Soil Mechanics – KNS2123

The Department of Civil Engineering

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

Tutorial Compaction
Solution

Lecturer: Alsidqi Hasan

Compaction
1.7 kg of moist soil is compacted into compaction mould. The
soil has 7% water content (w).
Q1
Determine dry unit weight (gd) of the soil in the mould.
𝑊 = 𝑚×𝑔
𝑊 = 1.7 𝑘𝑔 × 9.81 𝑚/𝑠 2
𝑊 = 16.68 𝑁 = 0.01668 𝑘𝑁
𝑊
𝛾=
𝑉
0.01668 𝑘𝑁
𝛾= = 17.67 𝑘𝑁ൗ 3
944 × 10 𝑚 −6 3 𝑚
𝛾
𝛾𝑑 =
1+𝑤
17.67 𝑘𝑁ൗ 3
𝛾𝑑 = 𝑚 = 16.51 𝑘𝑁ൗ
1 + 0.07 𝑚3
Compaction
A modified proctor test is performed in the laboratory for a
road construction project. Six samples with different water
content are compacted. The following table presents the
Q2 experimental data.
Bulk weight
18.6 19.5 20.13 19.8 19.5 19.3
(N)
Water
7.82 8.93 10.2 12.07 13.01 13.6
content (%) Gs = 2.67
Questions:
a) Construct compaction curve (dry unit weight, kN/m3 versus water content, %)
b) Construct zero air void line (S=100%, ZAVL)
c) Construct 20% air void line (S=80%)
d) Determine the optimum water content (owc) and maximum dry unit weight (gd,max)
e) Calculate degree of saturation at maximum dry unit weight (gd,max)
f) Calculate the 95% dry unit weight needs to be achieved in the field
g) Determine moisture contents that corresponds to 95% dry unit weight at dry of
optimum and wet of optimum
 Compaction
22
21.5
21
Dry unit weight (kN/m3)

20.5 Equations to use

20
19.5 gd,max compaction
19 S=100%, ZAVL
S=80%
18.5
18
17.5
owc
17
5.00 7.00 9.00 11.00 13.00 15.00
Water content (%)

The above figure are answers to question 1 a),b), and c)

d) owc = 10.2% and gd,max = 19.4 kN/m3
Compaction (solution)
e) Use the following equation, and substitute w = 10.2% and gd,max = 19.4
kN/m3 , Gs=2.67. Thus, S = 77%

22
f) 95% x 19.4 kN/m3 = 21.5
18.43 kN/m3 21
Dry unit weight (kN/m3)
20.5
20
g) gd = 18.43 kN/m3 19.5 compaction

corresponds to dry 19 S=100%, ZAVL

S=80%
of optimum (dop) 18.5

of about 8 % and 18
17.5
wet of optimum dop wop
17
(wop) about 12.7%. 5.00 7.00 9.00 11.00 13.00 15.00
Water content (%)