INTERNSHIP REPORT

(1/12/2023 - 30/12/2023)

Submitted by:-
Yashwardhan
Second Undergraduate Student,
Department of Civil Engineering,
Indian Institute of Technology Madras-600036
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am thankful to LARSEN & TOUBRO CONSTRUCTIONS TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

INDEPENDENT COMPANY (L&T CONSTRUCTION, TIIC) for having given me the opportunity to
undertake my internship training at their prestigious MPRRP PKG-2 Project. It was a very good learning
experience for me to have worked at this site. I would like to convey my heartiest thanks to Mr.
Sathyamurthy, L&T Construction (Project Manager- MPRRP), Mr. Balaji, accountant, who heartily
welcomed me for the internship. I would also like to give my heart-felt thanks to Mr. Shaktivel, QA/QC lab
incharge, and Mr. Santhosh Kumar, QA/QC lab engineer, who guided and encouraged me all through this
training and imparted valuable knowledge about the site work. Also I would like to thank Mr. Kartikey,
Planning head, and Mr. Arjuna, site section in-charge, who guided me whenever I needed help. I would like to
thank all the department heads of L&T construction, MPRRP, for giving their precious time and valuable
guidance during my internship programme. I would like to thank Prof. Murali J. Krishnan, Department of
Civil engineering, IIT Madras for providing his valuable guidance at the pavement laboratory (IITM) and also
for his kind referral to this insightful internship at L&T.
Last but not the least; I would like to thank all the staff at L&T Construction, TIIC for being so
helpful during my internship training.

Name: Yashwardhan
Date: 24th December 2023
 INDEX

INTERNSHIP REPORT................................................................................................................. 1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................... 4
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:............................................................................................... 4
VISION & MISSION............................................................................................................... 10
PROPOSED – PROJECT......................................................................................................12
THE PROJECT DETAILS...................................................................................................... 13
BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF MPRRP....................................................................................14
EHS DEPARTMENT....................................................................................................................15
GENERAL EHS RULES & REGULATIONS.......................................................................... 15
Use of Personal Protective Equipment and safety devices relevant to site activities............ 18
QUALITY ASSURANCE & QUALITY CONTROL...................................................................... 19
DEPARTMENT............................................................................................................................ 19
QUALITY IMPLEMENTATION AT SITE.................................................................................19
TEST ON SOIL...................................................................................................................... 21
TEST ON CEMENT............................................................................................................... 33
TEST ON AGGREGATES..................................................................................................... 35
STONE MATRIX ASPHALT........................................................................................................ 38
SMA TRIAL MIX..........................................................................................................................41
PLANNING DEPARTMENT........................................................................................................ 54
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................56
 INTRODUCTION

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

Larsen & Toubro is the biggest legacy of two Danish Engineers, who built a world-class
organization that is professionally managed and a leader in India’s engineering and construction
industry. It was the business of cement that brought the young Henning Holck-Larsen and S.K.
Toubro into India. They arrived on Indian shores as representatives of Danish engineering firm
FLSmidth & Co in connection with the merger of cement companies that later grouped into the
Associated Cement Companies.
Together, Holck-Larsen and Toubro, founded the partnership firm of L&T in 1938, which was
converted into a limited company on February 7, 1946. Today, this has metamorphosed into one
of India's biggest success stories. The company has grown from humble origins to a large
conglomerate spanning engineering and construction.
Larsen & Toubro Construction is India's largest construction organization. Many of the country's
prized landmarks, its exquisite buildings, tallest structures, largest industrial projects, longest
flyover, and highest viaducts have been built by it. Leading-edge capabilities cover every
discipline of construction: civil, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation.
L&T Construction has the resources to execute projects of large magnitude and technological
complexity in any part of the world. The business of L&T Construction is organized in six
business sectors which will primarily be responsible for Technology Development, Business
Development, International Tendering and work as Investment Centres. Headquarters is in
Chennai, India. In India, 9 Regional Offices. Overseas it has offices in the Gulf and other
locations.
L&T Construction's cutting edge capabilities cover every discipline of construction
civil, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation engineering and services extend to large
industrial and infrastructure projects from concept to commissioning.
L&T Construction has played a prominent role in India's industrial and infrastructure
development by executing several projects across length and breadth of the country and abroad.
For ease of operations and better project management, in-depth technology and business
development as well as to focus attention on domestic and international project execution, the
entire operation of L&T Construction is structured into nine Independent Companies.
 ● Hydrocarbon IC
● Buildings & Factories IC
● Transportation Infrastructure IC
● Metallurgical & Material Handling IC
● Power Transmission & Distribution
● Heavy Civil Infrastructure
● Shipbuilding
● Power
● Electrical & Automation
● Machinery & Industrial Product

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

L&T Construction's Transportation Infrastructure business vertical spearheads the infrastructure

segment comprising building and upgrading of Roads, Runways, Elevated Corridors and
Railways which are the lifelines of any nation.
This vertical undertakes engineering and construction projects through its strategic business
units, meeting international standards of quality, safety and timely delivery. EPC, item rate and
lump sum turnkey services are offered for transportation infrastructure projects in India and
abroad.
Economic growth is fuelled by better connectivity and this vertical is in the business of building
Roads, Runways (Airside Infrastructure) & Elevated Corridors (RREC), Railway Construction,
Railways Systems & International Infrastructure to keep the wheels of economies moving. TI has
built more than 13,000 lane km of roads and bridges including expressways, National & State
highways, complex interchanges, toll plazas, elevated corridors, grade separated concrete and
steel structures both in India and overseas especially in the Middle East and these span the entire
spectrum, urban to rural, small to large, simple to complex.
Major achievement in transportation infrastructure of India can be seen as- view here.

ROADS, BRIDGES & FORMATIONS

L&T’s Transportation Infrastructure Business comprises two Strategic business Groups (SBGs)
viz; Railway Business Group (RBG) and Roads, Bridges & Formations (RBF). RBF is one of the
foremost builders of roads, elevated corridors, bridges and runways in India and the Middle East.
We design and construct a wide array of elevated corridors, super structures, expressways,
National and State highways, complex road interchanges and bridges. We also design and
construct airside infrastructure of both greenfield and brownfield airports for civil and defence
purposes including runways incorporating CAT IIIB instrument landing systems, taxiways,
aprons and service roads, Elevated Cross Taxiway (ECT) and Utilities and Auxiliary Systems.
RBG offers turnkey Design-Build / EPC solutions for Railway, Integrated Transit System, and
E&M Systems for Urban Transit Project. For the JICA funded WDFC and World Bank funded
EDFC, the SBG is executing mega projects on a Design-Build basis in Civil and Track work,
E&M works, and S&T. Scale and speed have been the hallmark of these projects – executed
through state-of-the-art mechanized methods. In the realm of Urban Transit, the SBG has
executed a 29.5 km Integrated Transit System in Mauritius. The SBG has been associated with
Systems works for various Transit Systems in India, Riyadh Metro and JICA funded Dhaka
Metro System works including CBTC Signaling.

SERVICE SPECTRUM

● L&T Construction's range of services includes:

● . Pre-engineering, feasibility studies and detailed project reports.
● Complete civil and structural construction services for all types of buildings,
● industrial and infrastructure projects.
● Complete mechanical system engineering including fabrication and erection of structural
steel works; manufacture, supply, erection, testing and commissioning of plant and
equipment; heavy lift erection; high-pressure piping; fire-fighting; HVAC and LP/ utility
piping networks.
● Electrical system design, project electrification, automation and control system
● including instrumentation for all types of industrial and telecom projects.
● Design, manufacture, supply and installation of EHV switchyards,
● transmission lines.
 QUALITY POLICY

At L&T, Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) is given the highest priority. The EHS policy
enunciated by the Corporate Management lays emphasis on Environment, Health and Safety
through a structured approach and well defined practices. Systems and procedures have been
established for implementing the requisites at all stages of construction.
ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY
SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
WORK CULTURE
Work Culture emphasizes:
● Continuous learning and training
● Transparency
● Quality in all aspects of work
● Rewards based on performance and potential

TRAINING
The Human Resources Department believes that Quality is the hallmark of any successful
venture. Quality Training and Development of Human Resources is realized through: Identifying
training needs within the Organization and designing and implementing those need based
training programs to bring about continuous up-gradation of knowledge, skills and employee
attitudes.

VISION & MISSION

VISION
L&T shall be a professionally managed Indian multinational committed to total customer
satisfaction and enhancing shareholder value. L&T shall be an innovative entrepreneurial and
empowered team constantly creating value and attaining global benchmarks. L&T shall foster a
culture of caring trust and continuous learning while meeting expectations of employees,
stakeholders and society.
MISSION

To achieve excellence in the field of Engineering. Procurement and Construction through world
class practice and standards in quality, Safety and Project Management.
 PROPOSED – PROJECT
STONE MATRIX ASPHALT MIX FOR MADRAS PERIPHERAL RING ROAD PKG-2
PROJECT
 THE PROJECT DETAILS

PROJECT - CPRRP connecting Ennore to Kattupalli port

CLIENT - TNRDC
CONSULTANT - STUP Consultant Pvt Ltd
CONTRACTOR - L&T Construction TIIC
TYPE OF CONTRACT - EPC
CONSTRUCTION PERIOD - 1000 Days
MAINTENANCE PERIOD - 7 years
PACKAGE UNDER L&T - 2nd package of Section 2 connecting Punnapakkam to Thiruvallur
bypass (12.8 km)
PROJECT LOCATION AND AREA - chennai

# Pavement cross-sectional Details

Details Main carriageway Service Road

Traffic (MSA) 170 30

Length km 12.8 25.6
Wearing Course SMA: 50mm BC:50 mm
DBM 160 mm 85 mm
WMM 250 mm 250 mm
GSB 200 mm 200 mm
Subgrade 500 mm 500 mm
Min. Embankment 500 mm 500 mm
Min CBR 8% 8%
 BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF MPRRP

Chennai Peripheral Ring Road – Information & Status

The 133.38 km Chennai Peripheral Ring Road (CPRR) by TNRDC is an under construction 6
lane access-controlled expressway with a route alignment in Tamil Nadu connecting Ennore Port
– Mahabalipuram.
Its Detailed Project Report (DPR) was created by STUP Consultants and can be viewed here.

● Total Estimated Cost: Rs. 12,301 crore

● Project’s Length: 133.38 km (approx.)
● Lanes: 10 lanes (6 lanes with paved shoulders + 2 service lanes on either side)
● Design Speed: 120 kmph
● Status: Under Construction (Ennore – Thatchur)
● Deadline: 2025
● Owner: Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC)
● Project Model: Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC)

MORE DETAILS :- For additional information, refer to these links.

LINK1
LINK2
 EHS DEPARTMENT

GENERAL EHS RULES & REGULATIONS

1. No workmen below 18 years and above 58 years of age shall be engaged for a job,
2. All workmen shall be screened before engaging them on the job. Physical fitness of the person
to certain critical jobs like working at height or other dangerous locations to be ensured before
engaging the person on work. The final decision rests with the site management to reject any
person on the grounds of physical fitness.
3. Visitors can enter the site after EHS induction with the visitor pass. He should be provided
with a Safety helmet & safety Shoes, also he should be accompanied with the responsible person
of that area.
4. Smoking is strictly prohibited at the workplace.
5. Sub-contractors shall ensure adequate supervision at workplaces. They shall ensure that all
persons working under them shall not create any hazard to self or to the co-workers.
6. Nobody is allowed to enter the site without wearing a safety helmet. Chinstrap of the safety
helmet shall be always on.
7. No one is allowed to work at or more than two-meter height without wearing full body harness
and anchoring the lanyard of full body harness to firm support preferably at shoulder level.
8. No one is allowed to enter into the workplace and work at site without adequate foot
protection.
9. Usage of eye protection equipment shall be ensured when workmen are engaged for grinding,
chipping, welding and gas cutting. For other jobs, as and when site safety coordinator insists eye
protection has to be provided.
10. All PPEs like shoes, helmet, full body harness etc. shall be arranged before starting the job as
per recommendation of the EHSO.
11. Rigid barrication must be provided around the excavated pits, and barrication shall be
maintained till the backfilling is done. Safe approach is to be ensured in every excavation.
12. Adequate illumination at the workplace shall be ensured before starting the job at night.
13. All the dangerous moving parts of the portable/fixed machinery being used shall be
adequately guarded.
14. Ladders being used at site shall be adequately secured at bottom and top. Ladder shall not be
used as work platforms.
15. Erection zone and dismantling zone shall be barricaded and nobody will be allowed to stand
under the suspended loads,
16. Horseplay is completely prohibited at the workplace. Running at site is completely prohibited
except in case of emergency.
17. Material shall not be thrown from the height. Proper arrangement of Debris Chute can be
installed.
18. Other than the electrician possessing B license with red helmet, no one is allowed to carry
out electrical connection, repairs on electrical equipment or other job related thereto.
19. Inserting bare wires for tapping the power from the electrical socket is completely prohibited.
20. All major, minor accidents near misses and unhygienic conditions must be reported.
21. All scaffoldings/work platforms shall meet the requirement. The width of the working
platform and fall protection arrangement shall be maintained as per the Standard. All tools and
tackles shall be inspected before use. Defects to be reported immediately. No lifting tools &
tackle to be used unless it is certified by the concerned Engineer Incharge/P&M engineer.
22. Good housekeeping to be maintained. Passage shall not be blocked with materials. Material
like bricks shall not be stacked to the dangerous height at the workplace.
23. Debris, scrap and other material to be cleared then and there from the workplace and at the
time of closing of work every day.
24. Contractors shall ensure that all their workmen are following safe practices while traveling in
the company's transport and staying at company's accommodations.
25. Adequate fire fighting equipment shall be made available at the workplace and persons to be
trained in fire fighting techniques with the co-ordination of EHSO.
26. All the unsafe conditions, unsafe acts identified by the contractors, reported by site
supervisor and/or safety personnel to be corrected on priority basis.
27. No children shall be allowed to enter the workplace.
28. Workwomen are not allowed to work in high-risk areas.
29. Other than the Driver/operator, no one shall travel in a tractor/tough rider etc.
30. Wherever the vehicle/equipment has to work near or pass through the overhead electrical
lines, the goal post shall be installed.
31. Identity cards should always be displayed and shown when demanded.
32. Any person found to be interfering with or misusing fixtures, fittings or equipment provided
in the interest of health, safety and welfare would be excluded from site.(like using helmet and
fire bucket for carrying the material, removing the handrails, etc.)
33. Visitors must use a safety helmet before entering the Site.
34. Safety signs and notices must be displayed and followed.
35. Transistor radios or personal stereos/Walkman must not be used.
required to fully comply with the agreed safety systems/ procedures and working method.
37. Consumption of alcohol and drugs is prohibited.
38. No person is to operate any mechanical/Electrical equipment unless they have been
authorized and have been certified as competent.
39. Take Food only at the designated area (like dining, Restroom etc). The Waste food,
PVC/Paper covers need to be dumped in the Dustbin. The House keeping gang on regular
intervals will clear this. Also hand / vessels should be washed in the same area with proper
drainage.
40. No workers should enter the site with lungis and dhotis.
41. Nobody should sit/sleep on the floor edges.
42. Don't enter the room where there is no light.
43. Don't take shelter under the vehicle or in an electrical installation room.
44. Look for warning signs, caution boards and other notices.
45. Must be aware about the locations of the first aid canter, fire extinguisher, emergency
assembly point and emergency siren.
46. No floor opening, floor edges should be left unguarded
47. Training is must for all scaffolders and only trained scaffolders should make platforms.
48. Don't keep loose materials at height.
49. Permission should be taken for all earthworks from P&M Department.
50. Those who are violating the safety norms will be penalized.
51. Female workers should not be engaged on work between 7.P.M. To 8 Α.Μ.
52. Physical fitness checks shall be carried out for crane operators & Drivers.
53. PPE Shall is provided to visitors at the gate.
54. No smoking sign boards shall be kept at flammable and combustible material Storage places.
55. Debris, scrap and other materials shall be disposed daily at closing hours of the day by the
same crew.
56. Environment posters shall be displayed at site as and when required Depending upon the
activities in progress.
57. Fire points should be placed at all required areas

Use of Personal Protective Equipment and safety devices relevant to site activities

• Head Protection
Every individual entering the site must wear a safety helmet, with the chinstrap fixed to the chin

• Foot And Leg Protection

Safety footwear with steel toe is essential on site to prevent crush injuries to our toes and injury
due to striking against the object.
 QUALITY ASSURANCE & QUALITY CONTROL
DEPARTMENT

Quality is the key component which propels performance and defines leadership traits. At L&T
Construction, Quality Standards have been internalized and documented in Quality Assurance
manuals. L&T Construction recognizes the crucial significance of the human element in ensuring
quality. Structured training programmes ensure that every L&T employee is conscious of his/her
role and responsibility in extending L&T Construction's tradition of leadership through quality.
A commitment to safety springs from a concern for the individual worker- every one of the
thousands braving the rigors of construction at numerous project sites. L&T, Transportation
Infrastructure IC has a well-established and documented Quality Management System (QMS)
and is taking appropriate steps to improve its effectiveness in accordance with the requirements
of ISO 9001:2015. Relevant procedures established clearly specify the criteria and methods for
effective operation, control and necessary resources and information to support the operation and
monitoring of these processes.

QUALITY IMPLEMENTATION AT SITE

L&T, Transportation Infrastructure IC has established procedures for monitoring, measuring and
analyzing these processes and to take necessary actions to achieve planned results and continual
improvement of these processes. It has also maintained relevant procedures to identify and
exercise required control over outsourced processes, if any. Systems and procedures have been
established for implementing the requisites at all stages of construction and they are accredited to
the International standards of ISO 9001:2015. L&T continues to maintain the trail blazing
tradition of meeting the stringent quality standards and adherence to time schedules in all the
projects.

PROJECT QUALITY PLAN (POP):

The Project Quality Plan is prepared and formulated as a Management Summary of Quality
related activities required to meet the terms of contract. This Quality plan sets out the
Management practices and describes the Quality Management System based on PDCA (Plan,
Check, Do and Act) Principle.

SCOPE
The contents of this document are applicable to "ROAD CONSTRUCTION FOR TNRDC"
that will be carried out by Larsen & Toubro Limited, TIIC for TNRDC. In preparation of this
document, due regard has been paid to the requirements of ISO 9001: 2015 series of System
Standards.

PURPOSE
This Project Quality Plan is prepared and formulated as a Management Summary of Quality
related activities required to meet the terms of contract. This Quality plan sets out the
Management practices and describes the Quality Management System.
 TEST ON SOIL

DETERMINATION OF FREE SWELL INDEX OF SOIL (IS: 2720-PART-40)

Aim:-
To determine the free swell index of soil sample.
Apparatus:-
1) 425 micron IS sieve.
2) Graduated cylinders (Glass) - 2 no's 100 ml capacity
3) Distilled water and kerosene.
Procedure:-
1) Take two 10 grams of oven dry soil specimen passing through 425-micron IS sieve.
2) Each soil specimen shall be placed in each of the two graduated cylinders of 100 ml
capacity.
3) One cylinder shall be filled with kerosene and the other with distilled water up to the
100ml mark.
4) Stir the soil sample in both the cylinders for a few minutes and allow to settle.
5) After 24 hours the final volume of the soll in each of the cylinders shall be read out.

GRAIN SIZE ANALYSIS OF SOIL (IS: 2720-PART-4)

Aim:-

Determination of the percentage of various sizes of particles in a soil sample

Apparatus:-

1) I.S. Sieve (size 100 mm, 75 mm, 19 mm , 4.75 mm, 2.0 mm, 425 micron & 75 micron),

2) Oven, Weigh balance.

Procedure:-

1) Take 6.0 kg of oven dry soil.

2) Soak the soil in water for 24 hours.

3) Place the soil into the 75-micron sieve.

4) Wash the soil with a water jet, and washing is continued until the water comes clearly
from a 75-micron sieve.

5) Then dry the retained material using an oven for 24 hours at temperature 105± 5 ℃.
 6) Then arrange the IS sieve it thoroughly.

7) Note down the weight of material on each individual sieve.

8) Then calculate the % passing of material on each individual sieve.

9) Sieves used for soil grading are 100 mm, 75 mm, 19 mm , 4.75 mm, 2.0 mm, 425 micron
& 75 micron.

PLASTIC LIMIT TEST (IS: 2720-PART-5)

Aim:-
Determination of the plastic limit of soil.
Apparatus:-
Evaporating dish, spatula, glass plate, moisture containers, rod of 3 mm diameter, balance
sensitive to 0.01 g and oven controlled at temperature 105° to 110°C.
Procedure:
1) About 20 g of dry pulverized soil passing through a 425-micron IS sieve is weighed.
2) The soil is mixed thoroughly with distilled water in the evaporating dish till the soil paste
is plastic enough to be easily moulded with fingers.
3) A small ball is formed with the fingers; it is rolled between the fingers and the glass plate
to form a thread.
4) The pressure applied is just sufficient to roll the soil into a thread of uniform diameter.
5) The rate of rolling should be between 80 to 90 strokes per minute counting a stroke as
one
complete motion of hand forward and back to the starting position again.
6) The rolling shall be done till the diameter of the thread becomes 3 mm. Then the soil is
kneaded together to a ball and rolled again to form thread.
7) This process of alternate rolling and kneading is continued until the thread crumbles
under pressure required for rolling and the soil can no longer be rolled into a thread.
8) If the crumbling starts at diameter less than 3 mm, the moisture content is more than
plastic
limit and if the diameter is greater while crumbling starts, the moisture content is lower.
 9) By trial, the thread that starts crumbling at 3 mm diameter under normal rolling should be
obtained and this should be immediately transferred to the moisture container, lid placed
over it and weighed.
10) The container is kept in the oven for about 24 hrs. and dry weight is found to determine
the moisture content of the thread.
11) The above process is repeated to get at least three consistent values of the plastic limit
(PL or Wp).

DETERMINATION OF LIQUID LIMIT OF SOIL (IS: 2720-part-5)

Aim:-
To determine the liquid limit of the soil.
Apparatus:-
1) Casagrande's Liquid Limit Apparatus
2) Casagrande's Grooving Tool
3) 425 micron sieve
4) Physical Balance
5) Evaporation dish / Marble Plate
6) Distilled Water
Procedure:-
1) Weigh exactly 120 g of sample by a Physical balance passing through a 425-micron
sieve.
2) Prepare a homogeneous paste in an evaporation dish or a marble plate.
3) Place the paste in the cup and cut a groove in the soil pat.
4) Rotate the handle at the rate of 2 revolutions per second.
5) Count the number of blows until the two parts of the soil sample come into contact at the
bottom of the groove along the distance of 10 mm.
6) Take approximately 10 grams of soil from near the closed groove for water content
determination.
7) Make sure that the number of blows must be in between 15 to 35.
8) Plot the flow curve between numbers of blows as abscissa and corresponding water
content as ordinate.
Results:-
 Water content corresponding to 25 blows is taken as the Liquid Limit.

MODIFIED PROCTOR TEST (IS 2720-Part-8)

Aim:-
To determine Maximum dry density of the soil.
Apparatus:-
Cylindrical mould of capacity 1000 cc or 2250 cc, Rammer having weight 4.89 kg and
free drop of 45 cm, Steel straight edge, Moisture containers, Balances of capacity 10 kg
and 200 g, Oven, Sieves and mixing tools.
Procedure:-
Compaction in Small Size Mould:- Soil Not Susceptible to Crushing During Compaction.
A 5-kg sample of air-dried soil passing the 19mm IS test sieve shall be taken. The sample
shall be mixed thoroughly with a suitable amount of water depending on the soil type.
The 1000 cm³ mould should be used and soil is compacted in five layers; each layer
being given 25 blows of the 4.9-kg rammer.
A. Weigh 5 kg of air-dried soil sample. Add 5% water less than estimated optimum
moisture content (OMC) in soil to the sample.
B. Fill the soil in a mould of five layers.
C. Each layer should be compacted with 25 blows with the help of a rammer dropped
at a height of 450mm.
D. Remove the collar and trim off the surplus soil. Weigh the mould and calculate the
bulk density.
E. Repeat the procedure with addition of 2% more water up to the estimated value of
OMC.
F. The total number of determinations made shall be at least five and the moisture
contents should be such that the optimum moisture content, at which the
maximum dry density occurs, is within that range.
G. Calculate dry density and draw a curve showing the relationship between
moisture content and dry density.
H. Mark the points of maximum dry density (MDD) and OMC in the curve.
Compaction in Large Size Mould:
 For compacting soil containing coarse material up to 37.5 mm size, the 2250 cm3 mould
should be used. A sample weighing about 30 kg and passing the 37.5 mm IS sieve is used
for the test. Soil is compacted in five layers; each layer being given 55 blows of the
4.9-kg rammer.

A. Weigh 5 kg of air-dried soil sample. Add 5% water less than estimated optimum
moisture content (OMC) in soil to the sample.
B. Fill the soil in a mould of five layers.
C. Each layer should be compacted with 55 blows with the help of a rammer dropped
at a height of 450mm.
D. Remove the collar and trim off the surplus soil. Weigh the mould and calculate the
bulk density.
E. Repeat the procedure with addition of 2% more water up to the estimated value of
OMC.
F. The total number of determinations made shall be at least five and the moisture
contents should be such that the optimum moisture content, at which the
maximum dry density occurs, is within that range.
G. Calculate dry density and draw a curve showing the relationship between
moisture content and dry density.
H. Mark the points of maximum dry density (MDD) and OMC in the curve.
Calculations:-
Let the weight of mould with moist compacted soil = W g
Weight of empty mould = Wm g
Volume of the mould = Vm ce
Moisture content = w %
Wet density = (W-Wm)/Vm g/cc
Then dry density = (W-Wm)/Vm (1 + w/100) g/cc
Results:-
Points are plotted with moisture content on the X-axis & dry density on the Y-axis. A
smooth curve is drawn connecting the points. From this curve, the maximum dry density
 (MDD) is noted, and the corresponding value of moisture content is taken as the optimum
moisture content (OMC) of the soil.

CALIFORNIA BEARING RATIO TEST (IS: 2720-PART-16)

Aim:-
Determination of California Bearing Ratio of the soil.
Apparatus:-
1) Moulds with Base Plate, Stay Rod and Wing Nut conform to IS: 9669-1980.
2) Collar
3) Spacer Disc
4) Compaction Rammer
5) Expansion measuring apparatus
6) Annular Weights
7) Loading machine: Any compression machine, which can operate at a constant rate of
1.25mm/minute, can be used.
Procedure:-
1) About 45 kg of material is dried and sieved through a 19mm sieve. If there is a
noteworthy proportion of materials retained on 19mm sieve, allowance for larger size
materials is made by replacing it by an equal weight of material passing 19mm sieve and
retained on 4.75mm sieve.
2) The optimum moisture content and maximum dry density of the soil are determined by
adopting either light compaction or heavy compaction as per the requirement.
3) Each batch of soil (of at least 5.5 kg weight for granular soil and 4.5 to 5.0 kg weight for
fine grained soils) is mixed with water up to the optimum moisture content or the field
moisture content if specified so.
4) The spacer disc is placed at the bottom of the mould over the base plate and a coarse filter
paper is placed over the spacer disc.
5) For IS heavy compaction or the modified Proctor compaction, the soil is divided into five
equal parts and compacted in five equal layers, each of compacted thickness about
26.5mm by applying 56 evenly distributed blows of the 4.89 kg rammer.
6) After compacting the last layer, the collar is removed and the excess soil above the top of
the mould is evenly trimmed off by using a straight edge.
7) Repeat the same procedure to prepare another two moulds and collect about 100g of soil
sample from each mould for moisture content determination.
8) The clamps are removed and the mould with the compacted soil is lifted leaving below
the perforated base plate and the spacer disc, which is to be removed. The mould with the
compacted soil is weighed and a filter paper is placed on the perforated base plate.
The mould with compacted soil is inverted and placed in position over the base
plate and the clamps of the base plate are tightened. Another filter paper is placed on the
top surface of the sample and the perforated plate with adjustable stem is placed over it.
Surcharge weights of 2.5 or 5.0 kg weight are placed over the perforated plate and the
whole mould with the weights is placed in a water tank for soaking such that water can
enter the specimen both from the top and bottom.
9) The swell measuring device consisting of the tripod and the dial gauge are placed on the
top edge of the mould and the spindle of the dial gauge is placed touching the top of the
adjustable stem of the perforated plate. The initial dial gauge reading is recorded and the
test set up is kept undisturbed in the water tank to allow soaking of the soil specimen for
four full days or 96 hours. The final dial gauge reading is noted to measure the expansion
or swelling of the soil specimen due to soaking.
10) The swell measuring assembly is removed, the mould is taken out of the water tank and
the sample is allowed to drain in a vertical position for 15 minutes. The surcharge
weights, the perforated plate with stem and the filter paper are removed. The mould with
the soil sample is removed from the base plate and is weighed again to determine the
weight of water absorption.
11) The mould with the specimen is clamped over the base plate and the same surcharge
weights are placed on the specimen centrally such that the penetration test could be
conducted. The mould with base plate is placed under the penetration plunger of the
loading machine. The penetration plunger is seated at the center of the specimen and is
brought in contact with the top surface of the soil sample by applying a seating load of
4.0 kg. The dial gauge for measuring the penetration values of the plunger is fitted in
position. The dial gauge of the proving ring (for load readings) and the penetration dial
gauge are set to zero.
 The load is applied through the penetration plunger at a uniform rate of 1.25
mm/min. The load readings are recorded at penetration readings of 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0,
2.5, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 and 12.5 mm. In case the load readings start decreasing before
12.5mm penetration, the maximum load value and the corresponding penetration value
are recorded. After the final reading, the load is released and the mould is removed from
the loading machine. The proving ring calibration factor is noted so that the load dial
values can be converted into load in kg. About 50g of soil is collected from the top three
cm depth of the soil sample for the determination of moisture content.
Calculations:-
The swelling or expansion ratio is calculated from the observations during the swelling
test using the formula:
Expansion ratio or swelling =100 (df-di)/h
Where, df = final dial gauge reading after soaking, mm
di = initial dial gauge reading before soaking, mm
h = initial height of the specimen (127.3 mm), mm
The load values noted for each penetration level are divided by the area of the loading
plunger (19.635cm2) to obtain the pressure or unit load values on the loading plunger.
The load-penetration curve is then plotted in natural scale for each specimen. If the curve
is uniformly convex upwards, no correction is needed.
In case there is a reverse curve, or the initial portion of the curve is concave
upwards, the necessity of a correction is indicated. A tangent is drawn from the steepest
point on the curve to intersect the base at point, which is the corrected origin
corresponding to zero penetration. The unit load values corresponding to 2.5- and
5.0-mm penetration values are found from the graph. The CBR value is calculated from
the formula:

𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙.

CBR % = 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑐𝑟𝑢𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠.
X 100

Results:
The CBR values at 2.5mm and 5.0mm penetrations are calculated for each
specimen from the corresponding graphs. Generally, the CBR value at 2.5mm penetration
is higher and this value is adopted. However, if higher CBR value is obtained at 5.0mm
 penetration, the test is to be repeated to verify the results; if the value at 5.0mm is again
higher, this is adopted as the CBR value of the soil sample. The average CBR values of
three specimens are reported to the first decimal place.

DETERMINATION OF SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL (DIRECT SHEAR TEST)

(IS 2720 PART-13)
Aim:-
To determine the shear strength of soil with maximum particle size of 4.75mm in
undrained, consolidated undrained, consolidated drained conditions.
APPARATUS:-
1) Shear box, base plates with cross grooves, plain & perforated grid plates, porous stones,
loading pad and water jacket.
2) Loading frame with loading yoke.
3) Weights- for providing the required normal loads
4) Proving ring-fitted with dial gauge accurate to 0.002 mm to measure shear force.
5) Micrometer Dial gauges - with accuracy of 0.01 mm for horizontal movement and
vertical compression measurement.
6) Sample trimmer or core cutter.
7) Stopwatch
8) Weigh balance of 1 kg capacity, sensitive to 0.1 g
9) Spatula and a straight edge.

PREPARATION OF SPECIMEN:-
Undisturbed Specimens: Specimen of desired size (60x60x25 mm) shall be prepared
from the large undisturbed specimen collected from the field with the help of a sampler
and rammer. For cohesionless soil sampler and rammer are not used.
Remoulded Specimens: For remoulded specimens
1. Place a base plate, grid plate or moist porous stone as required at the bottom of
the shear box.
2. Take sufficient quantity of soil, place soil in layers into the shear box and compact
each layer either by kneading or tamping. The area of temper shall have an area
equal to or less than the area of mould.
 3. The top of each layer shall be scarified prior to addition of soil for the next layer.
4. Continue placing the soil until the entire specimen is compacted to the desired
density.
5. Weigh the specimen and determine the moisture content of soil, using this
determine the bulk dry density of specimen in shear box.
PROCEDURE:-
1) Undrained Test:
1. Attach the two halves of the shear box with locking pins and place the base plate at the
bottom.
2. Above the bottom plate, Place the porous stone and above it place the grid plate. Plain
grid plates are used for undrained conditions.
3. Weigh the shear box at this stage.
4. Place the soil specimen above the grid plate. Undisturbed sample is directly transferred to
the shear box. If sandy soil is being tested, place it layers wise and tamper each layer to
achieve the required density.
5. Note down the weight of the shear box with soil specimen.
6. Above the soil specimen, place the upper grid plate, porous stone and loading pad one
above the other. The serrations of grid plates should be at right angles to the direction of
the shear.
7. Place the whole box in a box container and mount on the loading frame. Provide a water
jacket to arrest drying of samples during testing.
8. Arrange the proving ring in such a way that it should contact the upper half of the shear
box. Place the loading yoke on the steel ball of the loading pad.
9. Two dial gauges are fitted, one to the container for measuring shear displacement and
other one is to the loading yoke for measuring vertical displacement.
10. Now remove the locking pins from the shear box and spacing screws are placed in their
respective positions of the box. Raise the upper part of the shear box such that a gap of
about 1 mm is left between the two parts of the box.
11. Apply normal stress of 0.5 kg/cm² by placing required weights over the yoke lever. Start
the machine and apply the shear load at a constant rate of strain until failure or 20% of
horizontal displacement.
 12. Record the proving ring reading at every 0.5 mm displacement.
13. End the test when the proving ring reaches maximum stress and suddenly drops from
there or at 20% of horizontal shear strain whichever is earlier. Note down the maximum
value which is nothing but load at failure.
14. At the end of the test, the specimen should be removed from the box and measure the
final moisture content. A minimum of three (preferably four) tests shall be made on
separate specimens of the same density.
15. Repeat the same procedure for different normal stresses corresponds to field condition
and design requirements; generally 0.5 kg/cm³, 1.0 kg/cm² & 1.5 kg/cm² are used as
normal stress.
2) Consolidated Undrained Test:
1. The apparatus should be assembled in a way similar to that given in the undrained test
except that instead of the plain grid plates, perforated grid plates and saturated porous
stones should be used at the top and bottom of the specimen.
2. The procedure is the same as in an undrained test except that after the application of
normal stress, the vertical compression of the soil with time should be recorded [IS: 2720
(Part 15)-1986). The shear test should be conducted only after complete consolidation has
occurred under the particular normal stress.
3. The rate of shear should be such that water does not drain from the specimen at the time
of application of the shear load.
4. At the end of the test, the specimen should be removed from the box and measure the
final moisture content. A minimum of three (preferably four) tests shall be made on
separate specimens of the same density.
3) Consolidated drained Test:
1. The apparatus should be assembled in a way similar to that given in Consolidated
undrained test
2. The sample is allowed to consolidate completely by applying normal stress which is done
in increments [see IS: 2720 (Part 15)-1986).
3. After complete consolidation of soil shear test should be done at such a slow rate that at
least 95 percent pore pressure dissipation occurs during the test in the calculated time
factor.
 4. At the end of the test, the specimen should be removed from the box and measure the
final moisture content. A minimum of three (preferably four) tests shall be made on
separate specimens of the same density.
CALCULATION & REPORTS:
1) Calculate the loads corresponding to the proving ring dial readings recorded during the
test by multiplying with the proving ring factor. The loads so obtained divided by the
corrected cross-sectional area of the specimen gives the shear stress in the sample. The
corrected cross-sectional area shall be
𝜹
Corrected area = Ao (1- 3 )

Where,
Ao = initial area of the specimen in cm2, and
𝜹 = displacement in cm.
calculated from the following equation:
2) Plot a graph between shear stress and longitudinal displacement and record the Maximum
shear stress and corresponding longitudinal displacement along with normal load applied.
3) Now, plot a graph between Maximum shear stress recorded and corresponding Normal
stress in which the applied normal stress is plotted as abscissa and the maximum shearing
stress is plotted as ordinate to the same scale.
4) The angle which the resulting straight line makes with the horizontal axis and the
intercept which the straight line makes with the vertical axis shall be reported as the angle
of shearing resistance (Ø) and cohesion (C) intercept respectively.
5) The normal stress-maximum shear stress relationship may not be a straight line in all
cases. In such cases, the shear parameters may be obtained by drawing a tangent to the
normal stress expected in the field.

TEST ON CEMENT

DETERMINATION OF FINENESS OF CEMENT. (IS: 4031-Part-3)

Aim:-
To determine the fineness of cement by dry sieving.
Apparatus:-
 1) Standard balance with 100 gm. weighing capacity.
2) IS: 90 micron sieve and a Brush.
Procedure:
1) Break down any air-set lumps in the cement sample with fingers.
2) Weigh accurately 100 gms of the cement and place it on a standard 90 micron IS sieve.
3) Continuously sieve the sample for 15 minutes.
4) Weigh the residue left after 15 minutes of sieving.
Calculation:
The percentage weight of residue over the total sample is reported.
𝑊𝑡. 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒
% Weight of Residue = 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒

Limits:
The percentage residue should not exceed 10%.

INITIAL AND FINAL SETTING TIMES OF CEMENT

(IS: 4031: Part - 5)
Aim:-
Determination of the Initial and Final setting times of cement.
Apparatus:
Vicat's apparatus with mould and non-porous plate, Initial setting time 1 sq mm Needle,
Final setting time 1 sq mm Needle with enlarged base, Balance, Measuring cylinder, Stop
watch, Thermometer.
Procedure:
1) Weigh about 400 gm of neat cement
2) Prepare neat cement paste by gauging the cement with 0.85 times the water required to
give a paste of standard consistency.
3) Start a stopwatch from the time the water is added.
4) Immediately after molding, the test block will be placed in a moist closet or moist room
and will be kept there till testing is done.
5) Standard needle will be placed on the test block and time will be observed when the
needle fails to pierce the block beyond 5.0±0.5 mm (measured from the bottom of the
mould)
 6) The time difference between the starting time when water is added to cement to the time
mentioned in (v) above will be noted as the initial setting time.
7) The needle with annular attachment will be used for determining final setting time.
8) The cement shall be considered as finally set when upon applying the needle gently to the
surface of the block, the needle makes an impression thereon, while the attachment fails
to do so.
9) The difference of time from starting time when water is added to cement to the time
mentioned in (8) above will be considered as final setting time.
Limits:

Initial Setting Time, minimum - 30 minutes.

Final Setting Time, maximum - 600 minutes.

DETERMINATION OF NORMAL CONSISTENCY

(IS: 4031 Part - 4)
Aim:-
Determination of the quantity of water required to produce a cement paste of standard
Consistency.
Apparatus:-
Vicat's apparatus with plunger (10mm in dia).
Procedure:
1) Prepare a paste of weighted quantity of cement (350 gms) with a weighted quantity of
water, start with 30% water of 350 gms of cement taking care that the time of gauging is
not less than 3 minutes and not more than 5 minutes and the gauging shall be completed
before any sign of setting occurs. The gauging time shall be counted from the time of
adding the water to the dry cement until commencing to fill the mould.
2) Fill the Vicat's mould with this paste, the mould resting upon a non-porous plate.
3) After completely filling the mould, trim off the surface of the paste, making it in level
with the top of the mould. The mould may slightly be shaken to expel the air.
4) Place the test block with the mould, together with the non-porous resting plate, under the
rod bearing the plunger (10mm dia) , lower the plunger gently to touch the surface of the
test block and quickly release, allowing it to penetrate into the paste.
 5) This operation shall be carried out immediately after filling the mould.
6) Prepare trial pastes with varying percentages of water and test as described above until
the amount of water necessary for making the standard consistency as defined above is
obtained.
7) Express the amount of water as a percentage by weight of the dry cement.
Precautions:
Use clean appliances for gauging. The temperature of cement and water and that of the
test room, at the time when the above operations are being performed, shall be 27°C
+/-2°C. The room temperature shall be maintained at 27°C +/-2°C.

TEST ON AGGREGATES

SIEVE ANALYSIS (IS: 2386 Part - 1)

Aim:-
To determine the particle size distribution of fine and coarse aggregates by sieving.
Principle:-
By passing the sample downward through a series of standard sieves, each of decreasing
size openings, the aggregates are separated into several groups, each of which contains
aggregates in a particular size range.
Apparatus:-
A set of IS sieves
i) A set of IS Sieves of sizes - 80mm, 63mm, 50mm, 40mm, 31.5mm, 25mm, 20mm,
16mm, 12.5mm, 10mm, 6.3mm, 4,75mm, 3.35mm, 2.36mm, 1.18mm, 600µm, 300µm,
150µm and 75µm
ii)Balance or scale with an accuracy to measure 0.1 percent of the weight of the test
sample
Procedure:-
1) The test sample is dried to a constant weight at a temperature of 110+ 50 oC and weighed.
2) The sample is sieved by using a set of IS Sieves.
3) On completion of sieving, the material on each sieve is weighed.
4) Cumulative weight passing through each sieve is calculated as a percentage of the total
sample weight.
 5) Fineness modulus is obtained by adding cumulative percentage of aggregates retained on
each sieve and dividing the sum by 100.
Result:-
The results should be calculated and reported as:
1) The cumulative percentage by weight of the total sample
2) The percentage by weight of the total sample passing through one sieve and
retained on the next smaller sieve, to the nearest 0.1 percent.

WATER ABSORPTION
(IS: 2386 Part - 3)
Aim:-
To determine the water absorption of coarse aggregates.
Apparatus:-
1) Wire basket - perforated, electroplated or plastic coated with wire hangers for suspending
it from the balance
2) Water-tight container for suspending the basket
3) Dry soft absorbent cloth - 75cm x 45cm (2 nos.)
4) Shallow tray of minimum 650 sq.em area
5) Air-tight container of a capacity similar to the basket
6) Oven SAMPLE A sample not less than 2000g should be used.
Procedure:-
1) The sample should be thoroughly washed to remove finer particles and dust, drained and
then placed in the wire basket and immersed in distilled water at a temperature between
22 and 320C.
2) After immersion, the entrapped air should be removed by lifting the basket and allowing
it to drop 25 times in 25 seconds. The basket and sample should remain immersed for a
period of 24 1/2 hrs. afterwards.
3) The basket and aggregates should then be removed from the water, allowed to drain for a
few minutes, after which the aggregates should be gently emptied from the basket on to
one of the dry clothes and gently surface-dried with the cloth, transferring it to a second
dry cloth when the first would remove no further moisture. The aggregates should be
 spread on the second cloth and exposed to the atmosphere away from direct sunlight till it
appears to be completely surface-dry. The aggregates should be weighed (Weight 'A').
4) The aggregates should then be placed in an oven at a temperature of 100 to 11000 for
24hrs. It should then be removed from the oven, cooled and weighed (Weight 'B').
Result:-
Water absorption = [(A-B)/B] x 100%
 STONE MATRIX ASPHALT

Stone mastic asphalt (SMA), also called stone-matrix asphalt, was developed in Germany in
the 1960s with the first SMA pavements being placed in 1968 near Kiel. It provides a
deformation-resistant, durable surfacing material, suitable for heavily trafficked roads. SMA has
found use in Europe, Australia, the United States, and Canada as a durable asphalt surfacing
option for residential streets and highways. SMA has a high coarse aggregate content that
interlocks to form a stone skeleton that resists permanent deformation. The stone skeleton is
filled with a mastic of bitumen and filler to which fibres are added to provide adequate stability
of bitumen and to prevent drainage of binder during transport and placement.
Composition:Typical SMA composition consists of 70−80% coarse aggregate, 8−12% filler,
6.0−7.0% binder, and 0.3 percent fibre.
The deformation resistant capacity of SMA stems from a coarse stone skeleton providing more
stone-on-stone contact than with conventional dense graded asphalt (DGA) mixes. Improved
binder durability is a result of higher bitumen content, a thicker bitumen film, and lower air voids
content. This high bitumen content also improves flexibility. Addition of a small quantity of
cellulose or mineral fibre prevents drainage of bitumen during transport and placement.
SMA is mixed and placed in the same plant as that used with conventional hot mix. In batch
plants, the fibre additive is added directly to the pugmill using individually wrapped press packs
or bulk dispensing equipment. Mixing times may be extended to ensure that fibre is
homogeneously distributed throughout the mix and temperatures controlled in order to avoid
overheating or damage to the fibre. In plants, particular care must be taken to ensure that both the
additional filler content and fibre additive are incorporated into the mixture without excessive
losses through the dust extraction system. Filler systems that add filler directly into the drum
rather than aggregate feed are preferred. Pelletised fibres may be added through systems
designed for addition of recycled materials, but a more effective means is addition through a
special delivery line that is combined with the bitumen delivery, so that the fibre is captured by
bitumen at the point of addition to the mixture.
The primary difference in placing SMA, compared to DGA, is in compaction procedures.
Multi-tyred rollers are not used due to the possible working of binder-rich material to the surface
of the asphalt and consequent flushing and pick-up. Trafficking of the newly placed asphalt
while still warm may have the same effect and it is generally preferable for surfaces to cool
below about 40 °C before opening to traffic. The preferred method of compaction is to use
heavy, non-vibrating, steel-wheeled rollers. If these are not available, vibrating rollers may be
used but vibration should be kept to a minimum to avoid fracture of coarse aggregate particles,
or drawing of binder to the surface of the mix. The use of polymer modified binder may decrease
mix workability and necessitate increased compactive effort to achieve high standards of
compacted density. Achieving high standards of compacted density and low field air voids has
been identified as an important factor in the performance of all SMA work. SMA is normally
placed with a minimum layer thickness of 2.5 to 3 times the nominal maximum aggregate
particle size. Greater layer thicknesses assist in achieving appropriate standards of compacted
density.

Advantages

● SMA provides a textured, durable, and rut resistant wearing course.

 ● The surface texture characteristics of SMA are similar to Open graded asphalt (OGA) so
that the noise generated by traffic is lower than that on DGA but equal to or slightly
higher than OGA.
● SMA can be produced and compacted with the same plant and equipment available for
normal hot mix, using the above procedure modifications.
● SMA may be used at intersections and other high traffic stress situations where OGA is
unsuitable.
● SMA surfacings may provide reduced reflection cracking from underlying cracked
pavements due to the flexible mastic.
● The durability of SMA should be equal, or greater than, DGA and significantly greater
than OGA.

Disadvantages

● Increased material cost associated with higher asphalt binder and filler contents, and fibre
additive.
● Increased mixing time and time taken to add extra filler, may result in reduced
productivity.
● Possible delays in opening to traffic as the SMA mix should be cooled to 40 °C to
prevent flushing of the binder to the surface (bleeding).
● Initial skid resistance (road friction) may be low until the thick binder film is worn off the
top of the surface by traffic. In critical situations, a small, clean grit may need to be
applied before opening to traffic.
● Material is removed by milling in subsequent overlays because the void in the gap
grading will hold water and freeze, initiating stripping in the asphalt binder.

FOR DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTING SMA MIXTURES: —

Refer to NAPA–QIP122 & NCHRP_REPORT 425
 SMA TRIAL MIX

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am thankful to Prof. Murali J. Krishnan to guide and provide me the opportunity to learn in
the pavement laboratory. I am also thankful to Mr. Pugal, lab in-charge, who heartily welcomed
me to the laboratory. I convey my heartfelt thanks to Mr. Velama Srinivasa Rao for his
enthusiastic encouragement and direction in completing experiments so that the results could be
compiled in a timely and organized fashion. I would also like to thank all the technicians and
staff at the Pavement Engineering Lab of the Civil Department, for providing the necessary
resources and tools to complete the necessary experiments, as well as for assisting in conducting
tests in a correct and precise manner.

INTRODUCTION
The mix design of SMA involves designing the aggregate skeleton and binder-rich mortar.
Different standards are used worldwide to determine aggregate gradation, which can vary from
one another. Table 3 shows a specific NMAS aggregate gradation, but each standard
recommends gap gradation based on their experience, local climate, and loading conditions. The
Bailey method is the ideal method of aggregate gradation design. This method designs gradation
by volumetric particle packing, which affects coarse aggregate particle interlock. European
guidelines provide a wide range of gradation bands for a sieve size and include the minimum
number of sieves in the gap gradation chart. Gap gradation with a higher coarse aggregate
fraction requires a breakpoint sieve (BPS) to divide fine aggregate and coarse aggregate size.
BPS size varies with NMAS; for NMAS greater than 12.5mm, BPS is 4.75mm; for NMAS
9.5mm and 4.75mm, BPS shall be 2.36mm and 1.18mm, respectively (NCHRP 425).

METHODOLOGY
Five steps are required to obtain a satisfactory SMA mix. They are as follows:

1. Aggregate selection: Choose the appropriate aggregate materials based on the desired
properties of the SMA mixture.
2. Aggregate gradation: Determine an aggregate gradation that yields stone-on-stone
contact, which is essential for ensuring the stability of the SMA mixture.
 3. VMA requirements: Ensure that the chosen gradation meets or exceeds minimum VMA
requirements or allows the minimum binder content to be used.
4. Asphalt content: Choose an asphalt content that provides the desired air void level,
which is crucial for ensuring the durability of the SMA mixture.
5. Moisture susceptibility and asphalt cement drain down sensitivity: Evaluate the
moisture susceptibility and asphalt cement drain down sensitivity of the SMA mixture to
ensure that it is resistant to damage caused by moisture and that it does not drain down
excessively.

Material properties:

Determination of bulk specific gravity of coarse aggregate (CA), GCA using wire basket method:

Table 1. Observations and results of GCA.

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Submerged weight (g), A 1246.75 1252.72 1241.67

Surface dry weight (g), B 1962.5 1973.2 1958.6

Oven dry weight (g), C 1957.5 1968.3 1953.2

Water absorption (%),WA =

𝐵−𝐶 0.7 0.3 0.75
𝐵−𝐴

Bulk specific gravity, GCA =

𝐶 2.735 2.732 2.725
𝐵−𝐴

Average specific gravity 2.731

Determination of bulk specific gravity of fine aggregate (FA), GFA using

pycnometer: Table 2. Observations and results of GFA.
Trial1 Trial2

Pycnometer weight (g), W1 645.3 652.3

Pycnometer + Aggregate (1/3rd volume) weight (g), W2 1245.3 1252.5

Pycnometer + Aggregate (1/3rd volume) + Water (Remaining 1927.3 1926.7

volume) weight (g), W3
 Pycnometer + Water weight (g), W4 1548.9 1547.7
𝑊2−𝑊1 2.708 2.713
Bulk specific gravity, GFA = 𝑊2−𝑊1+𝑊4−𝑊3

Average Bulk specific gravity of fine aggregate 2.711

Determination of bulk specific gravity of filler (F), GF using specific gravity

bottle: Table 3. Observations and results of GF.
Trial1 Trial2

Specific gravity bottle weight (g), W1 91.5 74.3

Bottle + Aggregate (1/3rd volume) weight (g), W2 223. 212.

2 3

Bottle + Aggregate (1/3rd volume) + Water (Remaining volume) 419. 409.

weight (g), W3 9 3

Bottle + Water weight (g), W4 339.6 324.

2
𝑊2−𝑊1 2.56 2.60
Bulk specific gravity, GF = 𝑊2−𝑊1+𝑊4−𝑊3 2 9

Average Bulk specific gravity of filler 2.586

Table 4. Bulk specific gravity of materials.

Material Specific gravity

Coarse Aggregate, GCA 2.731

Fine Aggregate, GFA 2.711

Filler, GF 2.586

Binder, Gb 1 (VG-30)
Aggregate gradation:
As per NAPA, three Trial gradations shall be selected. Selected Trial gradations shall be
coarser and finer side of mid gradation, and one gradation shall be mid gradation. For 12.5
nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS), as per National Asphalt Pavement Association
(NAPA) aggregate gradation for three Trials given in Table 5 and gradation curve is shown
in Figure 1.
Table 5. 12.5mm NMAS Aggregate Trial gradations as per NAPA
Sieve Size, Lower Lower Mid Upper Upper
mm gradation trial gradation trial gradation
(%) gradation (%), G2 gradation (%)
(%), G1 (%), G3

19 100 100 100 100 100

12.5 90 95 95 98 100

9.5 26 50 52 65 78

4.75 20 23 24 27 28

2.36 16 18 20 23 24

1.18 13 16 17 20 21

0.6 12 14.5 15 17 18

0.3 12 13 13.5 14.5 15

0.075 8 9 9 10 10

Trial gradations are selected as per NAPA, in Table 5 lower Trial gradation and upper Trial
gradation is coarser and finer gradation when compared with mid gradation respectively
and these gradations are within upper and lower bounds specified by NAPA as shown in
Figure1
Computation of Effective specific gravity:
Table 6. Computation of effective specific gravity for all trial gradations.
Gradation1 (G1) Gradation2 (G2) Gradation3 (G3)

CA fraction, % of total aggregate (P1) 77 76 73

PCA, % of total mix 72.1 71.2 68.4

Ps, total aggregate in % of total mix 93.7 93.7 93.7

FA fraction, % of total aggregate (P2) 14 15 17

F fraction, % of total aggregate (P3) 9 9 10

Effective specific gravity of 2.715 2.714 2.712

aggregate,
100
Gsb = 𝑃1 𝑃 𝑃
𝐺𝐶𝐴
+ 𝐺 2 + 𝐺3
𝐹𝐴 𝐹

Dry rodded unit weight (γs):

Dry rodded unit weight is determined for all coarse aggregate fractions of three gradations
shown in Table 5 using the procedure described in ASTM C29/C29M-17a. Aggregate
retained on 4.75 mm sieve shall be coarse aggregate for NMAS greater than 12.5mm.
Coarse aggregate gradations and batching of three trials is given in Table 7.
Table 7. Coarse aggregate gradation and batching of three trials.

G1 G2 G3

% retained Weight, g % retained Weight, g % retained Weight, g

19 0 0 0 0 0 0

12.5 6.5 325 6.6 330 2.7 135

9.5 58.5 2925 56.6 2830 45.2 2260

4.75 35 1750 36.8 1840 52.1 2605

Total 100 5000 100 5000 100 5000

weight, g

Calibration of weighing measure:

Table 8. Volume calculation of mould.
Trial1 Trial2

Measure + plate weight (g) 3685 3687.4

Water+Measure+Plate weight (g) 6711 6719

Temperature ℃ 27 24

Density of water kg/m3 996.59 997.32

Volume of measure, L 3.026 3.041

Average volume (V) 3.035

Computation of γs:

Table 9. Computation of dry rodded unit weight.

G1 G2 G3

S stands S1 S2 S3 S1 S2 S3 S1 S2 S3
for
sample

Empty 2909.3 2911.3 2909.3

measure, g

Measur 7437 7554.9 7539.1 7726.4 7731.6 7748. 7544.8 7519.5 7546.1
5
e+
Aggreg
ate
weight, g

Weight 4527.7 4645.6 4629.8 4815.1 4820.3 4837. 4635.5 4610.2 4636.8
of 2
Aggreg
ate, g
(W)

Unit 1491.8 1530.6 1525.4 1586.5 1588.2 1593. 1527.3 1519.0 1527.7
weight, 3 8 7 2 4 8 5 1 8
(W/V),
(kg/m3)

Average 1515.991 1589.52 1524.712

Unit
weight,
γs
(kg/m3)

Theoretical maximum specific gravity, Gmm:

Table 10. Batching of three trial gradations for Gmm
G1 G2 G3

% retained Weight, g % retained Weight, g % retained Weight, g

19 0 0 0 0 0 0

12.5 5 100 5 100 2 40

9.5 45 900 43 860 33 660

4.75 27 540 28 560 38 760

2.36 5 100 4 80 4 80

1.18 2 40 3 60 3 60

0.6 1.5 30 2 40 3 60

0.3 1.5 30 1.5 30 2.5 50

0.075 4 80 4.5 90 4.5 90

pan 9 180 9 180 10 200

Total 100 2000 100 2000 100 2000

weight, g

Table 11: Gmm observations and results

G1 G2 G3

S stands for sample S1 S2 S1 S2 S1 S2

Green bag weight (g), a 98.0 97.2 99.4 97.8 97.7 97.6

White bag weight (g), b 23.5 23.3 23.4 23.2 23.2 23.3

Sample + white bag 2125 2111.0 2131.6 2135.0 2097.1 2157.1

weight (g), c

Total bag weight (g), 121. 120. 122. 121 120. 120.
5 5 8 9 9
A =a + b

Sample weight (g), B = 2101.5 2087.7 2108.2 2111.8 2073.9 2133.8

 c -b

Submerged weight 1249.8 1240 1255.8 1255.6 1233.2 1268.8

of sealed sample
(g), C

Gmm 2.506 2.501 2.511 2.505 2.506 2.505

Average Gmm 2.503 2.508 2.506

Batching of Marshal mix:

Table 12. Batching of three trial gradations for Marshal mix.
G1 G2 G3

% retained Weight, g % retained Weight, g % retained Weight, g

19 0 0 0 0 0 0

12.5 5 60 5 60 2 24

9.5 45 540 43 516 33 396

4.75 27 324 28 336 38 456

2.36 5 60 4 48 4 48

1.18 2 24 3 36 3 36

0.6 1.5 18 2 24 3 36

0.3 1.5 18 1.5 48 2.5 30

0.075 4 48 4.5 54 4.5 54

pan 9 108 9 108 10 120

Total 100 1200 100 1200 100 1200

weight, g

Bulk specific gravity of marshal mixture Gmb using Para film method:
Determination of bulk specific gravity of parafilm using a solid cylinder of known
specific gravity:
Specific gravity of solid cylinder, GCylinder
𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑 𝑐𝑦𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑖𝑟
Gcylinder = 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑 𝑐𝑦𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑖𝑟−𝑆𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑦𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟

Weight of solid cylinder in air = 2750g

Submerged weight of cylinder in water = 2400g
Gcylinder = 7.870
Table 13. Specific gravity of para film observations and results.
Solid cylinder weight, g (A) 2750

Parafilm coated solid cylinder weight, g (B) 2753.6

Submerged weight of cylinder, g (C) 2395

Weight of parafilm coat, g (D) 3.6

𝐴
Bulk specific gravity, Gmb = 𝐵−𝐶−( 𝐺
𝐷
)
0.391
𝑐𝑦𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟

Table 14. Gmb observations and results

G1 G2 G3

S stands for sample S1 S2 S3 S1 S2 S3 S1 S2 S3

Dry Sample 1235. 1257. 1262. 126 1248. 1263. 1250. 1259. 1260.
weight, g (A) 8 3 2 2 8 5 8 0 0

Parafilm 1242. 1264. 1268. 127 1255. 127 1258. 1269. 1267.
4 7 9 0 4 0 6 2 9
coated/sealed dry
Sample weight, g
(B)

Submerged weight 674. 679. 689 693. 691. 689. 692. 697. 707.
of 3 9 5 1 9 8 8 3
sealed sample, g
(C)
Weight of parafilm 6.6 7.4 6.7 8 6.6 6.5 7.8 10.2 7.0
coat, g (D)

Bulk specific gravity, 2.24 2.22 2.24 2.27 2.281 2.242 2.296 2.308 2.326
𝐺𝑚𝑏 =
𝐴
𝐷
1 2 3 0
𝐵−𝐶−( 𝐺 )
𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑚

Air voids %, 10. 11. 10.3 9.48 9.1 10.6 8.4 7.9 7.2
4 2 9
𝐺𝑚𝑚−𝐺𝑚𝑏
𝑉𝑎 = 𝐺𝑚𝑚
× 100

Average, Gmb 2.235 2.264 2.310

Average air voids, 10.7 9.7 7.8

Va(%)

Volumetric properties:
Table 15. Computation of volumetric properties.
G1 G2 G3

GCA 2.731 2.731 2.731

γS 1515.99 1589.52 1524.71

PCA 72.1 71.2 68.4

Ps 93.7 93.7 93.7

Gmb 2.235 2.264 2.310

Gsb 2.715 2.714 2.712

Gmm 2.503 2.508 2.506

Gse = 100
𝑃𝑠
𝑃𝑏
2.760 2.766 2.764
𝐺𝑚𝑚
− 𝐺𝑏

𝐺𝐶𝐴×γ𝑤−γ𝑠
𝑉𝐶𝐴𝑑𝑟𝑐 = × 100 44.5 41.8 44.17
𝐺𝐶𝐴×γ𝑤
 𝐺
𝑉𝐶𝐴𝑚𝑖𝑥 = 100 − ⎡⎢ 𝐺𝑚𝑏 × 𝑃𝐶𝐴⎤⎥ 41.0 40.9 42.14
⎣ 𝐶𝐴 ⎦

𝑉𝑀𝐴 = 100 − ⎡⎢
𝐺𝑚𝑏
𝐺𝑠𝑏
× 𝑃𝑠⎤⎥ 22.9 21.836 20.19
⎣ ⎦

𝑉𝑎 =
𝐺𝑚𝑚−𝐺𝑚𝑏
𝐺𝑚𝑚
× 100 10.7 9.7 7.8

Where,
VCAdrc = Void in coarse aggregate, dry condition
VCAmix = Voids in coarse aggregate, mixture
γW= Density of water, 1000 kg/m3
VMA=Voids in mineral aggregate
Gse= Effective specific gravity of mix
Marshall Stability and flow results:

Table 16. Results of marshal stability and flow

G1 G2 G3

S stands for sample S1 S2 S3 S1 S2 S3 S1 S2 S3

Stability, kN 8.44 6.96 7.77 8.56 8.61 8.02 9.55 8.62 10.44

Average stability 7.72 8.40 9.54

value, kN

Flow, mm 3.69 1.58 7.57 3.05 4.78 5.23 1.67 2.73 4.99

Average flow value, mm 4.28 4.35 3.13

Summary:
Table 17. Summarizing all results.
G1 G2 G3

Binder content, % 6 6 6

Fiber content, % 0.3 0.3 0.3

GCA 2.731 2.731 2.731

Gsb 2.715 2.714 2.712

Gmb 2.235 2.264 2.310

Gmm 2.503 2.508 2.506

VMA, % 22.9 21.836 20.19

VCA in dry condition, % 44.5 41.8 44.17

VCA mix, % 41.0 40.9 42.14

Air voids, % 10.7 9.7 7.8

Marshall stability, kN 7.72 8.40 9.54

Flow, mm 4.28 4.35 3.13

Remarks SMA mix SMA mix SMA mix

requirements requirements requirements
satisfied. satisfied. satisfied.
Relatively Relatively Relatively
higher air moderate air lower air
voids voids voids

Gse 2.760 2.766 2.764

Conclusions:
● ∙ Trend for variation of Gmm with respect to gradation can’t be confirmed with
 this small sample.
● ∙ Air voids are greater in coarser gradation.
● ∙ All the three gradations are taken within the band NAPA gradation limits for 12.5
NMAS, hence all the gradations satisfy volumetric mix requirements of SMA.
● Upper trail gradation G3 shall be used since it satisfies mix requirements and
requires a lesser binder to reach 4% air voids compared to other gradations.
● Once gradation is fixed, optimum binder content shall be determined for 4% air voids.
 PLANNING DEPARTMENT

Construction planning is a fundamental and challenging activity in the management and

execution of construction projects. It involves the choice of technology, the definition of work
tasks, the estimation of the required resources and durations for individual tasks, and the
identification of any interactions among the different work tasks. A good construction plan is the
basis for developing the budget and the schedule for work. Developing the construction plan is a
critical task in the management of construction, even if the plan is not written or otherwise
formally recorded. In addition to these technical aspects of construction planning, it may also be
necessary to make organizational decisions about the relationships between project participants
and even which organizations to include in a project. Essential aspects of construction planning
include the generation of required activities, analysis of the implications of these activities, and
choice among the various alternative means of performing activities.
In developing a construction plan, it is common to adopt a primary emphasis on either cost
control or on schedule control. Some projects are primarily divided into expense categories with
associated costs. In these cases, construction planning is cost or expense oriented. Within the
categories of expenditure, a distinction is made between costs incurred directly in the
performance of an activity and indirectly for the accomplishment of the project. For example,
borrowing expenses for project financing and overhead items are commonly treated as indirect
costs. For other projects, scheduling of work activities over time is critical and is emphasized in
the planning process. In this case, the planner ensures that the proper precedence among
activities are maintained and that efficient scheduling of the available resources prevails.
Traditional scheduling procedures emphasize the maintenance of task precedence (resulting in
critical path scheduling procedures) or efficient use of resources over time (resulting in job shop
scheduling procedures). Finally, most complex projects require consideration of cost and
scheduling over time, so that planning, monitoring and record keeping must consider both
dimensions. In these cases, the integration of schedule and budget information is a major
concern. A parallel step in the planning process is to define the various work tasks that must be
accomplished. These work tasks represent the necessary framework to permit scheduling of
construction activities, along with estimating the resources required by the individual work tasks,
and any necessary precedence or required sequence among the tasks. The terms work "tasks” or
"activities" are often used interchangeably in construction plans to refer to specific, defined items
of work.
The initial schedule of major construction activities is prepared according to the Client's
preference. So it is the basis for all types of scheduling. The monthly work estimates are
prepared based on experience considering local climate conditions, environment, learning curve,
pace of work, mobilization, etc. Productivities of different activities are estimated and validated
during the course of execution. Manpower requirement is calculated based on these
productivities. Drawings released by the Client. Revisions and change orders are issued as and
when there is a change and distributed to all the units. Two progress schedules are maintained:
original schedule prepared in the starting of the project, planned schedule which is modified
according to the requirements and conditions. Actual progress is compared with the planned
schedule and in case any delay in progress is then a Catch up schedule is prepared and executed
accordingly to overcome the delay.

Summarizing the few of the major involvements of planning department are as follows:-

● Subcontractors billing
● Resource allocation
● Raw materials and equipment procuring
● Bulk material reconciliation
● Coordinate with design department (HQ)
● Client communication for approvals
● Track construction as per schedule
● Look-ahead programs
● Distribution of updated goods for construction site drawings
 CONCLUSION

It was a wonderful learning experience at L&T Construction TIIC's site of the MPRRP project
in Chennai as well as the pavement engineering laboratory at IITM for one month. I gained
valuable insight on diverse aspects of the site. I was given exposure in almost all the departments
at the site. The friendly welcome from all the employees is appreciative, sharing their experience
and giving their piece of wisdom which they have gained in the long journey of work. I hope this
experience will surely help me in my future and also in shaping my career.