Purbanchal University

Khwopa Engineering College

(An Undertaking of Bhaktapur Municipality)
Libali-8, Bhaktapur

A
Lab Report On
Civil Engineering Material
Practical No: 1
Bulking of Sand
SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO:
Name: Gokarna Prasad Bhatt Er.Ramesh Bala
Roll No: 24 Department Of Civil Engineering
st
Section: Civil AB (1 Sem)

Date of Submission: 2079/11/15

Objective:
To determine the rate of bulking of a given sample of sand.

Apparatus Required:
• Measuring Cylinder
• Weighing Balance

Measuring Cylinder

Weighing balance
Materials Required:
• Water
• Sand (Fine, Medium and Coarse)
Theory:
Bulking of sand is the phenomenon of increase in sand volume due to increase of
moisture content. The moisture content is the sand makes thin films around sand particles.
Hence, each particle exerts pressure. Thus, they move away from each other causing
increase in volume. The bulking of sand depends on two factors:

1. The grain size of the sand particle.

2. Percentage moisture content in the sand.

The Bulking of sand increases with increases in moisture content. This happens up to a limit
beyond which any moisture addition will decrease the volume. A fully saturated fine sand
doesn’t show any bulking. The rate of bulking is inversely proportional to the size of the
aggregates. Hence, Fine sand bulks more than coarse sand.

Graph similar to the above graph can be obtained if we plot percentage of moisture
contained VS percent increase in volume. We can see that the bulking is more in fine and
least in coarse sand.
Procedure:
• Some amount of sand was dried in oven at a temperature of 100 to 110
degree Celsius.
• Then in a measuring cylinder sand was poured in up to 500ml mark.
• Then the weight of sand was measured and noted.
• Then 2% of water was added to sand (in measuring cylinder) by its weight.
• Then the mixture was mixed by shaking the measuring cylinder.
• Then the volume in the measuring cylinder was noted.
• Again 2% of water by its initial weight was added in the cylinder and shaked
properly. Volume was noted again.
• Similarly, this process was repeated for several times.

The process is same for all types of sand (Fine, Medium and Coarse).

Observation:
For fine sand:

Weight = 500 gm

Reading of volume of fine sand in the measuring cylinder = 500 ml

Observation Table:

Water Volume Bulking of Remarks

Content (%) (ml) Sand (%)
0 500 0
2 520 4
4 530 6
6 560 12
8 610 22
10 570 14
15 550 10
20 520 4
25 500 0
Here,

H2 = 610 mm

H1 = 500 mm
Maximum Bulking = (H2- H1)/ H2 ×100%
= (610-500)/500 x 100 %
= 22%

For medium sand:

Weight = 500 gm

Reading of volume of medium sand in the measuring cylinder = 500 ml

Observation Table:

Water Volume Bulking of Rmarks

Content (%) (ml) Sand (%)
0 500 0
2 540 8
4 560 12
6 580 16
8 560 12
10 540 8
15 520 4
20 510 2
25 500 0

Here,

H2 = 580 mm

H1 = 500 mm

Maximum Bulking = (H2- H1)/ H2 ×100%

= (580-500)/500 x 100 %
 = 16%

For coarse sand:

Weight = 500 gm

Reading of volume of coarse sand in the measuring cylinder = 500 ml

Observation Table:

Water Volume Bulking of Rmarks

Content (%) (ml) Sand (%)
0 500 0
2 510 2
4 520 4
6 530 6
8 540 8
10 530 6
15 520 4
20 510 2
25 500 0

Here,

H2 = 540 mm

H1 = 500 mm

Maximum Bulking = (H2- H1)/ H2 ×100%

= (540-500)/500 x 100 %
= 8%
Graph of Bulking of sand:

Moisture % Bulking Percentage

Fine sand Medium sand Coarse sand Remarks

0 0 0 0
2 4 8 2
4 6 12 4
6 12 16 6
8 22 12 8
10 14 8 6
15 10 4 4
20 4 2 2
25 0 0 0

After plotting a graph between percentage (%) of water(moisture) content VS percent

increase in volume following curves are obtained
 Bulking of Sand
45
FINE SAND
40
BUlking Percent(%) 35
30
MEDIUM SAND
25
20
15
10 COARSE SAND
5
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 15 20 25
Moisture Percent(%)

Result:
Hence, the maximum bulking rate of fine sand was found to be 22%, medium sand was
found to be 16% and for coarse sand it was found to be 8%.

Discussion:
We found that the bulking rate is maximum when 8% moisture is present for fine sand,
medium sand and coarse sand. The maximum bulking rate for fine sand was 22%, medium
sand was found to be 16% and of coarse sand was found to be 8%.
Hence, the fine sand shows greater bulking than other sands and coarse sand shows the
least bulking. As the percent increases, the rate of bulking of sand decreased after reaching
a certain percentage.

Conclusion:
The bulking rate of fine, medium and coarse sand was determined.

Precaution:
• The sand should shaked properly after addition of water.
• The weight of sand should be taken exactly for all the particle size.
• Apparatus should be handled carefully.
• Reading must be taken carefully.
• No particle should be lost while filling or emptying the pot.