Experiment NO 6

The sieve analysis test

Objective of experiment

Soil classification according to diameter

A sieve analysis​ (or gradation test) is a practice or procedure

used to assess the particle size distribution (also called gradation)
of a granular material by allowing the material to pass through a
series of sieves of progressively smaller mesh size and weighing
the amount of material that is stopped by each sieve as a fraction
of the whole mass.

The size distribution is often of critical importance to the way the

material performs in use. A sieve analysis can be performed on
any type of non-organic or organic granular materials including
sands, crushed rock, clays, granite, feldspars, coal, soil, a wide
range of manufactured powders, grain and seeds, down to a
minimum size depending on the exact method. Being such a
simple technique of particle sizing, it is probably the most
common.
procedure
1. Oven dry the sample, allow it to cool. Then take 500 g
(depending on maximum particle size) of oven dried soil.

2. Select a stack of sieves suitable to the soil being tested. Weigh

each sieve and a pan to be used Wo (make sure each sieve is clean
before weighing it, by using a brush to remove grains stuck in
mesh openings).

3. Arrange the stack of sieves so that the largest mesh opening is

at the top and the smallest is at the bottom and attach the pan at
the bottom of the sieve stack.

4. Pour the dry sample on the top sieves. Add a cover plate (to
avoid dust and lost particles while shaking).

5. Place the stack of sieves in the mechanical shaker and shake for
10 min.

6. Remove the stack of sieves from the shaker, and measure the
weight of each sieve and the pan with the soil retained on them
Wf.

7. Subtract the weights obtained in step (2) from those of step (6)
to give the weight of soil retained on each sieve. Their sum is
compared to the initial sample weight; both weights should be
within about 1%. If the difference is greater than 1%, too much
material was lost, and weighing and/or sieving should be repeated
/Wf – Wo/ > 1%.
Sample of calculation

Wt of sample (soil ) = 1181 gm

NO Sieve diameter Wt of sieve Wt of sieve Wt of wt of % of

(mm) empty with remaining passing passing
(gm) sample(gm sample in sample in (gm)
) sieve (gm) sieve (gm)
1 4.75 438 438 0 1181 100%
2 2.36 493 493 0 1181 100%
3 1.18 401 402 1 1180 99.9%
4 0.6 373 719 346 834 70.6%
5 0.425 363 757 394 440 37.3%
6 0.3 355 520 165 275 23.3%
7 0.15 337 560 223 52 4.4%
8 pan 333 384 51 1 0.08%

*Wt of sieve with sample =

wt of empty sieve +remaining soil in this sieve

*Wt of remaining sample in sieve =

(wt of empty sieve +remaining soil in this sieve) – empty sieve

wt of passing sample in sieve =

wt of sample (soil ) - Wt of remaining sample in sieve

wt of passing sample in sieve
% of passing = wt of sample (soil )
Discussion

1- what is the mechanism of screening ?

2- what the advantages of screening ?

3-what are the error source of experiment ?

In the drying experiment

We found the following data:

Fill the following table

Wt of sample (soil ) = 640 gm

NO Sieve Wt of sieve Wt of sieve Wt of wt of % of

diameter empty with remaining passing passing
(mm) sample(gm sample in sample in (gm)
) sieve (gm) sieve (gm)
1 4.75 323 418
2 2.36 355 422
3 1.18 363 498
4 0.6 373 517
5 0.425 402 500
6 0.3 494 561
7 0.15 438 438
8 pan 232 266