FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

GROUP K

HIGHWAY LABS REPORT

NAME REGISTRATION NUMBER

KANANURA SAUL ABALA 21/1/328/D/213

LETASI JOAN OPKWO 21/1/328/D/237

OLAKI WENCESLAS PHILEMON 21/1/328/D/005

EBADU MICAH 21/1/328/D/004

WAFULA CALEB WANDERA 21/1/328/D/026

DECLARATION
We declare that the information presented in this report is true according to the discussions carried out and knowledge obtained from
the labs, lecture room and research made from the internet and text books.

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DEDICATION
We dedicate this report as Group K to our beloved course-mates, our parents and fellow group members with whom we are struggling
to make great academic achievements.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We acknowledge the almighty God who has enabled us to come this far with our studies, Ndejje University fraternity which consists of
our vice chancellor, our lecturer, Mr. Kiberu Faisal who has equipped us with the necessary knowledge in structural design and to all
that have contributed greatly to our progress to become better engineers.

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ABSTRACT
The laboratory report presents the results of Atterberg limits and Carlifornia Bearing Ratio test conducted on soil samples obtained from
a highway construction site. The Atterberg limit states, were performed to determine the liquid limit, plastic limit and plasticity index
of the soil. Which are important indicators of it’s engineering behavior. The CBR tests were conducted to evaluate the bearing capacity
of soil and its suitability for use as a subgrade material in the highway construction.

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Table of Contents
DECLARATION ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. I
DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... II
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................................................................................................. III
ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... IV
CHAPTER 1 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
ATTERBERG LIMITS..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
LIQUID LIMIT TEST.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
PLASTIC LIMIT TEST ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
LINEAR SHRINKAGE TEST ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
OPTIMUM MOISTURE CONTENT AND MAXIMUM DRY DENSITY TEST ................................................................................................................... 10
Standard proctor compaction test........................................................................................................................................................................... 10
California Bearing Ratio Test on Subgrade Soil ........................................................................................................................................................ 15
APENDICES ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 20
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 23
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 23

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CHAPTER 1
ATTERBERG LIMITS
LIQUID LIMIT TEST
THEORY:

The liquid limit is the moisture content at which the groove, formed by a standard tool into the sample of soil taken in the standard cup,
closes for 10 mm on being given 25 blows in a standard manner. This is the limiting moisture content at which the cohesive soil passes
from liquid state to plastic state.

APPARATUS REQUIRED

1. Balance, 2. Casagrendes Liquid limit device, 3. Grooving tool,

4. Mixing dishes, 5. Spatula, 6. Electrical Oven, 7. Squeeze Bottle

PROCEDURE

1. A 250 gm of air-dried soil was passed thorough a 425 mm sieve, into an evaporating dish. Distilled water was added into the soil
and mixed thoroughly to form a uniform paste. (The paste shall have a consistency that would require 30 to 35 drops of cup to cause
closer of standard groove for sufficient length.)

2. A portion of the paste was put in the cup of Liquid Limit device and spread with a few strokes of spatula.

3. It was trimmed to a depth of 1 cm at the point of maximum thickness and the excess of soil was returned to the dish.

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4. Using the grooving tool, a groove was cut along the center line of soil pat in the cup, so that clean sharp groove of proper dimension
(11 mm wide at top, 2 mm at bottom, and 8 mm deep) is formed.

5. The cup was lifted and dropped by turning crank at the rate of two revolutions per second until the two halves of soil cake come in
contact with each other for a length of about 13 mm by flow only, and the number of blows, N was recorded.

6. A representative portion of soil from the cup was taken for moisture content determination.

7. The test WAS repeated with different moisture contents at least four more times for blows between 10 and 40.

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OBSERVATIONS

Determination Number 1 2 3 4

Weight of container (g) 0.046 0.048 0.046 0.066

Weight of container + wet soil (g) 0.096 0.072 0.068 0.10

Weight of container + dry soil (g) 0.082 0.064 0.060 0.086

Weight of water (g) 0.014 0.008 0.008 0.014

Weight of dry soil 0.036 0.016 0.014 0.02

Moisture content (%) 38.9 50 57.1 70

No. of blows 60 80 40 25

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PLASTIC LIMIT TEST
1. Objective

Determination of Plastic Limit is as important as Liquid Limit so as to ascertain Plasticity Index, Ip of the

soil. The plastic limit of a soil is the moisture content, expressed as a percentage of the weight of the

oven-dry soil, at the boundary between the plastic and semi-solid states of consistency. It is the

moisture content at which a soil will just begin to crumble when rolled into a thread ⅛ inch (3 mm) in

diameter using a ground glass plate or other acceptable surface.

2. Apparatus Required

1. Glass Plate, Palette knives, Air Tight Containers,

Spatula, Brass Rod & Porcelain Evaporating Dish

Porcelain Evaporating dish: about 12cm in diameter. Glass plate: 10mm

thick and 45cm square or large. Brass Rod: 3 mm in diameter and 10 cm

long. All the equipment should be cleaned and dried before each test.

2: Hot Air Oven

Thermostatically controlled with interior of non-corroding material to maintain

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the temperature around 1050C and 1100C

3: Balance

The balance to be used must be sensitive to the extent of 0.01 g

4: 425micron IS Sieve

Procedure

1. Take about 20 gm of thoroughly mixed portion of the material passing through 425 micron I.S.sieve obtained in accordance with
I.S. 2720 (Part 1)- 1983.

2. Mix it thoroughly with distilled water in the evaporating dish till the soil mass becomes plastic enough to be easily molded with
fingers.

3. Allow it to season for sufficient time (for 24 hrs) to allow water to permeate throughout the soil mass

4. Take about 8 gm of this plastic soil mass and roll it between fingers and glass plate with just sufficient pressure to roll the mass
into a thread of uniform diameter throughout its length. The rate of rolling shall be between 80 and 90 strokes per minute.

5. Continue rolling till you get a thread of 3 mm diameter.

6. Kneed the soil together to a uniform mass and re-roll.

7. Continue the process until the thread crumbles when the diameter is 3 mm.

8. Collect the pieces of the crumbled thread in air tight container for moisture content determination as described in IS:2720 .

9. Repeat the test to at least 3 times and take the average of the results calculated to the nearest whole number.

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Observation and Recording

Compare the diameter of thread at intervals with the rod. When the diameter reduces to 3 mm, note the surface of the thread for cracks.

Container Container Container Container

No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 4

Wt. of
container +
0.103 0.113 0.126 0.124s
wet sample,
W2

Wt. of
container + 0.206
0.212 0.219 0.214
dry sample,
W3

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 Wt. of dry
sample, 0.074 0.080 0.087 0.082
W3 - W1

Wt. of water
in the soil , 0.029 0.033 0.039 0.042
W2 – W3

Water
content (%),
(W2 – W3) / 39 41 45 51
(W3 - W1)
X 100

Table 1: Determination of Plastic Limit

Average Plastic Limit= ...........44..................

General Remarks:

1. In the case of sandy soils plastic limit should be determined first. When plastic limit cannot be determined, the plasticity index
should be reported as NP (non-plastic).

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 2. When the plastic limit is equal to or greater than the liquid limit, the plasticity index shall be reported as zero.

LINEAR SHRINKAGE TEST

Determination of Shrinkage Limit Test for Soil

Aim of Shrinkage limit test:

To determine shrinkage limit, shrinkage ratio and volumetric shrinkage of expansive nature soil.

Apparatus

 Shrinkage dish
 Evaporating dish
 Straight edge
 Glass cup
 Prong plate
 Glass plate
 Spatula
 425 microns IS Sieve
 Oven
 Balance etc.

Preparation sample
A sample weighing 150g from thoroughly mixed portion of bulk material passing 425 microns IS sieve is prepared.
Procedure

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1. The mould is thoroughly cleaned and a thin film of grease is applied to its inner walls.
2. Above soil sample is mixed thoroughly with distilled water, using palette knives, until the mass becomes homogeneous.
3. The thoroughly mixed soil-water paste is placed in the mould such that it is slightly above the sides of the mould.
4. Then the mould with the soil paste is dried in the oven maintained at a temperature of 105 to 1100C.
5. After complete drying, the mould and soil is cooled and the mean length of the soil bar is measured.
Calculation

The linear shrinkage of the soil is to be calculated as a percentage of the original length of the specimen from the following
formula:
Linear shrinkage (LS) = [1- (Length of oven dried specimen / Initial length of specimen)] × 100
TEST RESULTS
Weight of shrinkage mould and wet sample = 0.25kg
Weight of shrinkage mould = 0.190kg
Length of shrinkage mould(Lo) = 14 cm
New length (Ln) = 12.5 cm
LS = [1-(Ln/Lo)] 100%
LS = 10.71%

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OPTIMUM MOISTURE CONTENT AND MAXIMUM DRY DENSITY TEST

Standard proctor compaction test

AIM
To determine Optimum Moisture Content and Maximum dry density for a soil by conducting standard proctor compaction test.
THEORY
Compaction is the process of densification of soil mass, by reducing air voids under dynamic loading. The degree of compaction
of a soil is measured in terms of its dry density. The degree of compaction mainly depends upon its moisture content during
compaction, compaction energy and the type of soil. For a given compaction energy, every soil attains the maximum dry density
at a particular water content which is known as optimum moisture content (OMC).
APPLICATIONS
Compaction of soil increases its dry density, shear strength and bearing capacity. The compaction of soil decreases its void ratio
permeability and settlements. The results of this test are useful in studying the stability earthen structures like earthen dams,
embankments roads and airfields. In such constructions the soils are compacted. The moisture content at which the soils are to
be compacted in the field is estimated by the value of optimum moisture content determined by the Proctor compaction test.
APPARATUS
1.Cylindrical mould of capacity 1000cc, internal diameter 100mm and height 127.3 mm
2.Rammer
3.Mould accessories
4.Balance
5.Graduated jar
6.Straight edge
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 7.Spatula
8.Oven
9. Moisture bins

The procedure for carrying out the standard Proctor test are as follows.
1. Collect the soil sample weighing 3kg. The sample must be 3kg after air drying it. Usually, this soil will be pulverized soil that
passes through 4.75mm sieve. If the soil is coarse-grained type, the water is added such that its water content comes to 4%.
2. If the soil is fine-grained, water is added to make its water content to 8%. The water content of the sample after addition must
be less than the optimum water content.
3. The soil after the addition of water is mixed thoroughly and covered with a wet cloth. This sample is kept aside for 15 to 30
minutes for undergoing the maturing process.
4. Next, the apparatus is prepared by cleaning the mold thoroughly. The mold has to be dried and greased lightly. The mass of the
mold with base plate and without collar is weighed. Let it me (Wm).
5. The mold placed over solid base plate is then filled with prepared matured soil to one-third of the height. This layer will take 25
blows with the rammer. The rammer has a free fall height of 310 mm.[Note: If a bigger mold is used, the no: of blows for each
layer will be 56 no’s. Here the capacity of the mold will be 2250 ml.]
6. The compaction must be done in such a way that the blows are evenly distributed over the surface of each layer.
7. Next, the second layer is added. Before adding the second layer the top of the first layer has to be scratched. Now the soil is
filled to two-thirds of the height of the mold. This too is compacted with 25 blows.
8. Later the third layer is added. It is compacted similarly. The final layer must project outside the mold and into the collar. This
amount must not be greater than 6mm.

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9. The bond between the soil in the mold and the collar is broken by rotating the collar. Next the collar is removed and the top layer
of soil is trimmed and levelled to the top layer of mold.
10. Next, the mass of the mold with compacted soil and base plate is determined (Wms). Hence the mass of the compacted soil (Ws)
is determined as: Ws = Wm -Wms
11. The mass of compacted soil and the volume of the mold gives bulk density of the soil. From the bulk density the dry density can
be determined for the water content used (w).
12. The same procedure from (1-8) is repeated by increasing the water content in the soil by 2 to 3%. Each test will provide a
different set of values of water content and dry density of soil. From the values obtained compaction curve is graphed between
the dry density and water content.
Calculations for Compaction Curve
1. Weight of Compacted Soil (Ws) in grams.
Ws = Wm -Wms Eq.1
2. Bulk Density in gm/ml

Eq.2
3. Dry Density , w = water content

Eq.3
Compaction Curve of Soil - Maximum Dry Density and Optimum Water Content
The compaction curve is the curve drawn between the water content (X-axis) and the respective dry density (Y-axis). The
observation will be initially an increase of dry density with an increase in the water content. Once it reaches a particular point a
decrease of dry density is observed.

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The maximum peak point of the soil compaction curve obtained is called the Maximum dry density value. The water content
corresponds to this point is called the Optimum water content (O.W.C) or optimum moisture content (O.M.C).
RESULTS AND COMPUTATION

EXPERIMENT No 1 2 3 4
VOLUME OF WATER(ml) 110 130 140 150
MOULD VOLUME (M3) 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001
MASS OF MOULD (Kg) 4.956 4.956 4.956 4.956
MASS OF MOULD + COMPACTED SOIL 6.298 6.34 6.472 6.44
MASS OF COMAPCTED SOIL 1.342 1.384 1.516 1.484
WET DENSITY (kg/m3) 1342.0 1384.0 1516.0 1484.0
DRY DENSITY (Kg/m3) 1238.769231 1267.108 1364.4 1319.664

CONTAINER LABEL A B C D
MASS OF EMPTY CONTAINER (Kg) 0.046 0.048 0.05 0.046
MASS OF WET SOIL SAMPLE + CONTAINER (Kg) 0.332 0.344 0.36 0.344
MASS OF DRY SOIL SAMPLE + CONTAINER (Kg) 0.31 0.319 0.329 0.311
MASS OF DRY SAMPLE (Kg) 0.264 0.271 0.279 0.265
MASS OF WATER (Kg) 0.022 0.025 0.031 0.033
MOISTURE CONTENT (%) 8.333333333 9.225092 11.11111 12.45283
MOISTURE CONTENT 0.083333333 0.092251 0.111111 0.124528

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 dry density moisture content
x y x y
0 1365 11.3 0
0 1365 11.3 1365

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California Bearing Ratio Test on Subgrade Soil
Procedure of California Bearing Ratio Test
Sieve the sample through 20mm IS sieve. Take 5 kg of the sample of soil specimen. Add water to the soil in the quantity such
that optimum moisture content or field moisture content is reached. Then soil and water are mixed thoroughly. Spacer disc is
placed over the base plate at the bottom of mould and a coarse filter paper is placed over the spacer disc. The prepared soil water
mix is divided into five. The mould is cleaned and oil is applied. Then fill one fifth of the mould with the prepared soil. That
layer is compacted by giving 56 evenly distributed blows using a hammer of weight 4.89kg. The top layer of the compacted soil
is scratched. Again second layer is filled and process is repeated. After 3rd layer, collar is also attached to the mould and process
is continued. After fifth layer collar is removed and excess soil is struck off. Remove base plate and invert the mould. Then it is
clamped to baseplate. Surcharge weights of 2.5kg is placed on top surface of soil. Mould containing specimen is placed in
position on the testing machine. The penetration plunger is brought in contact with the soil and a load of 4kg (seating load) is
applied so that contact between soil and plunger is established. Then dial readings are adjusted to zero. Load is applied such that
penetration rate is 1.25mm per minute. Load at penetration of 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 7.5, 10 and 12.5mm are noted

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Standard Load Values for CBR Test

Standard Unit Standard

Penetration(mm)
Load(kg) Load(kg/cm2)

2.5 1370 70

5 2055 105

7.5 2630 134

10.0 3180 162

12.5 3600 183

Observations during CBR Test

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 Dial gauge readings

Sl
Penetration(mm)
No.
top
bottom

0.0 0 0

0.5 10 18.0

1.0 11.8 24.6

1.5 12.9 30.5

2.0 14.8 35.1

2.5 16.5 39.0

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3.0 17.2 43.1

3.5 18.2 45.0

4.0 19.4 47.8

4.5 22.0 49.8

5.0 23.2 51.5

5.5 25.1 53.4

6.0 26.5 55.0

6.5 28.7 56.5

7.0 30.0 57.5

7.5 31.2 60.0

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 Result of California Bearing Ratio Test
1. California Bearing Ratio at 2.5mm penetration; top= 14, bottom =33
2. California Bearing Ratio at 5.0mm penetration; top =13, bottom =29

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APENDICES

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CONCLUSION
The tests that were done on the soil sample were to obtain the characteristics and its nature for proper design purposes

REFERENCES
https://www.highwaysafetymanual.org
https://www.astm.org/
https://mutcd.fhw.dot.gov/
Central Materials lab report

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