CE 3300

Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory

Louisiana State University

Laboratory Report No. 4

Hydrometer Analysis

Performed By:

Submitted By:

Date Performed: Date Submitted:

February 3, 2009 February 10, 2009

Page 1
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
Objective.………………………………………………………………………………….3
Equipment & Procedures……………………………………………………………….…3
Results………………….…………………………………………………………….........6
Sample Calculations……………………………………………………...……………....10
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………...…..10
References…..……………………………………………………………………………12

Page 2
Objective:
Soils used for engineering purposes must comply with specification based upon
the soils intended use. Hydrometer analysis is a method used to determine the particle
size distribution of a fine-grained soil while sieve analysis is used for coarse-grained
soils. This experiment involves the hydrometer analysis of fine soil which passes through
the No. 200 sieve size (.075 mm). Soils finer than the No. 200 sieve size are subdivided
into silts and clays. The particle size of silt generally ranges from .075 mm to .002 mm
while clay consists of particles with diameters of less than .002m. The hydrometer test
procedure involves lowering a hydrometer into a soil-water suspension at different times
to determine the density of the suspension as the soil settles. Based on the gradation
curve resulting from the hydrometer analysis, the fine soil can be classified as to the
amount of silt and clay sized particles are in the particular soil sample.

Equipment and Procedures

Equipment Required:
1. ASTM 152-H hydrometer
2. Mixer
3. Two 1000-cc graduated cylinders
4. Thermometer
5. Constant temperature bath
6. Deflocculating agent
7. Spatula
8. Beaker
9. Balance
10. Plastic squeeze bottle
11. Distilled water
12. No. 12 rubber stopper

Page 3
 Procedure:

Note: This procedure is used when more than 90 percent of the soil is finer than No. 200

sieve.

1. Take 50 g of oven-dry, well-pulverized soil in a beaker.

2. Prepare a deflocculating agent. Usually a 4% solution of sodium hexametaphosphate

(Calgon) is used. This can be prepared by adding 40 g of Calgon in 1000 cc of

distilled water and mixing it thoroughly.

3. Take 125 cc of the mixture prepared in Step 2 and add it to the soil taken in Step 1.

This should be allowed to soak for about 8 to 12 hours.

4. Take a 1000-cc graduated cylinder and add 875 cc of distilled water plus 125 cc of

deflocculating agent in it. Mix the solution well.

5. Put the cylinder (from Step 4) in a constant temperature bath. Record the temperature

0f the bath, T (in degrees C).

6. Put the hydrometer in the cylinder (Step 5). Record the reading. (Note: The top of the

meniscus should be read.) This is the zero correction (Fz), which can be +ve or –

ve. Also observe the meniscus correction (Fm).

7. Using a spatula, thoroughly mix the soil prepared in Step 3. Pour it in to the mixer cup.

8. Add distilled water to the cup to make it about two-thirds full. Mix it for about two

minuets using the mixer.

9. Pour the mix into the second graduated 1000-cc cylinder. Make sure that all of the soil

solids are washed out of the mixer cup. Fill the graduated cylinder with distilled

water to bring the water level up to the 1000-cc mark.

Page 4
10. Secure a No. 12 rubber stopper on the top of the cylinder (Step 9). Mix the soil-water

well by turning the soil cylinder upside down several times.

11. Put the cylinder in to the constant temperature bath next to the cylinder described in

Step 5. Record the time immediately. This is cumulative time t = 0. Insert the

hydrometer in to the cylinder containing the soil-water suspension.

12. Take hydrometer headings at cumulative times t = 0.25., 0.5 min., 1 min., and 2 min.

Always read the upper level of the meniscus.

13. Take the hydrometer our after two minutes and put it into the cylinder next to it (Step

5).

14. Hydrometer readings are to be taken at time t = 4 min., 8 min., 15 min., 30 min., 1

hr., 2 hr., 4 hr., 8 hr., and 24 hr. For each reading, insert the hydrometer in to the

cylinder containing the soil-water suspension about 30 seconds before the reading

is due. After the reading is taken, remove the hydrometer and put it back into the

cylinder next to it (Step 5).

Procedure Modification

When a smaller amount (less than about 90%) of soil is finer than No. 200 sieve, the

following modification to the above procedure needs to be applied.

1. Take an oven-dry sample of soil. Determine its weight (W1).

2. Pulverize the soil using a mortar and rubber-tipped pestle, as described in Chapter 4.

3. Run a sieve analysis on the soil (Step 2), as described in Chapter 4.

4. Collect in the bottom pan the soil passing through No. 200 sieve.

5. Wash the soil retained on No. 200 sieve, as described in Chapter 4. Collect all the wash

Page 5
 water and dry it in an oven.

6. Mix together the minus No. 200 portion from Step 4 and the dried minus No. 200

portion from Step 5.

7. Caclulate the percent finer for the soil retained on No. 200 sieve and above.

8. Take 50 g of the minus 200 soil (Step 6) and run a hydrometer analysis. (Follow steps

1 through 14 as described previously.)

9. Report the calculations for the hydrometer analysis similar to that shown in Table 5-4

(Soil Mechanics Laboratory Manual). Note, however, that the precent finer now

calculated is not the percent finer based on the total sample. Calculate the percent

finer based on the total sample as:

PT = (Col. 8 of Table 5-4) (Percent passing No. 200 sieve / 100)

Percent passing No. 200 sieve can be obtained from Step 7 above.

10. Plot a combined graph for percent finer versus grain-size distribution obtained from

both the sieve analysis and the hydrometer analysis. The percent finer calculated

from the sieve analysis for a given grain size does not match that calculated from

the hydrometer analysis. The grain sizes obtained from a sieve analysis are the

least sizes of soil grains, and the grain sizes obtained from the hydrometer are the

diameters of equivalent spheres of soil grains.

Results

The hydrometer test was completed after 24 hours of intermittent observations

displayed in Table 1. A total of thirteen data points were surveyed. The test revealed a

soil with relatively small particle sizes. Also, the initial hydrometer rating was about

twice as high as the reading after 24 hours. The largest observed particle size of 0.0945

Page 6
mm was observed after 15 seconds, while the smallest was observed after 24 hours at a

size of 0.0013 mm.

Time Hydrometer Percent

Rcp RcL L (cm) A D (mm)
(min) Reading, R Finer
0.25 19 14.9 27.1 20 13.2 0.013 0.0945
0.5 16 11.9 21.6 17 13.7 0.013 0.0680
1 14 9.9 18.0 15 14 0.013 0.0486
2 12 7.9 14.3 13 14.3 0.013 0.0348
4 11 6.9 12.5 12 14.5 0.013 0.0248
8 10.5 6.4 11.6 11.5 14.6 0.013 0.0176
15 10 5.9 10.7 11 14.7 0.013 0.0129
30 10 5.9 10.7 11 14.7 0.013 0.0091
60 9 4.9 8.9 10 14.8 0.013 0.0065
120 9 4.9 8.9 10 14.8 0.013 0.0046
960 9 4.9 8.9 10 14.8 0.013 0.0016
1140 9 4.9 8.9 10 14.8 0.013 0.0015
1440 9 4.9 8.9 10 14.8 0.013 0.0013
Table 1 Calculated Values from Hydrometer Test
Furthermore, as time increased, the diameter of the particle at time tD decreased,

as should be expected. Due to sedimentation, the diameter of the particles decreased as

the time increased because larger particles settle quickly followed by smaller particles.

Figure 1 illustrates the categories of soil found within the test specimen. Clays

and silts make up the smallest soil particles, and the Hydrometer Test specializes in sizing

these particle concentrations. Clays make up about 9% of the test soil, while about 13%

of the soil is silty.

Page 7
 Percent
D (mm)
Finer
0.0945 27.1
0.0680 21.6
0.0486 18.0 Silt (diameter between .075-.002 mm)
0.0348 14.3
So average of percentages yields
0.0248 12.5
0.0176 11.6 Approx 13% of the soil is silt
0.0129 10.7
0.0091 10.7
0.0065 8.9
Clay <.002mm diameter
0.0046 8.9
0.0016 8.9 So approx 9% of soil is clay
0.0015 8.9
0.0013 8.9

Figure 1 Catagorized Particle Sizes

The particle distribution of the test soil is shown in Figure 2. Based upon the
graph, the soil is shown to be well graded with its smooth transitional curve.

Figure 2 Grain-size Distribution Plot

Page 8
 Figure 3 Grain-size Distribution Plot with Sieve Analysis Included
Finally, with a look at Figure 3, the well-graded nature of the soil distribution

curve can more clearly be seen. The sieve analysis and hydrometer tests did not quite

match up perfectly, but the generalized shape of the curve can still be observed.

Page 9
Sample Calculations

For t=2 min and R=12:

Corrected Hydrometer Reading

Amount of Finer Soil

Corrected Reading for Determination of Effective Length

Diameter of Given Soil Particle

Appendix A Collected Data

Temperature Temperature Zero Meniscus

of Test, T Correction, Correction, Correction,
(°C) FT FZ Fm
23 0.9 5 1

GS
Total Dry Soil Specific
Correction,
Weight, W Weight, WS Gravity, GS
a
370.53 54.53 2.7 0.99

Conclusion:

The purpose of the hydrometer test was to determine the particle size distribution

of the fine particles in a soil sample. Last week, sieve analysis was performed on another

soil sample to determine the gradation of the coarse particles. Sieve analysis results yield

a uniformity coefficient and coefficient of curvature which can be used to further classify

the sample. However, based on the hydrometer test of a representative sample of fine

Page 10
soil, only the percentages of silt and clay in the soil can be determined. According to

ASTM D2487-93, the average grain size for silt is from .075 to .002 mm and less than .

002 mm for clay. Based on the results obtained from the experiment, the sample soil is

comprised of approximately 13% silt and 9% clay. The presence of clay in a soil

contributes to its plasticity, the ability of a soil to deform continuously without rupture.

Further classification as to the types of clay and silt may be determined using the

Atterberg Limits and the plasticity chart. Possible testing errors include: temperature

fluctuation during the experiment, sample loss during agitation, disturbance of suspension

when the hydrometer was inserted, accumulation of soil on the hydrometer bulb,

evaporation, and misreading of the meniscus. The hydrometer test, which meets most

geotechnical engineering needs, assumes that the soil settles as “free-falling spheres with

no collision, but the mineral particles of clay are plate-like and collision of particles

during sedimentation is unavoidable” (Soil Mechanics Laboratory Manual). These two

weaknesses, non-spherical particles and interface, may have slightly altered the results.

Methods such as the light scattering method, which eliminates the two weaknesses of the

hydrometer test, are often used when more accurate results are necessary.

Page 11
 References

1. Das, B. M. (2002). Soil mechanics: Laboratory manual.

Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press.
2. Budhu, M (2007). Soil Mechanics and Foundations. John Wiley & Sons.

Page 12