CEE 346L – Geotechnical Engineering I Lab

Title: Particle Size Analysis by Use of a Hydrometer

Date of Test: 9/19/19

Report Prepared By: Abhishek Ray
Report Number: 2
Report Submission Date: 9/26/19
 CEE 346L – Geotechnical Engineering I Lab

Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Equipment ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
Procedures .................................................................................................................................................... 3
Data, Calculations, and Results ..................................................................................................................... 4
Discussion...................................................................................................................................................... 6
Conclusions ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Appendix ....................................................................................................................................................... 7

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 CEE 346L – Geotechnical Engineering I Lab

Introduction

The particles that pass the #200 sieve, are classified by using the hydrometer test. This procedure
can test particle sizes as small as 0.001 mm. Just like in the mechanical sieve analysis a relation
between semi-log plot of percent fines vs. particle diameter is plotted. For soil samples having
lesser than 30% fines do not require a hydrometer test run on them. The clay fraction (% finer
than 0.002 mm) is what we are looking for when we run this test.

In 1851, George Gabriel Stokes derived a relation for the frictional force exerted on spherical
objects with very small Reynolds numbers in a viscous fluid. The three major components of this
relations are the velocity of fall of spheres in a fluid and the diameter of the spheres based on
the specific gravity of the sphere and the fluid, and the fluid viscosity. The larger particles cause
greater turbulence and the smaller ones exhibit Brownian motion. One may wonder that the
particles are no all spherical in shape which introduces the unavoidable error but it’s negligible.
ϒ𝑠 − ϒ𝑤 2
𝑣= 𝐷
18ƞ
Fig. 1 Stokes’ Law
Where, v= particle velocity (cm/s)
D= particle diameter
ƞ= Dynamic viscosity of water (g∙s/cm2)

The Stokes’ Law can also be represented in terms of L which is the effective depth and it
indicates the specific gravity of the soil-water suspension using the ASTM 152-H Hydrometer.
The equation below is used to calculate the diameter of the particle that settles to the bottom
of the cylinder after t minutes from the start of the test.
𝐿 (𝑐𝑚) ϒ𝑠 − ϒ𝑤
= [𝐷(𝑚𝑚)/10]2
𝑇(𝑐𝑚) 18ƞ

Some further simplification will result in

𝐿(𝑐𝑚) 30ƞ 𝐿(𝑐𝑚)
𝐷(𝑚𝑚) = √ √ = 𝐾√
𝑡(min) ϒ𝑠 − ϒ𝑤 𝑡(min)
It must be noted that L and K must be corrected for specific gravity of the solids, temperature
effects,
and the meniscus at the surface of the water during readings.

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 CEE 346L – Geotechnical Engineering I Lab

Equipment
 ASTM Hydrometer
 Graduated Cylinder
 Mixing Cup
 Dispersing agent
 Two graduated cylinders (1000 ml)
 Thermometer
 Balance sensitive to 0.1 g
 Timer
 Distilled water
 Spray bottle

Procedures
1. Take 50gms of soil sample passing through No. 200 sieve and put it in the mixing cup
2. Pour water in the same mixing cup until it is about 1/3 to 1/2 full.
3. Place cup on mixer, and let run for 2 minutes
4. Transfer all the slurry mix in the graduated cylinder using the spray bottle if needed with
all the water going in the graduated cylinder. Do this under 1 minute.
5. Add about 4 grams dispersing agent (Calgon bath salt) in the slurry mix and add distilled
water to the 1000 ml limit exactly. Do this under 1 minute.
6. Place the rubber stopper and make sure it’s air tight on the graduated cylinder. Shake
the cylinder for 1 minute by inverting the cylinder rapidly back and forth to tip upside
down and then up right repeatedly.
7. Remove the stopper and place the hydrometer in the graduated cylinder with the slurry
mix without splashing any material out. Start the timer within 10 seconds of finishing
with inversion.
8. Start taking your readings 15 seconds after inserting the hydrometer.
9. Take the thermometer and put it in the control cylinder (let it stay there through out the
experiment) with distilled water only till the 1000 ml. Record the temperature with
every reading you take.
10. After every reading that you take, take out the hydrometer and put it in the control
graduated cylinder to record your control reading.
11. Clean the table top, graduated cylinders and the hydrometer and return them to their
designated area.

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 CEE 346L – Geotechnical Engineering I Lab

Data, Calculations, and Results

After we get the actual reading (See. Appendix) we need to calculate the new temperature with
the correction factor using

Then we calculate the corrected reading using

Where

We will also have to calculate % Finer using

𝐿(𝑐𝑚)
D=𝐾√𝑡 (𝑚𝑖𝑛)

Where K = 0.0136 from the Variation of K with T and Gs chart in the lab manual.

D = particle diameter in mm

L = effective depth of hydrometer

t= time in minutes that reading was taken

In our case the α, is 1.00 because it correlates with 2.65 as our specific gravity of the soil.

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 CEE 346L – Geotechnical Engineering I Lab

Temp
TCF ErrMeniscus α Md (g) (˚C)
0.175 1.00 1.0 45.0 20.4

Grain Size Distribution Curve

100.00
90.00
80.00
Percent Finer (%)

70.00
60.00
50.00
40.00
30.00
20.00
10.00
0.00
0.0010 0.0100 0.1000 1.0000
Particle Diameter (mm)

Figure 1 Gradation Curve

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 CEE 346L – Geotechnical Engineering I Lab

Discussion
The soil sample is seen to be poorly graded since it has a steep middle section on the gradation
curve. This gradation type was chosen because the particles become too fine to be shaken down
with sieves. The particle would get clogged if sieves are used and we would not get our
distribution curve. The distribution was such that there was about 90% fines and about 10% clay
as seen from the percent finer table. Clay soil are the ones that would have most of their content
passing through #200 sieve. Since time is the most important aspect of this experiment, accuracy
heavily depends on that. We should have used two hydrometer both calibrated for each
graduated cylinder which would have reduced any errors from wither water spilled or un-
uniformly displacing the particle when pulling out and putting the hydrometer back in. These
fine-grained particle are studied for their size distribution because they are responsible for the
better interlocking with bigger particle to create more strength of the soil. Clay soils remain wet
and cold in winter and dry out in summer. These soils are made of over 25 percent clay, and
because of the spaces found between clay particles, clay soils hold a high amount of water.

Conclusions
Therefore, we saw how we perform a hydrometer test and use the readings in the equation to
finally get the diameter of the particle and the percent passing which is related to the time taken.
Thus the time constraints are to be maintained very precisely throughout the experiment.

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 CEE 346L – Geotechnical Engineering I Lab

Appendix
Hydrometer Corrected Corrected
Reading L Reading L
0 16.3 0.18 16.28
1 16.1 1.18 16.12
2 16 2.18 15.96
3 15.8 3.18 15.79
4 15.6 4.68 15.55
5 15.5 5.18 15.47
6 15.3 6.18 15.31
7 15.2 7.18 15.15
8 15 8.18 14.98
9 14.8 9.18 14.81
10 14.7 10.18 14.66
11 14.5 11.18 14.49
12 14.3 12.18 14.33
13 14.2 13.18 14.17
14 14.0 14.18 14.00
15 13.9 15.18 13.84
16 13.7 16.18 13.68
17 13.5 17.18 13.51
18 13.4 18.18 13.35
19 13.2 19.18 13.19
20 13.0 20.18 13.02
21 12.9 21.18 12.86
22 12.7 22.18 12.70
23 12.6 23.18 12.53
24 12.4 24.18 12.37
25 12.2 25.18 12.20
26 12.1 26.18 12.04
27 11.9 27.18 11.87
28 11.7 28.18 11.70
29 11.6 29.18 11.54
30 11.4 30.18 11.37
31 11.2 31.18 11.20
32 11.1 32.18 11.04
33 10.9 33.18 10.87
34 10.7 34.18 10.70
35 10.6 35.18 10.54
36 10.4 36.18 10.36
37 10.2 37.18 10.20

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 CEE 346L – Geotechnical Engineering I Lab

38 10.1 38.18 10.04

39 9.9 39.18 9.86
40 9.7 40.18 9.69
41 9.6 41.18 9.55
42 9.4 42.18 9.36
43 9.2 43.18 9.18
44 9.1 44.18 9.10

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