CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

GEOTECHNICAL LAB (DCC30112)

DIPLOMA OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

SOIL SLAMPLING REPORT

NAME RUBANESWARY SRIDHARAN

MATRIC NUM 01DKA20F2026
SECTION DKA3A
Date of submission 3RD JUNE 2022
Name of lecturer PUAN NORASIAH BINTI AHMAD
TITLE : SOIL SPAMLING

INTRODUCTION :
• Soil sampling were done to collect an information of the soil
of an area in order to determine the soil characteristic,
nutrient content, composition, pH level, soil pollution level
and other kind of characteristic as well. Depending on how
the sample is selected and collected. As soil were formed by
a different component that can changed horizontally across
the landscape and vertically the soil profile. While doing
soil sample, we need to take few samples for an area as
each part of soil is not the same. At most few kilograms for
an area. Sampling must be done by following a strict rules,
where there must be a ways to identify the individual in a
population and selection of an individual done without any
bias.

THEORY :
• Soil samples are often categorized as being either
"disturbed" or "undisturbed;" however, "undisturbed"
samples are not truly undisturbed. A disturbed sample is
one in which the structure of the soil has been changed
sufficiently that tests of structural properties of the soil will
not be representative of in-situ conditions, and only
properties of the soil grains (e.g., grain size distribution,
Atterberg limits, and possibly the water content) can be
accurately determined. An undisturbed sample is one where
the condition of the soil in the sample is close enough to
the conditions of the soil in-situ to allow tests of structural
properties of the soil to be used to approximate the
properties of the soil in-situ.
OBJECTIVE :
• To introduce the techniques of taking disturbed and
undisturbed sample.
• To determine water ( moisture ) content of soil.
• To determine density of undisturbed soil sample.

APPARATUS :

• Hand auger 6”

• Sampling equipment
• Extruder

• Drying oven

• Balance

• Moisture Canister
• Spatula

• Vernier calliper

• Ruler
PROCEDURE :

• Make a hole with hand auger to a desired depth

• Connect the tube sample to sampling equipment
• Drop the sampling equipment to the soil base and
then push the equipment into the soil.
• Get at least 3 samples of undisturbed soil from the hole
• Then get at least 5kg of disturbed soil sample from the
same hole. All the samples are taken to laboratory for the
next procedure

MOISUTE CONTENT :
• Determine and record the mass of empty moisture canister,
M1
• Place the moist soil in the moisture canister,M2
• Place the moisture canister with the moist soil in the drying
oven. Leave it in the oven overnight
• Remove the moisture canister from the drying oven
and allow it to cool to room temperature.
• Determine and record the mass of the moisture canister with
dry soil,M3
• Empty and clean the moisture canister.Remove the
undisturbed soil sample from the sample tube into the
mould and cut both ends of undisturbed soil sample
with a spatula.
DENSITY :
• Extrude the soil sample from the cylinder using extruder
• Cut a representative soil specimen from the extruded
sample
• Determine and record the length (L), diameter (D) and
mass (MT) of the soil specimen.
•

RESULT :
MOISTURE CONTENT OF DISTURBED SOIL SAMPLE

Sample no. and Reference SAMPLE 1 SAMPLE 2 SAMPLE 3

Mass of container (M1) (grams) 11.2 11.3 12.5

Mass of container + wet soil (M2) (grams) 41.7 49.6 45.3

Mass of container + dry soil (M3) (grams) 34.5 33.1 37.6

34.5 – 11.2 33.1 – 11.3 37.6-12.5

Mass of dry soil (M3 – M1) (grams)
=23.3 =21.8 = 25.1
41.7 – 34.5 49.6 – 33.1 45.3 – 37.6
Mass of water (M2-M3) (grams)
= 7.2 =16.5 = 7.7

Moisture content (%)w=(M2 – M3) x100 7.2/ 23.3 X 100 16.5/21.8

7.7/ 25.1 X 100
= 30.90 % X 100
=30.68%
(M3 – M1) =75.69%

Average of moisture content (%) 45.76%

DENSITY OF UNDISTURBED SOIL SAMPLE

Sample no. and Reference SAMPLE 1 SAMPLE 2 SAMPLE 3

Length of soil sample (cm) 7.58 7.59 7.6

Diameter (cm) 3.75 3.8 3.78

Mass of soil sample (g) 120.3 108.5 130.7

Density of soil (g/cm3) ρ = MT / V 43.88 39.96 47.36

Average density of soil (g/cm3) 43.73

DISSCUSION :
• The simplest method of soil investigation and sampling is
through the use of auger borings. This method is
applicable for retrieving disturbed soil samples that are to
be tested in the laboratory to further determine
ts engineering properties. However, it is important to be
reminded that improper handling and storage of
the sample can compromise the integrity of the soil
investigation conducted

CONCLUSION :
• Thus, throughout the soil sampling laboratory activity, we
have obtained a reliable information about a particular soil
of an area as the type of soil is not the same. In addition, we
also learn the difference between samplings methods for
different analysis purpose and each of the samplings
method have its own pros and cons. Lastly, we learned how
to prepare samples for further laboratory analysis. How the
sample should be free from any rocks or debris in it and we
have to crumbled the soil first before doing any analysis on
it.