INDIAN INSTITUE OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, SHIBPUR

EXPERIMENT NO.-11 Date: 22/10/2019

NAME OF THE EXPERIMENT: Determination of water content-dry density relation using Light
compaction.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the optimum moisture content and maximum dry density of a soil by Light
compaction test.

APPARATUS REQUIRED:

1. Compaction mould having a capacity of 997.46 cc with an internal diameter of 10 cm and a height of
12.7 cm. The mould shall have a detachable collar assembly and a detachable base plate.
2. Rammer: A mechanical operated metal rammer having a 5 cm diameter face and a weight of 2.6 kg.
The rammer shall be equipped with a suitable arrangement to control the height of drop to a free fall
of 31 cm.
3. Sample extruder, mixing tools such as mixing pan, spoon, towel, and spatula.
4. A balance of 15 kg capacity, Sensitive balance, Straight edge, Graduated cylinder, Moisture tins.

Detachable collar

Compaction mould

Metal rammer

Detachable base plate

Fig. 11.1 Compaction Mould Fig. 11.2 Metal rammer

NEED AND SCOPE:

Determination of the relationship between the moisture content and density of soils compacted in a mould
of a given size with a 2.6 kg rammer dropped from a height of 31 cm. the results obtained from this test will
be helpful in increasing the bearing capacity of foundations, Decreasing the undesirable settlement of
structures, Control undesirable volume changes, Reduction in hydraulic conductivity, Increasing the stability
of slope sand so on.
THEORY:

In geotechnical engineering, soil compaction is the process in which a stress applied to a soil causes
densification as air is displaced from the pores between the soil grains. It is an instantaneous process and
always takes place in partially saturated soil (three phase system). 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.
Dry density of the soil shall be computed as-

𝐺𝛾𝑤
𝛾𝑑 = 𝑤𝐺
1+
𝑆
Where, G = Specific gravity of the soil particles.
𝛾𝑤 = Unit weight of water = 1 gm/cc
S = Degree of saturation.

ZERO AIR VOIDS LINE:

A line which shows the water content- dry density relation for the compacted soil containing a constant
percentage air voids is known as air voids line. The line showing the dry density as a function of water
content for soil containing no air voids is called the zero air voids line or the saturation line.
Dry density of the soil
𝐺𝛾𝑤
𝛾𝑑 =
1+ 𝑤𝐺

PROCEDURE:

1. Taking a representative oven-dried sample, approximately 2.5 kg in the given pan. Thoroughly mix
the sample with sufficient water to dampen it with water content of 5%.
2. Weigh the proctor mould without base plate and collar. Fix the collar and base plate. Place the soil in
the Proctor mould and compact it in 3 layers giving 25 blows per layer with the 2.6 kg rammer
falling through a height of 31 cm. The blows shall be distributed uniformly over the surface of each
layer.
3. By remove the collar, trim the compacted soil even with the top of mould using a straight edge and
weigh.
4. Divide the weight of the compacted specimen by 997.46 cc and record the result.
5. Remove the sample from mould and slice vertically through and obtain a small sample for water
content.
6. Thoroughly break up the remainder of the material and then we add 3% water to increase the
moisture content of the soil sample by one or two percentage points and repeat the above procedure
for each increment of water added. Continue this series of determination until there is either a
decrease or no change in the wet unit weight of the compacted soil.
OBSERVATION AND RECORDING:
1. Mass of mould = 2160 gm
2. Diameter of mould = 10 cm
3. Height of mould = 12.7 cm
𝜋
4. Volume of mould = ×102 ×12.7 = 997.456 cc
4
Water content chart
Sl. No 1 2 3 4 5 6
No. of container 5 95 33 42 14 10
Mass of wet soil +
container (gm) 33.49 24.26 31.85 40.02 41.95 44.76
Mass of dry soil +
container (gm) 32.04 22.9 29.36 36.39 37.35 39.31
Mass of water (gm) 1.45 1.36 2.49 3.63 4.6 5.45
Mass of container (gm) 10.23 8.11 9.96 11.33 11.98 11.6
Mass of dry soil (gm) 21.81 14.79 19.4 25.06 25.37 27.71
Water content (%) 6.65 9.20 12.84 14.49 18.13 19.67

Density chart
Mass of wet Wet density Dry density
No. of soil+ mould Mass of wet Water of of
Sl.No. container (gm) soil (gm) content (%) soil(gm/cc) soil(gm/cc)
1 5 3925 1765 6.65 1.770 1.659
2 95 4054 1894 9.2 1.899 1.739
3 33 4197 2037 12.84 2.042 1.810
4 42 4245 2085 14.49 2.090 1.826
5 14 4240 2080 18.13 2.085 1.765
6 10 4225 2065 19.67 2.070 1.730

CALCULATION:

Mass of water
1. Water content = × 100%
Mass of dry soil

Wet density
2. Dry density =
1+Water content

Mass of wet soil

3. Wet density =
Volume of mould

4. Specific gravity of soil sample, G=2.625

TABLE FOR ZERO AIR VOID LINE:

Water content (%) Dry density (gm/cc)

6.65 2.235
9.2 2.114
12.84 1.963
14.49 1.902
18.13 1.779
19.67 1.731
 DRY DENSITY Vs WATER CONTENT GRAPH:

1.840

1.820

1.800

1.780
Dry density (gm/cc)

1.760

1.740

1.720

1.700

1.680

1.660

1.640
0 5 10 15 20 25
Water content (%)

GRAPH FOR ZERO AIR VOID LINE:

2.300

2.200

2.100
Dry density (gm/cc)

2.000

1.900

1.800

1.700

1.600
0 5 10 15 20 25
Water content (%)
PRECAUTION:

1. Ramming should be done continuously taking care of height of 310 mm free fall accurately. The
blows should be uniformly distributed over the surface of each layer of soil compaction.
2. Scratch each layer of the compacted soil with a sharp tool before pouring the soil for next layer.
3. The amount of soil taken for compaction should be in such a way that after compacting the last
layer, the soil surface is not more than 5 mm above the top rim of the mould.
4. Weighing should be done accurately.
5. During compaction, the mould should be kept over a level solid surface.

RESULT AND CONCLUSION:

From Dry density-water content graph, we get the value of

1. Maximum Dry density of the soil 1.828 gm/cc

2. Corresponding Optimum moisture content 14%

REFERENCES:

1. IS: 2720 (Part 7): 1980, “Determination of Water content-Dry density relation using Light
compaction”, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi.