the proving ring reading and axial

strain was counted from the dial gauge reading. Three samples were tested in this way and the

average reading was considered by taking least count of proving ring as 0.5kg/ division and by

dividing it with the X-sectional area at the center of bulge.

qu = 𝐿𝑜𝑎𝑑 ⁄𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎(𝐴′ )

qu = Compressive stress

A’= Cross- sectional area / (1-𝜀 )

24
 CHAPTER- 4
RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS

25
4.1 Specific Gravity

Determination No.
S.No Observation and calculations
1 2
1 Mass of empty pycnometer (M1) 624g 624g

2 Mass of pycnometer and dry soil (M2) 833g 830g

3 Mass of pycnometer soil, filled with water (M3) 1598g 1595g

4 Mass of pycnometer filled with water only (M4) 1466g 1464g

Calculations

5 (M2-M1) gm. 209g 206g

6 (M3-M4 ) gm. 132g 131g

(5)
7 G = (5)−(6) 2.71 2.74

Table- 4.1

Result. Specific gravity of solids = 2.72

26
4.2 Index Properties

4.2.1 Liquid Limit

Determination No.
S.No Observation and calculations
1 2 3 4

1 No. Blows (N) 40 33 30 20

2 Moisture Content Container No. 1 2 3 4

3 Mass of empty container (M1)gm. 31 32 32 31

4 Mass of container + wet soil (M2)gm. 46 47 46 45

5 Mass of container + dry soil (M3)gm. 42 42.8 41.7 40.3

Calculations

6 Mass of water = (M2-M3 ) gm. 4 4.2 4.3 4.7

7 Mass of dry soil = (M3-M1 )gm. 11 10.8 9.7 9.3

(6)
8 Water content, w = × 100 % 38% 42% 44% 50%
(7)

Table-4.2

60
50
50 44.32
42
38
40
Water content (%)

30

20

10

0
10 100
Number of blows (N)

Fig.-4.1

Liquid limit as obtained from graph = 45

(Corresponding to 25 blows)

27
4.2.2 Plastic Limit

Determination No.
S.No Observation and calculations
1 2

1 Moisture Content Container No. 1 2

2 Mass of empty container (M1) gm. 32gm 32gm

3 Mass of container + wet soil (M2) ) gm. 38.16gm 38.50gm

4 Mass of container + dry soil (M3) ) gm. 36.96gm 37.23gm

Calculations

5 Mass of water = (M2-M3 ) gm. 1.2gm 1.27gm

6 Mass of dry soil = (M3-M1 ) gm. 4.96 5.23gm

(5)
7 Water content, w = × 100 % 24.19% 24.28%
(6)

Table- 4.3

Result. Plastic Limit 24.23%

Plasticity Index = Liquid Limit – Plastic Limit
= 45-24.33 = 20.67
From Liquid Limit chart soil was CI type

By similar method liquid limit, plastic limit and plasticity index is determined at various
percentage of ESP and results of experiment shown in

28
4.2.3 Influence ESP on Atterberg’s limits

ESP % L.L % P.L % P.I %

0 45 24.33 20.67
1 42.2 23.72 18.48
3 40.6 22.68 17.52
5 36.5 21 15.5
10 34 22 12
15 33.7 22.8 10.9
20 33.9 23.8 10.1

Table- 4.4

PI PL LL
45
40
35
% WATER CONTENT

30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0 5 10 15 20 25
ESP %

Fig.-4.2

Fig show that up to 15 of ESP is added, there is a considerable decrese in PI, and after that

value seems to be almost constant.

29
5.3 Standard Proctor Test

Diameter of mould = 100mm Height of mould = 127.3

Volume of mould, V = 𝜋⁄4 × (10)2 × 127.3 = 1000 ml

Specific Gravity of Solids, G = 2.72

Determination No.
S.No Observation and calculations
1 2 3 4

1 Mass of empty mould + base plate 5400g 5400g 5400g 5400g

2 Mass of mould + base plate + compacted soil 6873g 7100g 7048g 7042g
Calculations
3 Mass of compacted soil, M= (2-1) 1468g 1695g 1648g 1642g
4 𝑀 1.46g/ml 1.69g/ml 1.648g/ml 1.642g/ml
Bulk density, 𝜌 =
𝑉

5 Water content, w 9% 16% 19.6% 21%

𝜌
6 Dry density, 𝜌𝑑 = 1.34 1.45 1.38 1.35
1+𝑤

7 𝐺 𝜌𝑤 1 .84 .93 .97

Void ratio, e = −1
𝜌𝑑

8 Dry Density at 100 % saturation

𝐺 𝜌𝑤 2.15g/ml 1.87g/ml 1.77g/ml 1.71g/ml
(𝜌𝑑) theomax =
1+𝑤𝐺

9 𝑤𝐺 24 % 50 % 54 % 57%
Degree of Saturation, S = × 100
𝑒

Table-4.5

30
 1.76
1.7419
1.74

Dry Density ,𝜌𝑑

1.72

1.7
1.6846

1.68

1.66
1.6468

1.64
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
water content, w (%)

Fig.-4.3

5.3.1 Influence of ESP on OMC and Dry Density

% ESP OMC (%) MDD(g/cc)

0 16.2 1.45

1 16.3 1.42

3 17 1.40

5 17.85 1.395

10 18.9 1.39

15 19 1.375

20 19 1.34

Table-4.6

31
 It can be inferred from Figure 4 that there is increase in OMC with increase ESP. The

increase is due to the 19.2

19
addition of ESP, which 18.8
18.6
18.4
18.2
decreases the quantity of free 18

OMC (%)
17.8
17.6
silt and clay fraction and 17.4
17.2
17
coarser materials with larger 16.8
16.6
16.4
surface areas were formed. 16.2
16
This implies also that more 0 20 40
% ESP
water is needed in order to

compact the soil-ESP Fig.-4.4

mixture.

The MDD decreases

1.5
Maximum Dry Density (gm/cc)

by increase the content of 1.48

1.46
ESP. The MDD decreases in 1.44
1.42
MDD can be attributed to
1.4
1.38
replacement of soil by the
1.36
ESP which has relatively 1.34
1.32
low specific gravity 0 10 20 30
% OMC

Fig.-4.5

32
5.4 Unconfined Compression Test

1. Unreinforced

Dial gauge Proving ring corrected load Axial

Strain(ϵ)
reading reading area (kg) Stress
(kg/cm2)
50 0.00641 15 19.75 7.5 .37
100 0.012 35 19.86 17.5 .88
150 .0192 62 20.01 31 1.54
200 .0256 77 20.14 38.5 1.91
250 .0320 90 20.27 45 2.22
300 .030 98 20.40 49 2.40
350 .044 93 20.53 46.5 2.26
400 .0312 85 20.68 42.5 2.05

Table-4.7

2.5

2
Axial Stress
kg/cm2

1.5

0.5

0
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06
Strain

Fig.-4.6
As obtained from graph,
USC = 2.37 kg/cm2

33
34