LAB MANUAL FOR SOIL MECHANICS

EXPERIMENT NO: 6
Proctor Compaction

Objective:
To determine the compaction characteristics of the soil.

Equipment Required:
 Soil sample (coarse grained)
 Scale or Balance
 Container
 Compaction mould
 Hammer or rammer

Theory:
The Proctor compaction test is a laboratory method of experimentally determining the optimal
moisture content at which a given soil type will become most dense and achieve its maximum dry
density. It helps us to determine the optimum moisture content and maximum dry density of a soil
sample. The maximum dry density found in a laboratory compaction test for each soil type
encounters on the project enable an engineer to determine the compactibility of the soils and fulfill
the project specification. After the experiment is done, the optimum moisture content can be
observed from the graph that we had plotted and the dry density can be determined by using the
given formula.
ϒt
ϒd = 𝑤
1+100

Where, ϒd : Dry Density (g/cm3 )

ϒt : Wet Density (g/cm3 )
w: Water Content (%)
Procedure:
1. Weight the empty mold and measure the size of the mold and weight the container.
2. Prepare dry soil sample about 7 kg.
3. Break soil lumps with rubber hammer.
4. Sieve soil through #4.
5. Mix soil sample by plus water content about 2 %.

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 LAB MANUAL FOR SOIL MECHANICS

6. Using both the standard and modified compaction method as specified by the instructor,
compact a cylinder of soil.

Type Mold Size Weight of No. of Height of No. of blow Energy/Vol

Hammer(lbs) Layer Drop(inch) per layer (ft.lb/ft3)
Standard
Φ 4.0"x4.6" 5.5 3 12 25 12375
Proctor
Modified
Φ 6.0"x4.6" 10 5 18 56 55986
Proctor

7. Move compaction-collar out and make the surface flat.

8. Weight the compacted soil sample and mold.

9. Extrude the cylinder of soil from the mold, split it and take water content sample at the
middle mold about 100 g.
10. Repeat 5-9 to obtain about 5 points of different water content.
11. Return to the laboratory in the following day weight the oven dry water content samples to
fine the actual average water of each test.
12. Compute the dry unit weight and plot graph between dry density and moisture content.

Fig: Proctor Compaction

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 LAB MANUAL FOR SOIL MECHANICS

Observation and Calculation:

Compaction: Standard Compaction

Volume of Mold
Ø ( cm)
Length ( cm)
Volume of Mold (cm3)

Moisture Content Determination

Container No. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Weight of container + Wet soil (gm)
Weight of container + Dry soil (gm)
Weight of container (gm)
Weight of water (gm)
Weight of dry soil (gm)
Moisture content (%)

Dry Density Determination

Container No. 1 2 3 4 5 6

Weight of Mold + Compacted soil (gm)

Weight of Mold (gm)

Weight of compacted soil (gm)

Wet Density (g/cm3)

Dry density (g/cm3)

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 LAB MANUAL FOR SOIL MECHANICS

Example of Compaction Curve

Fig: Compaction Curve

Conclusion:
From the result, we had plotted the graph between dry density and moisture content. From the
graph, in standard proctor compaction we got the optimum moisture content is …… gm/cm3 and
the maximum dry density is …… gm/cm3.

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 LAB MANUAL FOR SOIL MECHANICS

EXPERIMENT NO: 7
Field Density Test

Objective:

To determine the in situ density of natural or compacted soils using sand pouring cylinders.

Equipment Required:

 Sand – pouring cylinder

 Calibrating container, 100 mm diameter and 150 mm height
 Soil cutting and excavating tools, such as scrapper tool, bent spoon
 Plane surface: Glass or Perspex Plate
 Metal container to collect excavated soil
 Metal tray
 Weighing balance
 Moisture content cans
 Oven

Theory:

In this method, the volume of excavated soil or site hole is determined indirectly by calibrating the
density of freely draining sand. The density of the calibrating sand is first determined in the
laboratory. The sand is then filled in the site hole from where the soil is excavated. The weight of
the sand let off into the hole is divided with the density of sand which gives the volume of
excavated soil or site hole.

The method is useful for cohesionless soils for which undisturbed sample cannot be collected using
the core cutter. The method is also useful where core cutter cannot be driven due to the presence
of hard soil or stones in the soil mass.

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 LAB MANUAL FOR SOIL MECHANICS

Fig: Set of Apparatus for Sand Replacement Test Method

Procedure:

The procedure is done in two steps which are discussed below:

Step 1 – Calibration of Apparatus:

Calibration of the apparatus consists of the determination of the bulk density of sand and is as
follows:

1. The pouring cylinder is filled with sand so that the level of the sand in the cylinder is within
about 10 mm of the top. Its total initial weight is found and shall be maintained constant throughout
the tests for which the calibration is used.

2. A volume of sand equivalent to that of the excavated hole in the soil (or equal to that of the
calibrating container) is allowed to run out of the cylinder under gravity. The shutter on the pouring
cylinder is then closed and the cylinder is placed on a plane surface such as a glass plate.

3. The shutter on the pouring cylinder is opened and sand is allowed to run out. When no further
movement of sand takes place in the cylinder, the shutter is closed and the cylinder is removed
carefully.

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 LAB MANUAL FOR SOIL MECHANICS

4. The sand that has filled the cone of the pouring cylinder (that is, the sand that is left on the plane
surface) is collected and weighed to the nearest gram.

5. These measurements are repeated at least three times and the mean weight is taken.

6. The internal volume (V) is calculated from the measured internal dimensions of the container.

Step 2 – Measurement of Soil Density:

The following method shall be followed for the measurement of soil density:

1. A flat area, approximately 450 mm2, of the soil to be tested is exposed and trimmed down to a
level surface preferably with the aid of a scraper tool.

2. The metal tray with a central hole is laid on the prepared surface of the soil with the hole over
the portion of the soil to be tested. The hole in the soil shall then be excavated using the hole in
the tray as a pattern, to the depth of the layer to be tested up to a maximum of 150 mm.

3. The excavated soil is carefully collected, leaving no loose material in the hole and weighed to
the nearest gram. The metal tray is removed before the pouring cylinder is placed in position over
the excavated hole.

4. The water content (ω) of the excavated soil is determined.

5. The pouring cylinder filled to the constant weight is placed so that the base of the cylinder
covers the hole concentrically. The shutter on the pouring cylinder is closed during this operation.
The shutter is then opened and the sand is allowed to run out into the hole.

6. When no further movement of sand takes place, the shutter is closed. The cylinder is removed
and weighed to the nearest gram.

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 LAB MANUAL FOR SOIL MECHANICS

Observation and Calculation:

S.N Calibration 1 2 3
1 Volume of calibrating container (V) cc
2 Weight of sand + cylinder before pouring W1 gm
3 Weight of sand + cylinder after pouring W2 gm
4 Weight of sand in cone (of pouring cylinder) W3 gm
5 Weight of sand to fill calibrating container Ws = (W1-W2-W3) gm
6 Bulk density of sand ‫ץ‬sand = Ws / V gm/cc

S.N Measurement of Bulk Density 1 2 3

1 Weight of excavated soil from hole Wexc gm
2 Weight of sand + cylinder before pouring WN1 gm
3 Weight of sand + cylinder after pouring WN2 gm
4 Weight of sand in hole WNS = (WN1-WN2-W3) gm
5 Volume of excavated hole (Vh) = WNS / ‫ץ‬sand cc
6 Bulk Density of Soil (‫ץ‬bulk) = (Wexc / Vh) gm/cc

S.N Measurement of Dry Density 1 2 3

1 Container number
2 Weight of soil taken from excavated hole
3 Weight of oven dry soil
4 Moisture content (w) (%)
5 Dry density of soil (‫ץ‬d) = ‫ ץ‬bulk / (1 + w) gm/cc

Conclusion:

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