ASIAN DEVELOMENT FOUNDATION COLLEGE

TACLOBAN CITY

CIVL ENGINEERING DIVISION

Name: _____________________________________Course and year: _______________

Date Performed:____________________________ Date due: _____________________

CE 202
MATERIAL TESTING

Experiment No. 3
DETERMINATION OF THE UNIT WEIGHT OF COHESIVE SOIL

OBJECTIVE:
To introduce the students to two methods of determining unit weight of cohesive
soil.

EQUIPMENTS:
Tin cutter weighing scale
Measuring stick (ruler) graduated cylinder
Evaporating dish burner
Paraffin ( candle ) soil sample inside the can from soil sampling activity
Sample extruder

GENERAL DISCUSSION:
These methods can be used for cohesive soils at a depth in the ground. For shallow
soils, in-place density determination can be sued. Cylindrical samples are obtained from the
field by driving a sampler into the ground. The first method is applicable to a sample of
regular shape while the second method can be applied to both irregularly and regularly
shaped samples.

PROCEDURE
A. BY MEASUREMENT
1. Remove the soil sample from the tin cans using a cutter or sample
extruder.
2. Shape the soil properly. Use the scrapings or cut a portion of the sample
in determining the moisture content of the soil.
3. Measure the dimensions.
4. Determine the volume.
5. Determine its weight.
6. Compute for its unit weight.
7. Compute for the dry unit weight of the soil using the formula:
Ydry = Ywet/(1+w)

B. BY DISPLACEMENT METHOD
1. Cover the soil sample used in procedure A with melted paraffin in a
evaporation dish.
2. Weight the coated soil sample.
3. Determine the weight of the paraffin by getting the difference between
the coated and the uncoated weight of the soil sample.
4. Determine the volume of the paraffin using its density ( 0.9 g/cc)
 5. Place water in a 500 ml graduated cylinder ( about 300 ml).
6. Submerged fully the soil sample and note the increase in volume. The
increase in volume is equal to the volume of the coated soil.
7. Determine the volume of the soil sample by getting the difference
between the volume of coated soil and the volume of the paraffin.
8. Determine the unit weight of the soil and its dry unit weight.
9. Compare the two values of the unit weight.
10. Compute for the percentage difference.
11. Account for any discrepancy.

DATA AND RESULTS:

(complete the data sheet)

COMPUTATIONS:

OBSERVATIONS:

COMCLUSION:

Checked by: _______________

Date: _____________________
 DATA SHEET

UNIT WEIGHT OF COHESIVE SOIL

Project ________________________________________ Job Number: _______________

Location Of the Project: _____________________________________________________

Description of the soil: ______________________________________________________

Tested by: _____________________________________ Date: ______________________

Boring Number: ___________________________________________________________

Depth: ___________________________________________________________________

Method 1: By Measurement Method 2: By Displacement

Weight of sample , W=_______________ Weight of sample, W = __________________

Diameter of sample =_______________ Weight of the coated sample=_____________

Height of the sample =_______________ Weight of the paraffin=__________________

Volume of the sample=_______________ Volume of the coated sample=____________

Water content = _____________________ Volume of paraffin=____________________

Unit weight of the soil = ______________ Volume of soil sample=__________________

Dry unit weight= ____________________ Unit weight of the soil=__________________

Water content=_________________________

Dry unit weight=_______________________