SIEVE ANALYSIS TEST

AIM:
To draw the particle size of distribution curve and calculate fineness modulus, effective size,
uniformly coefficient, coefficient of curvature, percentage gravel, percentage sand and percentage of silt
and clay.
APPARATUS REQUIRED:
1). Set of sieves (4.75mm, 2.36mm, 1.20mm, 0.6mm, 0.15mm, 0.075mm)
2). Balance
3). Drying oven
4). Cleaning brush

5). Rubber pestle & mechanical shakes.

PROCEDURE:
1. Take 1kg of oven dried soil sample which is representative of the soil to be tested.
2. Break the soil into individual particles with fingers or a rubber tippers pestles.
3. Sieve the soil through the above set of sieves for about 10 minutes.
4. Weight the amount of soil retained in each sieve and the pan and check whether the sum
of weight is approximately equal to the original sample weight.
5. Draw a grain size distribution curve with the diameter of the particle size along X-axis
in logarithmic scale and percentage finer along Y-axis.

TABULATION:
SAMPLE: 1 Weight 800grams
SNO SEIVE WEIGHT PERCENTAGE CUMMULATIVE PERCENTAGE
OPENING RETAINED OF WEIGHT PERCENTAGE OF PASSING
RETAINED WEIGHT
RETAINED
1 4.75 480 48 48 52
2 2.36 100 10 58 42
3 1.20 80 18 76 24
4 0.6 70 7 83 17
5 0.3 35 13.5 96.5 3.5
6 0.15 20 25.21 97.7 2.3
7 0.075 10 11.3 99 1
8 PAN 0 0 0 0
GRAPH:

Percentage Passing
60
50
40
Percentage Passing
30
20
10
0
4.75 2.36 1.18 0.6 0.3 0.15 0.075 Pan

SAMPLE: 2 Weight 900grams

SNO SEIVE WEIGHT PERCENTAGE CUMMULATIVE PERCENTAGE

OPENING RETAINED OF WEIGHT PERCENTAGE OF PASSING
RETAINED WEIGHT
RETAINED
1 4.75 490 49 49 51
2 2.36 330 33 82 18
3 1.20 125 12.5 84.5 15.5
4 0.6 80 8 92.5 7.5
5 0.3 65 6.5 96 4
6 0.15 60 6 96.7 3.3
7 0.075 30 3 99.1 0.9
8 PAN 0 0 0 0

GRAPH:

Percentage Passing
60
50
40
Percentage Passing
30
20
10
0
4.75 2.36 1.18 0.6 0.3 0.15 0.075 Pan
SAMPLE: 3 Weight 1000grams

SNO SEIVE WEIGHT PERCENTAGE CUMMULATIVE PERCENTAGE

OPENING RETAINED OF WEIGHT PERCENTAGE OF PASSING
RETAINED WEIGHT
RETAINED
1 4.75 465 46.5 46.5 53.5
2 2.36 145 14.5 61 39
3 1.20 110 11.5 72 28
4 0.6 75 7.5 79.5 20.5
5 0.3 80 8 87.5 12.5
6 0.15 60 6 93.5 16.5
7 0.075 25 2.5 96 4
8 PAN 10 1 97 3

GRAPH:

Percentage Passing
60
50
40
Percentage Passing
30
20
10
0
4.75 2.36 1.18 0.6 0.3 0.15 0.075 Pan
 SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF SOIL
AIM:
To obtain the specific gravity of the given soil sample.
APPARATUS REQUIRED:
1). Pycnometer bottle with conical top
2). String rod
3). Balance
PROCEDURE:
1. Weight the clean and dry pycnometer with conical top (W1)
2. Take the sand above 1/3 of pycnometer bottle and determine the weight with conical top
(W2).
3. Fill the bottle with water without air bubbles by string and determine the weight with
conical top (W3).
4. Remove the soil and water.
5. Fill the bottle with water and take the weight with conical top (W4).
6. Repeat the procedure by taking three observations.
TABULATION:
SNO W1 in grams W2 in grams W3 in grams W4 in grams SPECIFIC
GRAVITY
1 630 825 1550 1445 2.16
2 630 995 1605 1445 1.78
3 630 1285 1815 1445 2.29
MEAN 2.0766
CALCULATION:
W1 - Empty weight of pycnometer = 0.630kg
W2 – Weight of pycnometer + sample = 0.825kg
W3 – Weight of pycnometer + sample water = 1.550kg
W4 – Weight of pycnometer filled with full of water= 1.445kg

Specific Gravity, G = (W2-W1) / (W4-W1)-(W3-W2)

= 2.16
 STANDARD PROCTOR COMPACTION TEST
AIM:
To draw the relation between dry unit weight and moisture content and to determine the maximum
dry unit weight and optimum water content.
APPARATUS REQUIRED:
1). Standard proctor mould
2). 2.5kg rammer with a fall of 30cm
3). Balance
4). Mixing pan
5). Straight edge
6). Measuring jar
PROCEDURE:
1. Take 2500g of dry sample which is passing through 4.75mm sieve. Break the lumps into
individual soil particles.
2. Add initial water content.
3. Mix the soil with water thoroughly.
4. Apply a thin coat of oil to the inner surface of the protocors mould attached with the
collar.
5. Fill the soil into the mould about 1/3 height of mould
6. Compact the soil into the mould to about 25 blows for each layer. The blows should be
evenly distributed over the entire surface of soil sample.
7. Scratch the top surface of the soil with knife to form a key for the succeeding layer.
8. Transfer the mixed soil to another 1/3 height and repeat the step 6.
9. Remove the collar. Trim the top surface.
10. Weight the compacted soil with mould and base plate.
11. Remove the sampling using soil extractor.
12. Break the soil specimen and mix it with the left over soil.
13. Increase the moisture content by 2%.
14. Repeat the steps 3 and 13. The unit weight of compacted soil decrease.
15. One more trial is performed to confirm the decrease in weight.
VALUES:

Diameter of mould, d (cm) = 10 cm

Depth of mould, h (cm) =12.5 cm
volume of mould, V = ∏d2h/ 4 = (∏ X 100 X 12.5)/4
Weight of mould = 5.875 Kg
TABULATION:

SNO PERCENTAGE VOLUME WEIGHT WT OF WEIGHT OF WEIGHT DRY

OF WATER OF OF CAMPACTYE COMPACTED OF UNIT UNIT
ADDED WATER MOULD D SOIL + SOIL WEIGHT WEIGHT
ADDED WITH MOULD +
BASE BASE PLATE
PLATE
1 18 450 5875 7735 1860 1.89 1.61
2 20 500 5875 7810 2095 2.08 1.85
3 22 550 5875 7950 1975 1.95 1.65
4 24 600 5875 7730 1855 1.88 1.58
5 26 650 5875 7570 1795 1.82 1.46

GRAPH:

Dry unit weight

2
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2 Dry unit weight
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
 UNCONFINED COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
AIM:
To determine the unconfined compressive strength of black cotton soil.
APPARATUS REQUIRED:
1). Load frame
2). Sample extractor
3). Balance
4). Dial gauge
5). Proving ring
6). Vernier caliper
PROCEDURE:
1. Prepare the soil specimen at desired water content and density in large mould.
2. Push the sample tube into the large mould and remove the sampling tube fitted with soil.
For undisturbed samples push the sampling tube into sample.
3. Saturate the soil sample in the sampling by a suitable method.
4. Locate the split mould lightly with a thin layer of grease weight the mould.
5. Extrude the sample out o sampling tube into the split mould, using the sample extractor
and the knife.
6. Trim the two ends of the specimen in the split mould weight the mould with the
specimen.
7. Remove the specimen from the split mould by splitting the mould into two parts.
8. Measure the length and diameter of specimen with a vernier caliper.
9. Place the specimen on the bottom plate of the compression machine. Adjust the upper
plate to make connect with the specimen.
10. Adjust the dial gauge and the proving gauge to zero.
11. Apply the compression load to cause an axial strain at the rate of 0.5 to 2% per mixture.
12. Record the dial gauge reading and the proving ring reading every 30secs up to the strain
of 6%. The reading may be taken after 60 seconds for a strain between 6% to 12% of
axial strain is reached.
13. Continue the test until the failure surface have clearly developed or until an axial strain
of 20% is reached.
14. Measure the angle between the failure surface and the horizontal.
15. Take the sample from the failure zone of the specimen of water content determination.
OBSERVATION:
Initial diameter, D = 3.8cm
Initial length, L = 7.4cm
Initial area, A = 11.341cm2
Change in length = 40.85cm2
TABULATION:

SNO DEFORMATION PROVIDING FORCE, P STRAIN AREA STRESS

DIAL GAUGE RING
READING READING
1 0.1 0.4 0.816 0.015 12.58 0.087
2 0.2 0.8 1.732 0.076 12.64 0.260
3 0.3 1.6 3.554 0.05 12.81 0.310
4 0.4 2.2 5.048 0.055 12.63 0.452
5 0.5 3.2 7.428 0.07 13.06 0.607
6 0.6 4.0 9.9 0.09 13.32 0.840
7 0.7 4.8 11.992 0.098 13.50 0.979

CALCULATION:
Force, P = 0.4 X 2.19 = 0.916 N
Strain, e = 0.1/7.32 = 0.015
Area, A = 11.34 / (1-0.013) = 11.48cm2
Strain = 0.916 / 11.48 = 0.079 N/mm2
Uniform compressive strength = 0.12 N/mm2
Cohesive strength, L = 0.08 N/mm2