CH.

Devi Lal State Institute of Engineering & Technology, Panniwala

Mota, Sirsa.
LABORATORY MANUAL
EXPERIMENT NO.: CE- 315 E – 02 ISSUE NO. : 01 ISSUE DATE : 15-07-2013

REV. NO. : 00 REV. DATE : - NIL PAGE: 01/02

DEPTT. : CIVIL ENGINEERING LABORATORY: GEOTECHNOLOGY (P) SEMESTER : Vth

Experiment No.2
Object: - To determine the shrinkage limit, shrinkage ratio, shrinkage index and volumetric shrinkage of
soils
Apparatus:- Evaporating dishes, Spatula, Shrinkage dish- 45mm diameter and 15mm height, straight
edge-150mm in length, Glass plates, Plain and with metal prongs-75mm x 75mm, 3mm thick, glass cup-
50 to 55mm in diameter and 25mm in height- sieve-425μ IS sieve, Balance of 0.1 g sensitivity, Mercury,
Desiccator- with any desiccating agent than sulphuric acid.

Procedure:
1 Clean the shrinkage dish and weigh (M 1). Fill the dish mercury. Remove the excess mercury by
pressing a glass plate over the top of the dish. Weigh the mercury, divide it by the density of
mercury and obtain the volume of dish which is the volume of the wet soil.
2 Take about 30g of soil sample passing the 425μ IS sieve, in an evaporating dish and thoroughly
mix with water with an amount slightly greater than the liquid limit. The soil water mixture should
be capable of flowing if allowed to drop.
3 Coat the inside of shrinkage dish with a thin layer of grease and fill the dish by one third with soil
water mixture. Top the dish on a firm surface, cushioned by several layers of blotting paper, rubber
sheet or similar material. In three straight edge, clean outside surface and weigh (M2)
4 Dry the soil pat in air until the color changes from dark to light and then dry it in a temperature
controlled oven. After drying, cool it in air and weigh the shrinkage dish and dry soil pat (M3)
5 Fill the glass cup with mercury and remove the excess mercury by pressing the glass plate having
three prongs firmly over the top of the cup.
6 Place the glass cup with mercury in a large evaporating dish and place the dry soil pat on the
surface of the mercury.
7 Force carefully the soil pat under the mercury by means of glass plate with prongs, so that the soil
pat is completely submerged in mercury. Collect the displaced mercury, weigh and find its volume
which is the volume of dry soil pat (V0)
Computations
M  M0
Moisture content of wet soil,   X 100
M0
Where M= M2-M1
M0 = M3-M1
Shrinkage limit (remoulded soil)
s 
 V  V0 
  X 100  %
 M0 

CH. Devi Lal State Institute of Engineering & Technology, Panniwala

Mota, Sirsa.
1
 Shrinkage Index, I s  I p  s
M0
Shrinkage ratio R
V0
Volumetric shrinkage (or volume change), Vs  (1  s ) R
Where 1 = given moisture content in percent
Shrinkage limit (remoulded soil)
When specific gravity is known,
1 1
s     X 100
R G
Result:
Shrinkage limit (remoulded soil) test are repeated at least three times and the average value is reported
and I any test shows a variation of 2% agt. The mean the test is repeated.
Data and Results of shrinkage Limit Test
Determination No. 1 2 3
Mass of shrinkage dish (M1)g
Mass of shrinkage dish with wet soil pat (M2)g
Mass of shrinkage dish with dry soil apt (M3) g
Mass of dry soil pat M0 = (M3-M1)g
Mass of wet soil M = (M2-M1)g
Water content
Mass of shrinkage cup with mercury g
Mass of mercury only g
Volume of shrinkage dish = Volume of wet soil (V)ml
Mass of displaced mercury g
Volume of dry soil pat (V0)ml
Shrinkage limit (remoulded soil)
s 
 V  V0 
  X 100  %
 M0 
Average shrinkage limit =