Grain Size Distribution

1
Main Type of Soil
Three main Classes:

1) Coarse grained or cohesionless (non

cohesive soils) e.g. Sand and Gravel.
2) Fine grained or cohesive e.g. silt and clay
3) Organic Soils e.g. Peat

2
Size of Grains

Fine Coarse
grained grained soils
soils

Clay Silt Sand Gravel Cobble Boulder

0.002 0.075 4.75 76 200

Grain size (mm)
Sieve # 200
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Grain Size Distribution
Why determine the GSD?
◼ To know the relative proportions of different
grain sizes.

An important factor influencing the

compactness (density), permeability and
stiffness a coarse grain soil.

Percentage of fine-grained particles which

influences the permeability, stiffness and
settlement.
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 Determination of GSD
In coarse grain soils By sieve analysis

In fine grain soils By hydrometer analysis

hydrometer

stack of sieves

sieve shaker
soil/water suspension

Sieve Analysis Hydrometer Analysis

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Sieve Analysis
8
9
 COBBLES GRAVEL SAND SILT OR CLAY
C F C M F
U.S. Standard Sieve Nos. Hydrometer Analysis
76.1mm 19mm No.4 No.10 No.40 No.200
100
90
80
Percent finer by weight

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1000 100 10 1 0.1 0.01 0.001
D10
Grain size (mm)
D30 10
D60
◼D10 = 0.2 mm means that 10% of the soil sample
has particles finer than 0.2 mm

◼D60 = 1.2 mm means that 60% of the soil sample

has particles finer than 1.2 mm

◼ Uniformity Coefficient Cu = D60/D10

◼ Coefficient of Curvature
Cc = D302/ (D60 x D10)

11
12
 100
90
Percent finer by weight

80
Gap Graded
70
60
50 Well Graded
Uniform or
40 poorly
30 graded
20
10
0
1000 100 10 1 0.1 0.01 0.001
Grain size (mm)

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Relative Density (Dr)
Measure of Compactness of coarse grained soil
in %.
Also Known as Density Index (ID)

0 100

Loosest Densest
emax − e
Dr =
emax − emin 14
Loosest State Densest State

g min g max
e max e min
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Packing of Granular Soils
As per EG 202 - 1991

Relative Density (%) Compactness Term

0-15 Very loose

15-35 Loose

35-65 Medium dense

65-85 Dense

85-100 Very dense

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Hydrometer Analysis
◼ Stoke’s Law (1856) for terminal velocity of a
falling sphere in a liquid.
gs −gw 2
v= D m / sec = CD 2 (1)
18

where
gs = unit wt. of solid sphere in kN/m3
gw = unit wt. of liquid in kN/m3
D = diameter of sphere in m
 = Absolute viscosity of liquid in kN-s/m2
v
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Hydrometer Analysis 18
19
 Assumptions of Stoke’s Law

• Particles are perfect spheres

• All particles have the same weight

• Liquid is of infinite depth

•The particles reach a constant terminal velocity

within few seconds after being allowed to fall

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Test Result Corrections:
▪ Hydrometer Calibration

▪ Temperature Correction

▪ Dispersing Agent Correction (Sodium Hexametaphosphate)

▪ Meniscus Correction

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Percent Finer
If V is the volume of the suspension = 1000cm3 ,
Ms is the mass of the dry soil passing through
sieve # 200, and ms is the mass of the solids in
unit suspension, then
ms = Ms /V

The volume of the solids Vs is

Vs = ms/Gsgw = Ms/VGsgw,

Therefore the volume of water in unit volume of

suspension is
Vw = (1-Vs) = 1 – Ms/VGs gw
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Initial density
gi = ms + mw = Ms/V + (1 - Ms/VGsgw)

Since gw = 1 g/cm3, then

gi = Ms/V + (1 - Ms/VGs) (6)

After time t, the unit volume of suspension at any

depth H contains only particles finer than a
particular diameter D, since particles coarser than
this diameter have already fell a distance greater
than H as given by Stoke’s Law.
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The coarsest diameter of the particle in unit
volume of suspension at depth H and at time t is
given by equation (4).

Let MD be the mass of all particles finer than D in the

sample taken for analysis. The density of suspension gf
after time t at depth H can be derived from Equation (6) as

gf = MD/V + (1 - MD/VGs) (7)

Where MD/V = mass of the particles of diameter

smaller than D in the unit volume of suspension at
Depth H and at time t.

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As per calibration of the hydrometer, the corrected
reading of the hydrometer, r is equal to the density
of the suspension at the center of volume of the
hydrometer. Therefore,

gf = r = MD/V + (1 - MD/GsV) (8)

And
MD = Gs V (r-1) /(Gs-1) (9)

Since V = 1000, then 1000 (r-1) = R = Corrected

hydrometer reading.
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Now Equation (9) reduces to

Gs Gs
MD = R= ( R ' h C ) (10)
Gs − 1 Gs − 1

Since the mass of the dry soil taken for hydrometer

analysis is Ms, the percentage N’ of the particles
finer than diameter D is given by,
MD Gs ( R'h C )
N =
'
.100 = (11)
Ms Gs − 1 M s

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Let, Mp = total mass of dry soil passing through
sieve # 200
M = total mass of soil taken for combined
sieve and hydrometer analysis.

The percentage finer N for the combined analysis

may be written as

MT
N = N ' (%). (12)
M
Equation (4) and (12) give the points on the grain
size distribution curve
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