Index Properties

Experiment 4: Grain Size Distribution of soils

Foundation Soil Section

Materials Research and Testing Centre

Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City Development
Addis Ababa University

January, 2021
 1 Introduction
2 Sieve Size analysis
Theoretical Background
Purpose of the test
Apparatus
Sample preparation and test specimen
Test Procedure
Test computation
3 Hydrometer Analysis
Theoretical Background
Purpose of test
Apparatus and Reagent
Sample preparation and test specimen
Test Procedure
Test computation
4 Combined analysis

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 Introduction

Soil are made up of various shapes and sizes of soil particles.

Soil texture is the appearance or ’feel’ of a soil. It depends of particle
size, the distribution of those sizes and the particle shape.
Texturally soils may be grouped as fine and coarse grained soils.
Coarse grained soils are dominantly made up of larger sized particles
(larger than 0.075mm) each particle is generally visible to the naked
eye; example sand and gravel.
Fine grained soils are dominantly made up of small sized particles
(smaller than 0.075mm) and each particle is generally invisible to the
naked eye; example clay and silty soil.
A soil’s texture, the size of the various particles, the distribution of
particle sizes and the shape of the particles has considerable effect on
the engineering properties of the soil, especially for coarse grained
soils.

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 Introduction

Because of the aforementioned reason particle size and particle size

distribution are used for classification purposes. – Index properties
The range of particle sizes in soils is tremendous; the maximum
possible range is of the order of 108

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 Introduction

the particle sizes in a soil and their distribution is determined in the

laboratory by a method called mechanical analysis or
particle(grain) size analysis.
for coarse grained soils, sieve analysis will be used where a known
mass of soil specimen is allowed to pass through a stack of sieves,
with decreasing opening from top to bottom, and the retained mass
on each sieve is recorded.
for fine grained soils, hydrometer analysis will be used since sieving
soils of size less than 0.075mm is impractical. The governing principle
for this test is stocks law, which states the terminal velocity of a
spherical particle falling in a viscous fluid is dependent on the
particles size.

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 Experiment 4-A: Sieve Size analysis
Theoretical background

Sieve analysis is involves allowing to pass, a known mass of soil

specimen, through a stack of sieves, with decreasing opening from
top to bottom, and recording the retained mass on each sieve.
common sieves that are encountered in soil mechanics are:
US Standard Sieve Number Sieve Opening (mm)
3-in 75mm
1 12 -in 37.50
3
4 -in 19.0
3
8 -in 9.50
No. 4 4.75
No. 10 2.00
No. 20 0.85
No. 40 0.425
No. 60 0.25
No. 100 0.15
No. 200 0.075

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 Experiment 4-A: Sieve Size analysis
Purpose of the test

The grain size of soils is used for classification purposes.

because of the influence of the particle size various correlation exist
between particle size and engineering properties.
 Testing standards
ASTM D 422, AASHTO T 88 , BS 1377-2-1990:section 9

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 Experiment 4-A: Sieve Size analysis
Apparatus

 Sieve Stack with lead and pan

 Sieve Shaker
Balance
Drying oven
Desiccator
Rubber covered mortar and pestle

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 Experiment 4-A: Sieve Size analysis
Sample preparation and test specimen

disturbed but representative soil sample is used for this test

sample is first dried in an oven and then pulverized to break down
particle aggregation with out harming the particle itself.
a representative sample size is then taken by quartering or using a
splitter.
the required sample size depends on the largest particle size.

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 Experiment 4-A: Sieve Size analysis
Sample preparation and test specimen

Largest Particle Size, in(mm) Minimum Mass of Proportion, g

3
8 (9.5) 500
3
4 (19.0) 1000
1(25.4) 2000
1 21 (38.1) 3000
2(50.8) 4000
3(76.2) 5000

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 Experiment 4-A: Sieve Size analysis
Test Procedure

! Record the mass of the test specimen.

! Record the mass of each sieve.
! pour the test specimen on the sieve stack and close led.
! using a sieve shaker or manually, horizontally shake the sieve stack
until the mass retained on each sieve is constant.
! Record the mass of soil retained and sieve

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 Experiment 4-A: Sieve Size analysis
Test data

Sieve Desig. opening (mm) Mass of sieve (g) Mass of soil+sieve(g)

3-in 75 511.2 511.2
2-in 50 504.3 504.3
1 12 -in 37.5 612.3 983.1
1-in 25 355.6 1074.3
3
4 -in 19 452.3 599.5
1
2 -in 12.5 589.6 891.6
3
8 -in 9.5 369.8 638.0
No. 4 4.75 587.3 1015.4
No. 10 2.00 456.3 801.8
No. 20 0.85 432.7 803.5
No. 40 0.425 488.9 727.4
No. 60 0.25 398.2 577.1
No. 100 0.15 512.6 640.0
No. 200 0.075 355.0 514.4
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 Experiment 4-A: Sieve Size analysis
Computations

the results of particle size analysis are presented in the form of the
cumulative distribution of the percentage soil passing.
Mass of soil retained (on each sieve) = Mass of soil + sieve - Mass of
sieve [column 5]
Cumulative mass retained (on a given sieve) = total mass of soil
coarser than the sieve opening = the sum of all mass retained on all
coarser sieves[column 6]
Cumulative retained percentage = ratio of cumulative mass retained
column6
to the total mass multiplied by 100 [column7 = Totalmass x100]
percentage passing = 100 - cumulative percentage retained [column 8
= 100 - column 7]
The results of presented graphically in a semi-log plot where the
particle size is in log scale

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 Experiment 4-A: Sieve Size analysis
Computations

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 Experiment 4-A: Sieve Size analysis
Computations

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 Experiment 4-B: Hydrometer Analysis
Theoretical Background

 Theoretical Background
based on stocks law; which relates the terminal velocity of a spherical
particle falling in a viscous fluid to the particles diameter.

Stocks law as it applies to hydrometer analysis

r r
18µ L
D=
γw (Gs − 1) T

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 Experiment 4-B: Hydrometer Analysis
Purpose of test

The grain size of soils is used for classification purposes.

because of the influence of the particle size various correlation exist
between particle size and engineering properties.
 Testing standards
ASTM D 422, BS 1377-2-1990:section 9

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 Experiment 4-B: Hydrometer Analysis
Apparatus and Reagent

 Hydrometer (ASTM 151H or 152H)

 Mixer
 Dispersing Agent (Sodium Hex-Meta Phosphate)
Distilled water
Balance
Drying oven
Desiccator
Rubber covered mortar and pestle

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 Experiment 4-B: Hydrometer Analysis
Sample preparation and test specimen

disturbed but representative soil sample is used for this test

sample is first dried in an oven and then pulverized to break down
particle aggregation with out harming the particle itself.
the sample is then sieved on 0.075mm sieve.
the soil portion passing is used as test specimen
for clay and silt take 50 g of soil for sand take 100 g

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 Experiment 4-B: Hydrometer Analysis
Test procedure

X Weigh the required amount of soil sample, Mt

X Prepare a 40 g /L dispersing agent solution
X Place the weighted soil specimen in 250 mL beaker and cover with
125mL of the dispersing solution
X Let the soil-water slurry rest for at least 16hrs
X At the end of the soaking period, disperse the sample using the
mechanical stirrer. stir for at least 1 min
X Immediately after dispersion, transfer the soil-water slurry to the glass
sedimentation cylinder, and add distilled or demineralized water until
the total volume is 1000 mL.
X Using the palm of the hand over the open end of the cylinder (or a
rubber stopper in the open end), turn the cylinder upside down and
back for a period of 1 min to complete the agitation of the slurry.

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 Experiment 4-B: Hydrometer Analysis
Test procedure

X At the end of 1 min set the cylinder in a convenient location and take
hydrometer readings
X The hydrometer readings should be done for following time intervals
measured from the beginning of sedimentation: T = 2, 4, 8, 15, 30,
60, 120, 1440 min, RH
 Along with the test cylinder a calibration cylinder is prepared to
account for errors in
Dispersing Agent (Sodium Hex-Meta Phosphate),
Temperature and
Meniscus
 The reading is recorded as the same time and interval as the test
cylinder. RC

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 Experiment 4-B: Hydrometer Analysis
Test computation

To determine the particle size, D

r
L
D=K (1)
T
where, s
18µ
K= (2)
γw (Gs − 1)
the value of K may be directly found from Table 3 of ASTM D 422
L is termed as the effective length, it may be found from Table 2 of ASTM
D 422

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 Experiment 4-B: Hydrometer Analysis
Test computation

To determine the percentage passing, N

for ASTM 152H Hydrometer only
R ×a
N= × 100 (3)
Mt
where R is the corrected hydrometer reading R = RH − RC and
a is the correction factor for specific gravity. can be found from Table 1 of
ASTM D 422

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 Combined analysis

a soil is made up of fraction coarser and finer than 75µm

both sieve analysis and hydrometer analysis need to be conducted
sieve analysis is computed based on total mass of soil sieved while in
hydrometer analysis computation is done based on the mass of soil
used for the hydrometer testing (50 or 100g).
the percentage passing from hydrometer analysis is converted based
on the percentage of soil passing 75 µm to combine both analysis
N 0 = N × F200 (4)
where N is the percentage finer values determined form the hydrometer
analysis
F200 is the percentage passing No. 200 (75µm) sieve.
N 0 is the converted percentage finer values determined form the
hydrometer analysis.

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 The End
Any Questions?

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