Geotechnical Properties of Soil

At Usep, Obrero campus

I. Introduction:
Geotechnical properties of a soil on a certain area can be determined using some standard
tests. These properties are essential in constructing any infrastructure that will stand on the said
area. It is because; there are areas that its geotechnical properties that are not suitable for
construction of a specific or a king of building. Any miscalculation on this said properties may
cause failure on the structure that will stand on the soil.
Geotechnical properties are very vital factor on building construction. Some of these
properties are unit weight, moisture content, specific gravity, void ratio, porosity, degree of
saturation, relative density of the soil in a certain area.

II. Objectives:
The main objective of this report is to determine the Geotechnical properties of the soil
on Usep Grounds, more specifically:
1) To be able determine the unit weight of an irregular shaped mass
2) To be able determine the moisture content on a soil sample at Usep
3) To be able determine the specific gravity of the soil

III. Procedures
For Unit Weight
First, trim a soil specimen on your sample to a fairly bulky size and obtain its mass by
weighing it by a platform balance or an electronic balance and label it as M bulk. Then prepare a
Paraffin wax and melt it. After, coat the soil specimen with the melted wax you’ve prepared
using preferably a paintbrush. The coating of the specimen must be thorough, as this layer has to
be impervious. (Note: be careful on melting and applying the melted wax for it may cause mild
burns). After the wax on the soil specimen had dried, measure its mass and label it as
Mwax+soil.Using a string, tie a loop on the soil specimen and tie the other end of the string on a
platform balance. Then make the soil sample hang on the platform balance and submerge it on
water. While being submerged on water, measure its mass and record it as Msub

For Specific Gravity (ASTM D854, Standard Test Method for Sp. Gr. of Soil Solids by
Water Pycnometer)
First, they must clean and dry the pycnometer that they’ll use before they weigh and
record its mass. Then, at room temperature, they’ll add distilled water to the pycnometer and
record its mass as Wa. After that, they’ll measure the temperature of water on the pycnometer
and record it to the nearest whole degree. From the W a mass that attained at the temperature Ti, a
set of data must be recorded on a table of values of mass W a shall be prepared to a series of
temperatures that will likely to prevail when we determine the next mass Wb.
For the sample to be used, they must first sieve the sample to a 2.00 mm sieve. The
sample that they used may be at its natural moisture content or oven dried.

Procedure for Moisture Content (ASTM D2216)

First, they’ll prepare a (natural) soil sample and a can or any container that will serve as a
holding medium for the sample on the oven. Then, measure and record the mass of the can used.
Put the sample on the can and obtain its mass together as Mcw . After, put the can with the soil
sample on the oven. Wait until the mass of the can plus the soil sample reaches a constant value
of mass (usually, soil samples are left in the oven from 12 to 16 hours). Finally, measure the final
mass of the can plus the soil sample and record it as Mcd.
Other properties
The determination of other data was done under the following equations:

Ŋ = e-(e-1)
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Soil Properties ( @ 0.5m

depth) Calculated Values Soil Type
Moisture/Water content(ω) 40.06% Soft Clay
Total/Bulk Unit Weight(γ ) 21.797 kN/cu.m  
Specific Gravity (Gs) 2.516 Clay
others:    
Void Ratio ( e ) 0.585 Stiff Clay
Porosity(n) 0.369  
Degree of saturation (S) 1.72  
Dry Unit Weight(γd) 16 Loose angular-grained sand
Saturated Unit Weight(γsat) 19.19  

After all the gathering of data and series of test, the table above was the final result.
Through this table, discussion of the character of the soil is possible. Classifications of the
sample have been determined by the information above.

V. APPENDICES

Total unit weight

Mass Mass of Mass of Mass Volume Volume of Volume of Volume of Unit

of Soil with Soil with of of Soil and Wax Soil Weight
Bulk Wax Wax Wax Wax for Wax Computed (Vsoil) (γ)
Samp (Mwax+soil) Submerg (Mwax γ Wax (Vsoil+wax) (Vwax)
le ed ) (V’wax)
(MBulk (Msub)
)

308.2 448.7 164.5 14.8 15.379 2.8425x10 1.4553 1.3872x10 21.797 kN/
2 g g 5 cm3 -4
x10-4 -4
m3
g g m3 m3 m3

Moisture Content

Sample Weight Weight Weight Weight Weight Weight Moisture

of Can of Can + of Can+ Wet Soil Dry Soil Water Content
 (Wc) Wet Soil Dry Soil (Wws) (Wds) (Ww) (Mc)
(Wcw) (Wcd)
S1 13.6 g 123.8 g 91.4 g 110.2 g 77.8g 32.4 g 41.645%
S2 13.5 g 130 g 96.15 g 116.5 g 82.65g 33.85 g 40.956%
S3 14 g 127.5 g 96.5 g 113.5 g 82.5g 31 g 37.576%

Specific Gravity

Mass Mas Mass Initi Mass Fina Mass dpw Mass Corr
of s of al of l of @ of Factor
Pycnom of Pycnome Tem Pycnomet Tem Pycnome Ti Pycnomet
eter Soil ter p. er p. ter er
(Mp) (Ms) + water (Ti) + water+ (Tf) + water
(Mpw) @ soil (Mpw) @
Ti (Mpws) Tf
101.3 g 102. 349 g 25 411 g 30 0.9970 0.9956780 0.997
7g C C 770 4

For Specific Gravity:

Calculation

a) Getting Mpw @ Tf
densityH 2 o @Tf
Mpw @ Tf = ( Mpw @ Ti−Mp ) + Mp
densityH 2O @Ti
0.996
¿ ( 349−101.31 )+101.31
0.997
¿ 348.75
b) Getting the Specific Gravity
kMs
Gs=
Ms+ Mpw @Tf −Mpws
0.99749( 102.7)
¿
102.7+348.75−411
¿ 2.516

For Water Content

a) Getting the mass of water

 wet mass of sample∧can
Mass of water =
dry mass of sample an d can

S1 = 123.8 - 91.4 = 32.4g

S2 = 131 - 96.15 = 33.85g

S3 = 127.5 – 96.5 = 31g

b) Getting the dry mass of sample

Dry Mass of Sample = Dry Mass of Sample and Can – Mass of container
S1 = 91.4 – 13.6 = 77.8g
S2 = 96.15 – 13.5 = 82.65g
S3 = 96.5 – 14 = 82.5g
c) Getting the Moisture Content
A
ω= ( 100 )
B
32.4
S1 = ( 100 )=41.65 %
77.8
33.85
S2 = ( 100 )=40.96 %
82.65
31
S3 = ( 100 )=37.58 %
82.5

ω ave =40.06 %

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHEASTERN PHILIPPINES

BO.OBRERO DAVAO CITY

 A report paper on

Geotechnical Properties of Soil

Mark Jason Pascua

Dr. Famisan
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