ADDENDUM TO LABORATORY MANUAL FOR ADVANCED DIPLOMA GET470S

Procedure for Specific Gravity of Soil by Pycnometer

Method and Porosity of fine soils

Apparatus required

Glass pycnometer and stopper (100 ml)

Electronic scale (0.01 g)

Oven (110°C)

Suction pump (optional)

1. Clean and dry the Pycnometer. Tightly fir the stopper or its cap. Take its mass (M1) to the
nearest of 0.1 g.
2. Remove the stopper and place about 200 g of oven dried soil in the Pycnometer. Refir the
stopper. Determine the mass (M2).
3. Unscrew the stopper and add sufficient amount of de-aired water to the Pycnometer so as to
cover the soil. Refit the stopper.
3. Shake the contents well. Connect the Pycnometer to a vacuum pump to remove the entrapped
air, for about 20 minutes for fine-grained soils and about 10 minutes for coarse-grained soils.
5. Disconnect the vacuum pump. Fill the Pycnometer with water, about three-fourths full.
Reapply the vacuum for about 5min till air bubbles stop appearing on the surface of the water.
6. Fill the Pycnometer with water completely to overfill and allow water and air to escape via the
stopper’s breather hole. Dry it from outside. Take its mass (M3).
7. Record the temperature of contents. Male corrections to the final value.
8. Empty the Pycnometer. Clean it and wipe it dry.
9. Fill the Pycnometer with water only. Refit the stopper. Wipe it dry. Take its mass (M 4).

Typical results
ADDENDUM TO LABORATORY MANUAL FOR ADVANCED DIPLOMA GET470S

Porosity of fine soils

Part I: Porosity

Materials: Fine Sand, Medium Sand, Gravel, Glass beaker (100ml) & end cap, Graduated
cylinder (burette), Water, Plastic cups, bottle-top funnel.

Procedure:
1. Use a clean glass beaker and take note of the graduations. Use a reference of either 50 ml
or 100 ml to slowly fill with sandy soil (V1). Do not compact the soil in the beaker.
2. Measure out to an exact amount; either 100 ml or 150 ml of de-aired water in a burette
pouring cylinder. (V2)
3. Place the soil beaker on a flat surface. Slowly saturate the soil from the burette but do not
over fill.
4. Carefully monitor the dry areas in the soil that it becomes saturated (especially the bottom
and sides of the beaker).
5. If over-saturation occurs pour the surface water back into the burette.
6. Determine the volume of water left over in the burette (V3)
7. Calculate the amount of water used to saturate the soil (V2-V3)=V4.
Calculation for % porosity (n) =V4 / V1 *100