SORAN UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

Soil Lab
Soil Compaction test

NAME OF STUDENTS: Daniz Ismail, Zahem Ihsan, Yahya Omar, Ahmad

Babir, Bilal Muhamad, Didar Awni

SUPERVISED BY: Rzgar A. Omar

EXPERIMENTAL NO: 4

EXPERIMENTAL NAME: standard compaction test

CLASS: 3rd
GROUP NO: one

DATE OF TEST: 10, May, 2022

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 17, May, 2022
 Soil Compaction

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ............................................................................................. i

Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1
Objective (Aims of the test) ............................................................................ 2
Apparatus ........................................................................................................ 3
Procedure ........................................................................................................ 3
Calculations: - ................................................................................................. 6
Graphs: -.......................................................................................................... 9
Table of result:- ............................................................................................. 11
Conclusion .................................................................................................... 13
References ..................................................................................................... 14
Appendix A : Data Sheet .............................................................................XV

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Introduction

Soil compaction is the process of minimizing the void space between soil particles by
exerting mechanical compactive effort. When particles are forced together to close the
space between them, this is known as compaction. Because highly compacted soils have
fewer voids, they have a higher unit weight (mintekresources, 2020).

Compaction degree is influenced by soil properties, the type and amount of energy
delivered by the compaction process, and the water content of the soil. Every soil has a
maximum moisture capacity for which it can endure maximum compression. In other
words, a soil reaches its maximum dry unit weight (Yd max) at an optimum water content
level for a particular compactive effort (wopt).

The most common laboratory test for soil compaction is the Proctor compaction test. The
type of compaction and the provided energy for a given soil volume are standard and,
thus, the test focuses on the change of a sample’s moisture content to derive the optimum
water content (wopt).

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Objective (Aims of the test)

The aim of this test was to find maximum dry unit weight at an optimum water content,
and to know how important the test is which is soil compaction.

Compaction increases the shear strength of soils by adding friction from the
interlocking of particles. Future settlement of soils is reduced by increasing the
stiffness and eliminating voids creating a densified soil. The removal of voids
reduces the chance of the soil settling or shrinking or expanding and it decreases
water seepage that would lead to deleterious shrinking and swelling soil properties
(geoengineer, n.d.).

Compaction of the soil and removing air voids generally increases the soil’s
strength, decreases its compressibility, and decreases its permeability. It will reduce
the voids ratio making it more difficult for water to flow through soil.

Those factors are crucial in structures and engineering applications such as earth
dams, embankments, support of pavements, or support of foundations.

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Apparatus

➢ Cylindrical Metal Mold (figure 1). ➢ Sieve No.4 (figure 4).

➢ Rammer, weighing 2.5 kg & ➢ Tray & scoop (figure 5).
having fall of 30.5 cm (figure 2). ➢ Oven (figure 6).
➢ Sensitive Balance & Moisture
containers (figure 3).

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6

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Procedure

I. For the test to be accurate, sample needs to be dry-oven and hence the sample was
put to oven for 24 hours, a day in advance of the test day.

II. Each group needs an amount of 2.5 Kg of the dry sample, which means an
amount of 10 Kg (totally for four groups) was sieved through sieve number 4
(4.75mm) as shown in figure (1) according to given speciation’s and guidelines.

III. The sample had clumps of soil and it needed to be fined a bit so that it can pass
through the sieve, for that a compaction force of a hammer was used which is
shown in figure (2).

IV. The proper amount of sample which was 2.5 Kg multiplied by the given water
ratio to each group, resulted in the required amount of water content (325ml) to be
mixed with the sample, once it was measured, the water got poured onto the
sample slowly and then it was mixed properly with hands as shown in figure (3).

Figure 1 sample getting sieved.

Figure 3 mix sample with hands and
add water slowly.

Figure 2 big clumps getting smaller with

hammer crash power.

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 Soil Compaction

V. The molds volume needs to be calculated before pouring the wet sample into it,
its weight (empty mold) also needs to be scaled as shown in figure (4).

VI. The mold is oiled 1st then the wetted sample is poured into the mold shown in
figure (5) in 3 layers, each layer must be compacted with the Rammer as shown in
figure (6) 25 times.

VII. At the end of the last layers compaction, the extension piece of the mold is
removed & only the bottom piece of the mold is taken into account and
considered hence it is weighed.

VIII. A sample of it will be put into a can (keep in mind that the can must be weighed
emptily beforehand) and then put into the for 24 hours, then it has to be weighed
too, with all those data in hand, the required data’s are achieved through various
calculations which are given on the datasheet and a graph of the data is graphed,
which help us determine the MDD and OWC of the sample, this needs 4 samples
data, not just one, so the other data’s were gathered from the other 3 groups.

Figure 4 with extension part Figure 5 the sample is poured

removed, the empty mold into the mold in 3 layers. Figure 6 each layer gets
gets weighed. compacted 25 times with
a rammer.

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Calculations: -
Empty
Wt.of mold + Empty can Empty can
Weight mold Volume of Can can + dry
Trail wet sample weight + wet soil
(W1) mold no soil
(W2) (C1) (C2)
(C3)

1 4263.7 g 5893.8 g 938.93 1 32.30 g 80.31 g 73.75 g

Solid soil weight = 2500 gm ,

w.c used = % 13,

2500gm * 0.13 = 325 gm

325 ml of water weighted

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 Soil Compaction

Empty
Wt.of mold + Empty can Empty can
Weight mold Volume of Can can + dry
Trail wet sample weight + wet soil
(W1) mold no soil
(W2) (C1) (C2)
(C3)

2 4263.7 g 6069 g 938.93 2 32 g 96 g 87.7 g

Solid soil weight = 2000 gm ,

w.c used = % 16,

2000gm * 0.16 = 320gm

320 ml of water weighted

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 Soil Compaction

Empty
Wt.of mold + Empty can Empty can
Weight mold Volume of Can can + dry
Trail wet sample weight + wet soil
(W1) mold no soil
(W2) (C1) (C2)
(C3)

3 4258 g 6078 g 938.93 3 29.7 g 86.47 g 76.36 g

Solid soil weight = 2000 gm ,

w.c used = % 19

2000gm * 0.19 = 380 gm

380 ml of water weighted

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 Soil Compaction

Empty
Wt.of mold + Empty can Empty can
Weight mold Volume of Can can + dry
Trail wet sample weight + wet soil
(W1) mold no soil
(W2) (C1) (C2)
(C3)

4 4285 g 6110 g 938.93 4 45.5 g 174 g 150.01 g

Solid soil weight = 2000 gm ,

w.c used = % 21,

2000gm * 0.21 = 420 gm

420 ml of water weighted

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Graphs: -

MDD= 16.43

W.c = % 14.920

KN/m^3 OMC %

16.43 14.920 %

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Table of result:-

Stander Proctor Test

Wt.of
Empty Empty Empty
Weight mold +
Volume Can can can + can + Water
Trail mold wet
of mold no weight wet soil dry soil content
(W1) sample
(C1) (C2) (C3)
(W2)

Unit
gm gm Cm^3 Kn/m^3 gm gm gm % Kn/m^3

1 4263.7 5893.8 938.93 17.0244 1 32.3 80.31 73.75 15.826 14.698

2 4263.7 6069 938.93 18.854 2 32 96 87.7 14.901 16.409

3 4258 6078 938.93 19.008 3 29.7 86.47 76.36 21.667 15.623

4 4285 6110 938.93 19.06 4 45.5 174 150.01 22.955 15.502

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Discussion

Soil compaction is a process where the desired site of construction is compacted through
various machines and devices i.e., smooth roller, sheep roller, dynamic compaction, vibro
compaction etc.… which benefits the soil e.g., improves soil quality, adds density,
prevents/decreases occurrence of soil settlement, increases bearing capacity etc.…

Proctor compaction test is conducted in order to find out the soil’s maximum dry density
corresponding to its optimum water content by testing the sample in different phases of
various water contents which were (13, 16, 19 &21%) with the same soil sample, the
graph which is the combination of all 4 tests that determines the soil sample at its
maximum dry state is a density of 16.43 kN/m3 and an optimum water content of
14.920%.

Regarding errors, the mold had bit of its layers chipped off (the part where the base piece
and extension piece are linked together by set of screws) which effects the performance
of the apparatus, while we were trying to remove the extension piece at the end of the test
it was almost locked and was difficult to screw it off, and when the screws were undone a
bit of the sample got left over in the extension piece, so with a trowel we tried to put it
back on the top of the compacted sample and then compact it again with trowel, we can
clearly sense it that was a major error and we should not ignore it, another thing that can
be highlighted as an error was the rammer can’t be compacted properly as different
students did it with different power and some did it wrongly, so it was an error.

The test follows according to ASTM D698 that advises 25 blows and 3 layers in a 1000
cm3 volumetric mold & rammer mass of 2.5 kg.

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Conclusion

The test concentrated on finding a samples maximum dry density with its corresponding
optimum water content, that it explains the samples properties i.e., swelling, shrinking,
bearing capacity etc.… in the test a new apparatus was introduced, which is proctor
apparatus with its components: rammer, mold

in conclusion, proctor compacting test proved itself to be useful, especially in situ for
determining our site’s properties and profiles.

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References

https://www.geoengineer.org/education/laboratory-testing/compaction-test

https://uta.pressbooks.pub/soilmechanics/chapter/compaction-test/

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Appendix A : Data Sheet

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