1. 500g of dry soil was used for a sieve analysis.

The mass of soil retained on each sieve are given

below.
a. Plot a grain size distribution curve
b. Percentage of gravel, sand and silt as per the unified soil classification system
c. Uniformity coefficient cu and coefficient of curvature
d. Comment of the type of soil

designatio Diameter, D(mm) Mass of retained, (g) % retained Cumulative %retained % finer
n
10 2 10 2 2 98
14 1.4 18 3.6 5.6 94.4
18 1 60 12 17.6 82.4
35 0.5 135 27 44.6 55.4
60 0.25 145 29 73.6 26.4
120 0.125 56 11.2 84.8 15.2
200 0.075 45 9 93.8 6.2
pan 31 6.2 100 0

Percentage of gravel = 0%

Percentage of course to medium sand = 98%-48% = 50%

Percentage of fine sand =48% -6.2% =41.8%

Percentage of silt and clay =6.2%

D60 0.58
C u= = =5.92
D10 0.098

2
(D¿¿ 30) 0.282
C C= = =1.38 ¿
D10 × D60 0.098 × 0.58

the soil is just on the border line of well graded soil

2. the natural moisture content of an excavated soil is 32% . the liqued limit is 60% and plastic limit
is 27%. determine plastic index of the soil and comment about the nature of the soil.

Plastic index P I =¿ − PL=60 − 27=33 %

The nature of the soil can be judged by determining its liquidity index

w − PL 32 −27
LI = = =0.15
PI 33

Since the value of LI is very close to 0, the nature of the soil is very stiff

3. A soil with a liquidity index of -0.20 has aliquid limit of 56% and plastic index of 20%. what is its
natural water content? What is the nature of the soil.
4. Four different types of soil were encountered in large project. The liquid limit, plastic limit and
natural moisture content of the soils are given below. Determine the liquid index of the soil and
the consistency of the natural soil and the possible behavior of the soil under vibrating load.

Soil type Liquid limit Plastic limit Water

content

1 120 40 150

2 80 35 70

3 60 30 30

4 65 32 25

w − PL
LI =
PI

type LI consistancy

1 1.375 liqude

2 0.778 Very soft

state

3 0 Stiff state

4 -0.21 Semisolid
state

Soil type 3 and 4 are not much affected by vibrating load. Type 1 is very sensitive even for small
disturbance and as such is not suitable for any foundation. Type 2 is also very soft, with greater
settlement of the foundation or failure of the foundation due to development of pore pressure
under saturated condition taking place due to any sudden application of load.

5. A shrinkage limit test on a clay soil gave the following data. Compute the shrinkage limit,
assuming that the total volume of dry soil cake is equal to its total volume at the shirkage limit,
what is the degree of shrinkage? Comment on the nature of the soil.
Mass of shrinkage dish and saturated soil=M1=38.78g

Mass of shrinkage dish and oven dry soil M2= 30.46g

Mass of shrinkage dish M3=10.65g

Volume of shrinkage dish Vo=16.29cm3

Total volume of oven dry soil cake=Vd=10cm3

The equation for shrinkage limit..

mass of water ∈tℎe void at tℎe sℎrinkage limit M w
w SL = =
mass of dry soil MS

M O=mass of sample at tℎe plastic state=M 1 − M 3=38.78 −10.65=28.13 g

Volume of water lost from the plastic state to the shrinkage limit ∆ V =( V o −V d )

3
∆ V =( V o −V d )=16.29 −10=6.29 cm

Mass of dry soil= M S =M 2 − M 3=30.46− 10.65=19.81 g

Now, M w =M o − M s − ( V o − V d ) ρ w =28.13 −19.81 − ( 6.29 ) ( 1 )=2.03 g

M o − M s − ( V o −V d ) ρw M w 2.03
W s= = = =0.102=10.2 %
MS M S 19.81

The degree of shrinkage is

V o − V d 16.29 −10
Sr = = × 100=38.6
Vo 16.29

The soil is very poor quality