January 20, 2021

CE 401 – CE31S6 Geotechnical Engineering 1 (Soil Mechanics)

GROUP ____ (5 Members)

ACDAL, ABEGYL LAGBO, ISABELLA

BOBIS, ANGELIKA SECRETARIO, MARK JAMES
EMPERADO, TRISHA MAE

Laboratory Report
DETERMINATION OF SHRINKAGE LIMIT OF SOIL
1. Objective(s):
The activity aims to introduce the basic concepts, significance and procedures for
determining the shrinkage limit of soil. The shrinkage factor helps in the design
problems of structure made up of this soil or resting on such soil. It helps in assessing
the suitability of soil as a construction material in foundations, roads, embankments, and
dams.
2. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs):
The students shall be able to:
2.1 Apply laboratory equipment with ease and precision suiting the objectives of the
experiment.
3. Significance:
The Shrinkage Limit is between the semi-solid and solid states and is defined as the
highest moisture content of which the mass attains its minimum volume but continues to
lose weight/mass. These are used as important criteria in highway classification systems
and in semi-empirical methods of design in highway and airport construction. They are
also widely used in highway and airport specifications to control the quality of fill, base
course, and granular surface course materials.
4. Apparatus:
 Shrinkage mold – 45 mm diameter and 12.7 mm deep
 Glass cup about 50 mm diameter by 25 mm high
 Mercury supply
 Medicine dropper
 Evaporating dish, about 115 mm diameter
 Glass plate
 Spatula, with a flexible blade about 76 mm long and about 20 mm wide.
 Oven with temperature control 110±5oC.
 Balance, sensitive to 0.1 g

5. Procedure:
 1. Grease the inside of the shrinkage mold with a thin film of petroleum jelly. Weigh
mold and record.
2. Place about 30 g of sample obtained in accordance with standard procedures in
Preparation of Disturbed Soil Samples for Test in an evaporating dish and mix thoroughly with
sufficient water to completely fill the voids to a consistency to as much as ten percent in
excess of the liquid limit.
3. Place a portion of the wet soil in the mold (about 1/3 the volume of mold) and
tap the bottom on a firm surface. Add approximately the same amount of soil and tap bottom
of mold until thoroughly compacted and entrapped air is driven off. Add more soil and
continue tapping until the mold is overflowing. Strike off the excess sample with a
straightedge, and weigh immediately. Record as the weight/mass of mold and wet soil.
4. Air-dry the soil until its color turns from dark to light; then oven-dry to constant
weight/mass at 110±5oC. Record as the weight/mass of the dish and dry soil.
5. Determine the volume of the wet soil by filling the mold with mercury to
overflowing. Remove the excess by pressing a glass plate firmly over the top. Measure in a
graduated cylinder the volume of mercury filling the mold. This is also the volume of wet soil
pat.
6. Determine the volume of the dry soil pat by the following procedure:
a. Remove the dry soil pat from the mold
b. Fill the glass cup to overflowing with mercury and remove excess by
pressing the glass plate with prongs firmly over the top of the cup.
c. Place the cup with mercury in the evaporating dish and place the soil pat
on the surface of the mercury.
d. Carefully force the soil pat under the mercury with the pronged glass
plate and press firmly over the top of the cup.

7. Data and Results:

Calculations:

V −V o
Shrinkage Limit = W × 100
Wo
Where:
S.L. = shrinkage limit
w = moisture content
wt .∨mass wet soil−wt .∨mass dry soil
w= ×100
wt .∨mass dry soil
V = volume of wet soil pat
Vo = volume of oven-dried soil pat
Wo = wt./mass of oven dried soil pat
 WORK SHEET FOR SHRINKAGE LIMIT OF SOIL

Lab No.

1. Can + wet soil pat, g 78.12 78.01

2. Can + dry soil pat, g 57.30 55.70

3. Moisture loss, g

4. Can, g 7.56 7.75

5. Dry soil pat, g, “Vo” 49.74 47.95

6. Moisture content, %, “M” 41.85 46.53

7. Can filled with mercury, g 537.10 548.60

8. Mercury, g 529.54 540.85

9. Unit wt. of mercury, g/cm3 13.6 13.6

10. Volume of wet soil pat, 38.94 39.77

cm , V
3

11. Container + displaced 324.63 321.45

mercury, g

12. Container, g 8.53 8.25

13. Displaced mercury, g 316.10 313.20

14. Volume of dry soil pat, 23.24 23.03

cm , “VC”
3

15. Shrinkage limit, S.L 10.29 23.03