DETERMINING THE SHRINKAGE FACTOR OF SOILS

I. BRIEF DESCRIPTION
The shrinkage limit SL is the moisture content above which the mixture of soil and water passes to a semi-
solid state. Below this moisture content, the mixture is in a solid state. Any increase in moisture content is
associated with volume change but a decrease in moisture content does not cause volume change. This
minimum moisture content causes full saturation of the soil-water mixture. The volume remains constant as
the mixture goes through the dry state to the SL moving from zero saturation to 100% saturation. On the wet
side of the SL the volume of the mixture increases linearly with increasing moisture content. On this line, the
mixture is fully saturated
The procedure of determining the shrinkage factor of soils furnishes data from which the following soil
characteristics may be calculated: (a) shrinkage limit, (b) shrinkage ratio, (c) volumetric change, (d) lineal
shrinkage.
II. TARGET PARAMETERS AND PURPOSE OF PARAMETERS
 shrinkage limit-defined as the maximum calculated water content, at which a reduction in water
content will not cause a decrease in the volume of the soil mass
Purpose: is a test that evaluates the water content of a soil where further loss of moisture will not
result in an additional volume reduction
 shrinkage ratio – ratio between a given volume change and the corresponding change in water
content above the shrinkage limit
Purpose: gives an indication of how much volume change may occur as changes in water content
above the shrinkage limit occur. Large changes in soil volume are important considerations for soils
to be used as fill material for highways and railroads, or for soils that are to support structural
foundations.

III. MATERIAL, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

The apparatus shall consist of the following:
DISHES
A porcelain evaporating dish, or similar mixing dish,
about 115 mm diameter.
A porcelain evaporating dish about 150 mm in
diameter.
SPATULA
A spatula or pill knife having a blade about 75 mm long and
about 20mm wide.
MILK DISH
A porcelain having a flat bottom and being about 45 mm in diameter by about 12.7 mm high.
STRAIGHTEDGE
A steel straightedge 100 mm or more in length.
GLASS CUP
A glass cup about 50 mm in diameter by 25 mm high, the top rim of which
is ground smooth and parallel with its base.
TRANSPARENT PLATE
A transparent plate with three metal prongs for immersing the soil pat in
mercury.
GLASS GRADUATE
Glass graduate having a capacity of 25 mL and graduated to 0.2 mL
BALANCE
The balance shall conform to AASHTO M 231, Class C.
MERCURY
Sufficient mercury to fill the glass cup to overflowing, OVEN
A thermostatically controlled drying oven capable of maintaining
temperature of 110 ∓ 5℃ for drying soil samples.
IV. PROCEDURE
The sample shall be placed in the 115 mm mixing dish and thoroughly mixed with water in amount
sufficient to fill the soil voids completely and to make the soil pasty enough to be readily worked into
the milk dish without inclusion of air bubbles. The amount of water required to produce the desired
consistency in friable soils is equal to or slightly greater than the liquid limit, and the amount
necessary to produce the desired consistency in plastic soils may exceed the liquid limit by as much
as 10%.
 The inside of the milk dish shall be coated with a thin layer of Vaseline or some other heavy grease
to prevent the adhesion of the soil to the dish. An amount of the wetted soil equal to about one-third
of the volume of the milk dish shall be placed in the center of the dish, and the soil shall be caused
to flow to the edges by tapping the dish on the firm surface cushioned by several layers of blotting
paper or similar material. An amount of soil, approximately equal to the first portion, shall be added
and the dish tapped until the soil is thoroughly compacted and all included air has been brought to
the surface.
The dish when filled, struck off, and wiped clean shall be weighed immediately and the mass
recorded as the mass of dish and wet soil. The soil pat shall be allowed to dry at room temperature
until the color of the pat turns from dark to light. It shall be oven-dried to constant mass at 110 ± 5°C
and the mass recorded as the mass of dish and dry soil. The mass of the empty dish shall be
determined and recorded. The capacity of the dish in mL which is also the volume of the wet soil pat
shall be determined by filling the dish to overflowing with mercury, removing the excess by pressing
a glass plate firmly over the top of the dish, and measuring the volume of the mercury held in the
dish in the glass graduate. This volume shall be recorded as the volume of the wet soil pat, V.
The volume of the dry soil pat shall be determined by removing the pat from the milk dish and
immersing it in the glass cup full of mercury in the following manner:
The glass cup shall be filled to overflowing with mercury and the excess mercury shall be removed by
pressing the glass plate with the three prongs firmly over the top of the cup. Any mercury, which may be
adhering to the outside of the cup, shall be carefully wiped off. The cup filled with mercury shall be placed in
the 150 mm evaporating dish and the soil pat shall be placed on the surface of the mercury. The pat shall
then be carefully forced under the mercury by means of the glass plate with the three prongs and the plate
shall be pressed firmly over the top of the cup. It is essential that no air be trapped under the soil pat.
Determine the volume in mL of the dry soil pat, Vo, by measuring the mercury so displaced in the glass
graduate or by determining the mass of the mercury to the nearest 0.1 g and calculating the volume in mL
using the formula Vo=M/D; where , M=mass of the mercury in grams and D=density of mercury.
CALCULTION OF WATER CONTENT
The water content of the soil at the time it was placed in the dish expressed as a percentage of the dry
mass of the soil shall be calculated as follows:

Where:
w=water content of the soil when placed in the dish
W=mass of wet soil obtained by subtracting the mass of the shrinkage dish from the mass of the dish
and wet pat, and
Wo=mass of dry soil pat obtained by subtracting the mass of the shrinkage dish from the mass of the
dish and dry pat
Calculate the water content to the nearest 0.1 percent
CALCULATION OF THE SHRINKAGE LIMIT
The shrinkage limit of a soil is defined as the maximum calculated water content, at which a reduction
in water content will not cause a decrease in the volume of the soil mass.
The shrinkage limit S, shall be calculated from the data obtained in the volumetric shrinkage
determination by the following formula:

Where:
S=shrinkage limit
w=water cntent of wet soil, in percentage of the mass of oven-dried soil
V=volume of wet soil pat
Vo=Volume of oven-dried soil pat
W=mass of oven-dried soil pat
Calculate the shrinkage limit to the nearest 0.1 percent.
CALCULATION OF THE SHRINKAGE RATIO
The shrinkage ratio of a soil is the ratio between a given volume change and the corresponding change
in water content above the shrinkage limit.
The shrinkage ratio R, shall be calculated from the data obtained in the volumetric shrinkage
determination by the following formula:

Calculate the shrinkage ratio to the nearest 0.1 percent.

CALCULATION OF THE VOLUMETRIC CHANGE
The volumetric change of a soil is the decrease in volume of the soil mass when the water content is
reduced from a given percentage to the shrinkage limit.
The volumetric change, VC, shall be calculated from the data obtained frm the volumetric shrinkage
determination by the following formula:

Where:
VC=the volumetric change
W1=a given water content
If, as is customary, the volumetric change from the field moisture equivalent is desired, the formula
assumes the following form:

Where:
FME=field moisture equivalent as determined by the Standard Method of Determining the Field
Moisture Equivalent of Soils, T 93.
Calculate the volumetric change to the nearest 0.1 percent.
CALCULATION OF THE LINEAL SHRINKAGE
The lineal shrinkage of a soil is defined as the decrease in one dimension of the soil mass when the
water content is reduced from a given percent-age to the shrinkage limit.
The lineal shrinkage,LS, shall be obtained either by means of the formula:

Or by means of the curve which represents this relation.

Determine the lineal shrinkage to the whole percent.
V. TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS
ASTM Standards
C 670 Practice for Preparing Precision and Bias Statements for Test Methods for Construction
Materials
D 421 Practice for Dry Preparation of Soil Samples for Particle-Size Analysis and Analysis and
Determination of Soil Constants
D 653 Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained Fluids
D 2216 Test Method for Laboratory determination of Water(Moisture) Content of Soil and Rock
D 2488 Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedure)
D 3740 Practice for Minimum Requirements for Agencies Engaged in the Testing and/or Inspection
of Soil and Rock as Used in Engineering Design and Construction
D 4318 Test Method for Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, and Plasticity Index of Soils
D 4753 Specification for Evaluating, Selecting, and Specifying Balances and Scales for Use in
Testing Soil, Rock, and Related Construction Materials
D 4943 Test Method for Shrinkage Factors of Soils by the Wax Method
 VI. SOURCE OF ERROR and ITS CONSEQUENCES
Air Bubbles - Entrapped air create weak spots leading to early failure and non-uniform condition.