CE 162 GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING |2nd Sem A.Y.

2021-2022 [Student Number]

Determination of Water Content and

Specific Gravity of Soil
Laboratory 1

Joanna Angela M. Lee

201920035

October 1, 2021

Abstract: Good lab report does more than present data; it demonstrates the writer's
comprehension of the concepts behind the data. Merely recording the expected and observed
results is not sufficient; you should also identify how and why differences occurred, explain how
they affected your experiment, and show your understanding of the principles the experiment
was designed to examine. Bear in mind that a format, however helpful, cannot replace clear
thinking and organized writing. You still need to organize your ideas carefully and express them
coherently. An summarizes four essential aspects of the report: (a) the purpose of the
experiment (sometimes expressed as the purpose of the report), (b) key findings, (c)
significance and (d) major conclusions. The abstract often also includes a brief reference to
theory or methodology. The information should clearly enable readers to decide whether they
need to read your whole report. The abstract should be one paragraph of 100-200 words (the
sample below is 191 words).

I. Objectives
This laboratory aims to:
 to determine the water content of a soil sample using oven drying method
 to determine specific gravity of soil using water pycnometer
II. Reference of standard procedure
ASTM D2216: Standard Test Method for Laboratory Determination of Water (Moisture)
Content of Soil and Rock by Mass
ASTM D 854-00: Standard Test for Specific Gravity of Soil Solids by Water Pycnometer

Describe the process in chronological order. Use proper flowchart symbols (i.e. decision
symbols) for easier reference of the procedure. Use past tense. Figures would help illustrate
what was done.

III. Given (reported) data

Moisture Content Determination

Tabulated below is the data recorded from the laboratory procedures of determining moisture
content of the sample soil. The data are as follows:
Table 1. Recorded laboratory data for determination of water content
Item Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4
Mass of can, W1 (g) 7.21 8.52 6.57 8.23
Mass of can + wet soil, W2 (g) 43.05 52.33 39.33 50.12
Mass of can + dry soil, W3 (g) 39.35 47.61 36.13 43.69
Specific Gravity Determination
The data below is the result of the laboratory procedures for specific gravity determination. The
data are as follows:
Table 2. Recorded laboratory data for determination specific gravity
Trial Pycnometer, Mpyc Pycnometer + Water, Pycnometer + Soil, Pycnometer +
(g) Mpyc+water (g) Mpyc+soil (g) Soil + Water,
Mpyc+soil+water (g)
1 79.95 178.21 125.35 206.21
2 79.95 178.9 116.01 200.55
3 248.25 1245.37 543.71 1419.67
4 248. 35 1300.01 621.14 1502.43

CE 162 GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING |2nd Sem A.Y. 2021-2022 [Student Number]

IV. Results
This is usually dominated by calculations, tables and figures. In most cases, providing a sample
calculation for one trial is sufficient in the report. You don’t need to show all computations for all
trials. Also, all assumptions and supporting solutions must be presented here to provide enough
proof for the final answer.

For Trial 1:

V. Analyses and Discussions

Explain. Analyze. Interpret. Compare expected results with those obtained. If there were
differences, how can you account for them? Analyze experimental error. Was it avoidable? If an
experiment was within the tolerances, you can still account for the difference from the ideal. If
the flaws result from the experimental design explain how the design might be improved. Relate
the results to your experimental objective(s). Explain your results in terms of theoretical issues.

This section should also include further discussions about the experiment and its applications.
Answers to follow-up questions given in the module must be written here. Any other concepts
relevant to the experiment may be discussed in this section.

. Calculate the moisture content of the soil for each test.

2. Determine the average moisture content for the given soil.
The natural moisture content of the soil sample is ________
3. How long and what temperature should be used to dry most soil specimens for moisture
content measurement? What exceptions exist to obtain an accurate moisture content
measurement?

In most cases, the standard drying temperature of soil is 110°C for about 12 to 16 hours. This
temperature is used because it is high enough to evaporate all the water present in the pore
spaces of the soil. However, for soil containing gypsum or other compounds with significant
amount of hydrated water, a drying temperature of 60°C is more appropriate in order to reduce
the degree of dehydration in gypsum containing materials and
reduce decomposition in fibrous organic soils.
In terms of drying time, drying the soil to a constant mass for about 12 to 16 hours is sufficient
for most soil. For sand specimens, 4 hours is often sufficient to dry it to a constant mass.

Compute the estimated specific gravity of the soil per trial.

2. Determine if there are outliers on the results. Support your conclusion with
statistical analysis.
The Specific Gravity of soils is usually between 2.65-2.80 with finer soils having higher
values than coarser ones.

3. Determine the average specific gravity of the soil sample.

4. Discuss the possible sources of errors in this experiment.
5. How does specific gravity affect the behavior of soil?

Would you say that the data obtained from the experiment are accurate and precise? Explain your
answer.
The calculated specific gravity values do vary by more than 2 to 3%; hence the values are not
accurate results. Take an average of 3 values  these values should not vary by
more than 2 to 3%.

• What are the possible sources of error in determining the moisture content of a soil?
• What is the importance of knowing the moisture content of a soil sample in construction?
Enumerate other purposes of determining moisture content of soil.

Although it is a simple experiment to perform, there are several sources of error that
can occur in the experiment to determine the moisture content of soil. The most
significant is the oven temperature. Many soil-forming minerals are hydrous, meaning
they contain water within their crystal structures. Normally, the water content of a soil is
measured by oven drying the soil at 110 ºC. This temperature is used because it is high
enough to evaporate all the water present in the pore spaces of the soil but is not so
large that it drives water out of the structure of most minerals.

Other sources of error include: the time period used for drying the soil, the
sample size, and weighing errors
 graduated cylinder used should be cleaned.
 Dry the coarse aggregate so that it does not absorb moisture otherwise it will not give
the desired results.
 All the readings of mass should be noted carefully.
1. The soil sample to be tested for specific gravity must be completely
free from lumps. If present, they have to be broken down into the
original form.
2. Two main reasons for error in the calculation are weighing
inaccuracies and the presence of entrapped air. Entrapped air have to
be eliminated completely before testing the sample. The weighing
balance has to be checked before conducting the test.
3. The soil sample taken for testing have to be completely oven dried.
VI. Conclusions
A conclusion must be integrated at the end to summarize the report. The conclusion might also
be a place to discuss weaknesses of experimental design, what future work needs to be done to
extend your conclusions, or what the implications of your conclusion are.
VII. References

Please use APA style in writing your references.

Appendices

Appendix section includes duplicate calculations for the rest of the data and other information
supporting the test results. This may include photos, graphs, charts, and tables generated
during the implementation of the experiment.