UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (CoET)

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND GEOTECHNICAL

ENGINEERING

TR331: HIGHWAY MATERIALS

NAME: ROGART, JOACHIM

REG. NO: 2012-04-02337

DEGREE/COURSE: BSc. IN CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

GROUP NO: 4

PRACTICAL NO. 01: SOIL COMPACTION AND FIELD DENSITY TEST

PRACTICAL DATE: 19TH NOVEMBER 2014

VENUE: HIGHWAY MATERIAL LAB.

INSTRUCTOR: Mr BISAGI

LECTURER: Dr. P. BUJULU

 A: MOISTURE DENSITY RELATIONSHIP OF SOILS

(SOIL COMPACTION)

INTRODUCTION

Compaction is the process whereby soil particles are forced more closely together through the
reduction of the pore spaces to attain the maximum strength.

In practice compaction is usually carried out on materials which are being used as fill in the
construction of road embankment, sub-base, or base course.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of laboratory compaction test is to enable us to determine the relationship
between dry density of soil and its moisture content so that they can be used for compaction at
site.

The purpose of compaction of roadways, runways and embankment is:

o To increase shear strength of the soil

o To decrease the soil permeability and water absorption
o To reduce the settlement of the soil under repeated loading.
o To reduce the potential for swelling, shrinkage and frost heave.

EQUIPMENTS

The equipments used for the laboratory compaction test are:

o 1litre or 942cm3 cylindrical mould for materials passing 20mm sieve.

o CBR mould for materials retaining on 20mm sieve.
o 2.5kg rammer for standard proctor test.
o 4.5kg rammer for modified AASHTO test.
o 37.5mm and 20mm sieves.
o Weighing balance.
o Moisture content tin.
o Mixing container.

TEST PROCEDURES

There are two types of laboratory compaction of soil; standard proctor test and modified
AASHTO test. The procedures for these tests are very similar, the only difference is that; the
hammer of mass 4.5kg and a free fall of 45.8cm is used to compact five layers for modified

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AASHTO test while a hammer of 2.5kg and a free fall of 30.8cm is used to compact three layers
for standard proctor test.

Below is an outline of modified AASHTO compaction steps:

o Air dry the soil sample and sieve it through a 20mm sieve and collect at least 15kg.
o Separate the sieved soil into at least five samples each of 3kg.
o For 1 litre mould use 3kg sample for a single test.
o Mix thoroughly the sample with water, 2% of the sample for sand and gravels and 3% for
cohesive soil.
o Compact the sample using 4.5kg hammer. The compaction should be done in five equal
layers each compacted with 27 blows; with free fall of 45cm (for 1litre mould).
o Remove the detachable collar and trim level the top of the mould; then remove the base.
o Measure the weight of the mould and the compacted soil sample.
o Obtain the weight of the empty mould and calculate the weight of the compacted soil
sample.
o Measure the weight of an empty tin.
o Take a sample of the compacted soil in the tin, weigh it and calculate the weight of the
wet sample.
o Dry oven the sample for 24 hours at a temperature range 105 0C - 110 0C, weigh the
sample to obtain its dry weight.
o Repeat the test for the remaining samples with increment of 2% moisture content for each
test.
o Compute the moisture content, bulk density and dry density for each test.
o Plot the results in a graph dry density against moisture content. From the graph determine
the optimum moisture content (OMC) and its corresponding maximum dry density
(MDD).

CALCULATION PROCEDURES FOR THE RESULTS

1. Wet/bulk density determination

Weight of mould + wet soil = 7729.7g

Weight of mould = 5851.2g

Volume of mould = 942cm3

Wt. of wet soil = wet soil –wt. of mould

= (7729.7 – 5851.2) g

Wt. of wet soil = 1878.5g

Wt. of wet soil
Wet Density =
volume of mould
  1878.5g
=
942cm3

 = 1.994 g/ cm3
2. Water content determination
Mass of water
Water content = x 100%
Mass of Dry Soil

Weight of water = (wt. of wet soil+ container) – (wt. of dry soil + container)

Weight of water = (235.9 – 229.6) g

Weight of water = 6.3g

Weight of dry soil = (wt. of dry soil+ container) – (weight of container)

Weight of dry soil = (229.6 – 24.4) g

Weight of dry soil = 205.2g

10.2g
X100%
Water content(w)=
121.2g

w = 3.1%

3. Dry density determination (𝝆𝒅 )

The dry density of the soil sample can be determined using the wet/bulk density and the moisture
content related by the following equation.

𝝆d 1+w
=
1.994

𝝆d
= 1 + 0.031
𝝆d
= 1.934 g/cm3
Hence, dry density of the soil sample, ��𝑑 = 1.934 g/cm
3The procedures above can be repeated for the rest of the data and hence obtain the
following results.
 Dry density𝝆d (g/cm ) 1.934 2.016 2.122 2.051 1.935
3
Moisture content, w % 3.1 4.8 7.5 9.6 12.3

GRAPH OF DRY DENSITY VS WATER CONTENT

2.15

2.1

2.05
Dry Density

1.95

1.9

1.85

1.8
2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Water Content

From the graph Maximum Dry Density (MDD) = 2125 kg/m3

Optimum Moisture Content, OMC = 7.5%

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

The maximum dry density MDD obtained and optimum moisture content OMC can be used as a
reference for site compaction.

POSSIBLE SOURCES OF ERROR

During proctor lab test the following can cause slight variations in the final results.

 The falling height of rammer may be not uniform.

 Un- even distribution of blows over the compacted layer.
 Un-equal layer thickness leading to slight different compaction energy of layer.
 Friction between hammer and its case.
 B: FIELD DENSITY TEST BY SAND REPLACEMENT METHOD

INTRODUCTION

Sand replacement method is one of the most accurate and destructive method used to find the
density of the compacted soil on a construction site. A sample of a compacted material is dug out
(test hole of 150mm) its weight is measured, and the calibrated sand is used to find the volume
of the hole accurately.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of field density measurement is to check the density of a compacted material
soil at a construction site if it has reached the requirements of the maximum dry density, MDD
obtained in the laboratory for the soil being compacted.

EQUIPMENTS

The main equipments used in the field density test are:

o Tray
o Base plate
o Hammer
o Tape for checking the depth of the hole during digging.
o Spoon
o Chisel
o Brush

MATERIAL.
Sand sieved between 600µm and retained 300µm sieves.

PROCEDURES

o Clean the surface using the brush and make sure that no loose material is left.
o Fix the plate firmly in position by driving some nails around the plate.
o Dig a hole of 150mm or otherwise according to the size of the base plate (standard
depth of a hole ranges between 13cm-15cm).
o While digging the hole make sure that the sides of the hole are nearly vertical i.e. the top
and bottom diameters should be nearly equal.
o Carefully collect the mass of excavated material and put it in an air tight container. Back
to laboratory measure its weight and determine its moisture content.
o Measure the volume of the hole by pouring into it sand from a special container. The
weight of sand in the container before pouring after pouring should be measured. Then
calculate the volume of hole. i.e.
 Mass of sand in hole
Volume of hole =
Bulk Density of Sand.

o Using the measured weight of the excavated sample calculate its bulk(wet) density, i.e.
Mass of excavated Soil
Bulk Density=
Volume of Hole.
o Using the obtained moisture content obtain the dry density of the excavated soil sample.

𝝆 d= 1 + w

CALCULATION PROCEDURES FOR THE RESULTS

1. Mass of sand in hole ��𝒉
Given Bulk Density of Sand=1.351g/cm3
Mass of sand + cylinder before pouring, M1= 6000g

Mass of sand + cylinder after pouring, M2 = 641g

Mass of sand in cone, M3 = 1651.0g

Mass of sand in hole, Mh = M1-M2-M3
Mh= (6000-641.0-1651.0) g
Mh = 3708g
2. Volume of hole , v Mass of sand in hole Mℎ
�=
Bulk Density of Sand

3708g
�=
1.351g/cm3
� = 2744.6cm3
3. Bulk density of the excavated soil sample,

Mass of excavated soil

Site Bulk Density =
Volume of Hol
 5901g
e
��𝑏 =
2744.6cm3
�� = 2.15g/cm
𝑏 3
4. Moisture content

𝑀oisture Content (w ) = Mass of Water X 100%

Mass of Dry Soil

𝑀�𝑖����� ������� 11.8g X 100%

(� ) = 229g

𝑀�𝑖����� ������� (�)

= 5.2%
5. Dry density 
𝝆 d= 1 + w
2.15
��𝑑 = 1 +
0.052
��𝑑 =
2.044g/��3

Dry density of the soil is 2.044g/cm3

6. Degree of compaction
������ �� Situ Dry Density X 100%
�������𝑖�� = Maximum Dry Density

������ �� 2.044 X 100%

�������𝑖�� = 2.125

������ �� �������𝑖�� = 96.2%

The degree of compaction of the soil sample at site is 96.2%.

DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS

1. Moisture content

From the results obtained it seems that the moisture content at the construction site to be less
than the designed.
Optimum moisture content obtained from proctor test, w = 7.5%

Moisture content of the sample obtained at the construction site = 5,2%

From the standards;

Moisture content = OMC 2%

For our case;
Moisture content = 7.5 2=(5.5-9.5)%

The real moisture content we obtain was 5.2% which is less than a minimum allowed moisture
content.

2. Dry density

From the results obtained from moisture content one would expect to have less dry density than
the maximum dry density (MDD) but here things are different, the dry density obtained is higher
than the MDD.

Practically it is impossible to have a higher dry density than MDD at lower moisture content than
OMC.

In practice, site dry density = MDD ± 5% MDD

Density = 2.125 ± 5%x 2.125g/cm 3
Density should range between (2.019- 2.231) g/��3
3. Degree of compaction

The degree of compaction seems to be greater than 100%, hence the soil is over compacted.

This is due to the dry density obtained at site.

RECCOMENDATIONS

All the results obtained seems not to comply with the proctor results, I recommend before
anything is done the proctor compaction test should be repeated to re-establish the optimum
moisture content (OMC) and the maximum dry density (MDD) and check whether they comply
with the results obtained from site.
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF ERRORS IN SAND REPLACEMENT TEST

Test results from sand replacement test may not be correct because of:

o Poor calibration of sand of density of sand.

o Poor measurement of volume of cone, volume of hole and a mass of soil.
o Poor handling of excavated soil leading to loss of some particles and moisture content.
o Incorrect size of sand used (i.e. very fine sand is not required also very coarse sand)