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The document outlines a procedure for determining the shrinkage limit of soil, which is essential for understanding the swelling and shrinkage properties of cohesive soils used in construction. It details the specifications, required equipment, theory behind the test, and step-by-step procedure for conducting the test. The results help in assessing the suitability of soil for various engineering applications, with shrinkage limits typically ranging from 13 to 26.

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4 views

A1-5

The document outlines a procedure for determining the shrinkage limit of soil, which is essential for understanding the swelling and shrinkage properties of cohesive soils used in construction. It details the specifications, required equipment, theory behind the test, and step-by-step procedure for conducting the test. The results help in assessing the suitability of soil for various engineering applications, with shrinkage limits typically ranging from 13 to 26.

Uploaded by

mrtestfire
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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DETERMINATION OF SHRINKAGE LIMIT

Aim:

To determine the shrinkage limit of the soil.

The value of shrinkage limit is used for understanding the swelling and shrinkage
properties of cohesive soils. It is used for calculating the shrinkage factors which helps
in the design problems of the structures made up of the soils or/and resting on soil. It
gives an idea about the suitability of the soil as a construction material in foundations,
roads, embankments anddams.

Specifications:

The test is specified in IS: 2720(Part 6)-1972. The 30 g soil passing 425 micron sieve is
used for the test.

Equipments Required:
a) 2 numbers of porcelain evaporating dish, about 12 cm in diameter within aflat
bottom.
b) 3 numbers of shrinkage dish made of non-corroding metal, having a flat bottom, 45
mm diameter and 15 mm high.
c) A glass cup of about 50 mm diameter and 25 mmhigh.
d) Two numbers glass plates of size 75×75×3 mm, one plate of plane glass and
the other with three metalprongs.
e) Spatula balance accurate to 0.01 g, oven etc.
f) Mercury.
g) Desiccator and otheraccessories.

Theory:
As the soil loses moisture, either in its natural environment, or by artificial means
in laboratory, it changes from liquid state to plastic state to semi-solid state and then to
solid state. The volume is also reduced by the decrease in water content. But, at a
particular limit the moisture reduction causes no further volume change. A shrinkage
limit test gives a quantitative indication of how much moisture can change before any
significant volume change and to also indication of change in volume. The shrinkage
limit is useful in areas where soils undergo large volume changes when going through
wet and dry cycles (e.g. earthdams).
Shrinkage limits are required to be determined on two types of soils, they are
i. Remoulded soil.
ii. Undisturbed soil.
Other shrinkage factors i.e. shrinkage ratio, volumetric shrinkage may also be
calculated from the test data of shrinkage limit.

Shrinkage ratio is the ratio of a given volume change expressed as a percentage of


dry volume to the corresponding change in water content above the shrinkage limit.

Volumetric Shrinkage is the decrease in volume of a soil mass when the water content
is reduced from given percentage to the shrinkage limit and which is expressed as
percentage of dry volume of the soil mass.

Procedure:
a) Select a representative sample of soil of about 100 g passing through 425μ
sieve.
b) Take 30 g out of it and place the same in an evaporating dish. Mix it thoroughly
with distilled water and make it into a thin paste for readily filling into a dish
free from air bubbles.
Determination of mass and volume of shrinkage dish:

a) Take a shrinkage dish, clean it and find its mass correct to 0.1 gm (M3).=------g
b) To determine its volume, place it in an evaporating dish. Fill the shrinkage
dish with mercury till the excess overflows to the evaporatingdish.
c) Coat the inside of the shrinkage dish with a thin layer of silicon grease or
Vaseline. Place a part of the soil paste prepared earlier at the centre of the dish
so that it may occupy about one-third of its volume.
d) Find the mass of the wet soil with the dish immediately after filling(M1)=-------g
e) Keep the dish with soil exposed to air until the colour of the pat turns from black
to light.
f) Select a glass cup with a flat bottom and keep ion an evaporating dish. Fill
the cup with mercury and remove the excess mercury by pressing the glass
plate with three prongs firmly over the top of thecup.
g) Remove the split over the mercury, take out the glass plate with the
prongs, place the dry soil pat on the surface of the mercury.
h) Force the soil pat into the mercury by pressing with the same glass plate with
the prongs. Collect carefully the split over mercury and find its mass(Mm)=-------
g

The volume of the dry soil p at Vd is

Vd = Mm/ 13.6.
Where, 13.6 is the density of mercury in g/cm 3

Calculation of shrinkage limit, Ws


Mass of wet soil = Mo =(M1-M3)=-------------g

Mass of dry soil = Ms =(M2–M3)=-------------g

Volume of shrinkage dish = Volume of wet soil = V o = ---------------

Volume of dry soil = Vd = ---------------

Vd = Mm / 13.6 where, 13.6 g/cm3 is the density of mercury.

Srinkage limit,Ws is

Ws= ((Mo-Ms)-(Vo-Vd)×ρw)/Ms

Shrinkage ratio, Sr =((Vo-Vd)/Vo)×100

Shrinkage limit of undistributed soil

In this case G is known in advance. The equation to be used for determining


Ws is Ws =[(Vd/Ms)-(1/G)]×100

For the undistributed soil we need to know only the volume of anundistributed
dry pot of soil sample of diameter 45 mm and thickness 15 mm. Round off its edges to
prevent the entrapment of air during mercury displacement. Air dry the sampleinitially
and then dry over the same. Find its mass (Ms) after cooling it in a desiccator, and then
its volume Vd by mercury displacement method. Ws may now be found out by use of
equation

Ws = [(Vd/Ms)-(1/G)]×100.
Result:

The shrinkage limit Ws=------------------

Verification/Validations:

Value of shrinkage limit varies from 13 to 26.

Conclusion:

The shrinkage limit of soilis .

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