FLOWCHART – MODDS TEST

MAXIMUM DRY DENSITY AND OPTIMUM MOISTURE

CONTENT(MODDS) TEST
AIM/PURPOSE:
To determine the maximum dry unit weight of compaction of soils which can be used
for specification of field compaction.

APPARATUS: METHOD:
• Compaction mould, 1. Measure +/- 7 kg soil sample
collar & base plate 2. Sieve through a 19mm sieve
3. Crush material which is left behind with the steel tamper until
• Standard Proctor it can pass through the sieve and add to other material
hammer(4.536kg) 4. Measure and record the exact mass of your air-dry material
• Riffler,19mm 5. Determine the volume of water to add to this based on your
• Sieves,19 & 4.75mm %MC (given)
• Balance sensitive up 6. Record the volume and mass of the mould
7. Add water to air-dry material and mix
to 0.1g (2kg)
8. Assemble mould with collar and base plate, placing filter paper
• Balance sensitive up at bottom
to 5g (15kg) 9. Place about 1kg of material into the mould, level and apply 55
• A large pan blows with tamper as instructed (5 cycles of 11 blows each to
• A jack the layer)
10. Measure the depth of this material to mould collar (should be
• A Steel straight edge
96-99 mm)
• Steel tamper 11. Add successive layers of 25-30mm each, apply 55 blows to
• An iron mortar and each layer added
pestle and a rubber - 12. Weigh around 500g of the mixed soil sample after placing the
tipped pestle 2nd layer
13. Place this into an oven bowl for oven drying at a later stage
• Basins, 350mm &
after the sample has been fully compacted
500mm in diameter 14. Once the last layer is placed and compacted, the collar is
• Moisture cans 14. removed
Measuring 15. Level the material and tap into mould with the straight edge
cylinders,1000ml 16. Fill any holes in the material with loose material passing
through the 4.75mm sieve
• Oven
17. Remove and weigh the mould and material- record this
• Garden trowel 18. Extrude the sample from the mould
• Plastic squeeze bottle 19. Place oven sample into oven overnight at 105-110ºC 23.
• Spatula Record the oven dried weights the next day
• Filter paper 20. Do calculations

RESULTS:
Record results and compile a report.