GEOTECHNICAL

ENGINEERING-II
LAB REPORT
FALL 2019

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

 AUTHOR: AMMAR MUNEER
INSTRUCTOR: ENGR. IZAZ AHMAD
CLASS NO. 177
REGISTRATION NO. 17PWCIV4969
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UNFORTUNATELY, SOILS ARE MADE BY

NATURE AND NOT BY MAN, AND THE
PRODUCTS OF NATURE ARE ALWAYS
COMPLEX…

PROF. KARL VON TARZAGHI

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

AKNOMLEDGEMENT .............................................................................................................................. 3
INSTRUCTOR IN SPOTLIGHT ................................................................................................................... 4
DETERMINATION EXPERIMENTALLY THE SHEAR STRENGTH OF A CONFINED SOIL SAMPLE USING
DIRECT SHEAR TEST METHOD ................................................................................................................ 5
DETERMINATION FOR ONE-DIMENSIONAL CONSOLIDATION PROPERTIES OF SOIL USING
INCREMENTAL LOADING METHOD ...................................................................................................... 11
DETERMINATION OF COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF AN UNCONFINED COHESIVE SOIL ..................... 18
DETERMINATION OF SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL BY VANE SHEAR TEST ............................................ 22
DETERMINATION OF BEARING CAPACITY OF COHESIVE SOIL USING STANDARD PENETRATION TEST
“SPT” ..................................................................................................................................................... 25
DETERMINATION OF BEARING CAPACITY OF COHESIVE SOIL USING PLATE LOAD TEST ................... 29
DETERMINATION OF BEARING CAPACITY OF COHESIVE SOIL USING PILE LOAD TEST ...................... 33

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AKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all those who provided me
the possibility to complete this report. A special gratitude I give to our Lab Instructor,
Engr. Izaz Ahmad, whose contribution in stimulating suggestions and
encouragement, helped me to coordinate my project especially in writing this report.

A special thanks goes to my team mate, who help me to assemble the parts and
gave suggestion about the task assigned in the lab. Last but not least, many thanks go
to the head of the Geotechnical laboratory, whose have invested his full effort in
guiding the team at every experiment.

AMMAR MUNEER

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INSTRUCTOR IN SPOTLIGHT

ENGR. IZAZ AHMAD

B.Sc. Civil Engineering (PAK), M.Sc. Structural Engineering
(PAK), Ph.D. (PAK) In progress.
Engr. Izaz Ahmad serve as a lecturer in
University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar, Bannu
Campus for four years. He did his B.Sc. in Civil Engineering
from University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar
and did his M.Sc. in Structural Engineering from the same University. He is well known for
his advance knowledge in Structure and Geotechnical field. His academics expertise are the
reflections of his devotion to the field.

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EXPERIMENT NO: 01
DETERMINATION EXPERIMENTALLY THE SHEAR STRENGTH OF
A CONFINED SOIL SAMPLE USING DIRECT SHEAR TEST METHOD

OBJECTIVE

• To determine the consolidated drained ultimate shear strength of a soil sample under
the influence of normal load.
• To understand how to handle the direct shear test apparatus in the laboratory.
• To draw the curves for the calculation of internal friction angle.
SCOPE
In many engineering problems such as design of foundation, retaining walls, slab
bridges, pipes, sheet piling, the value of the angle of internal friction and cohesion of the soil
involved are required for the design. Direct shear test is used to predict these parameters
quickly. The laboratory report covers the laboratory procedures for determining these values
for cohesionless soils.

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APPARATUS

• Direct Shear Test apparatus

• Saturated Sand sample
• Sampler ring
• Different applying loads
• Deformation proving ring & load proving ring

ASTM REFERENCE
ASTM-D3080: Standard test method for direct shear test of soils under consolidated
drained conditions.

RELATED THEORY
Shear Strength of a soil specimen define as the resistance of the soil against sliding over
each other. Beside other factors, shear strength is a unique factor in judging the various
parameters of soil structure i.e. slope stability, embankments etc.

If at a point on any plane within a soil mass the shear stress becomes equal to the shear
strength of the soil then failure will occur at that point. The shear strength (τf) of a soil at a
point on a particular plane was expressed by Coulomb as a linear function of the normal stress
at failure (τf) on the plane at the same point:

τf = c + Ϭf tan φ

where c and φ are the shear strength parameters referred to as the cohesion intercept
and the angle of shearing resistance, respectively. However, in accordance with the principle
that shear stress in a soil can be resisted only by the skeleton of solid particles, shear strength
should be expressed as a function of effective normal stress at failure (Ϭ’f), the shear strength
parameters being denoted c’ and φ’:

τ’f = c’ + Ϭ’f tan φ’

The specimen is confined in a metal box (known as the shearbox) of circular cross section split
horizontally at mid-height, a small clearance being maintained between the two halves of the
box. Porous plates are placed below and on top of the specimen if it is fully or partially saturated
to allow free drainage: if the specimen is dry, solid metal plates may be used. The essential
features of the apparatus are shown diagrammatically:

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Figure 1: DEMONSTRATION OF DIRECT SHEAR TEST

PROCEDURE
The whole procedure for determining the shear strength of soil is given below:

• Firstly, take the sand sample and fill in the sampler ring tightly.
• Record the weight of the empty sampler ring and then with filled sand.
• Now put the sand sample into the two halves of direct shear test apparatus with the help
of pusher.
• Close the loading pad and apply a specific load on the loading pad which act as a
vertical normal load on the sand sample.
• Now start the apparatus and apply constant rate of deformation on the sand sample.
• Record the reading of load dial reading at every fixed interval of deformation dial
reading i.e., 50.
• Repeat the phenomena of taken readings up to the deformation dial reading shows the
reading 950 or the reading on load dial reading going to decrease.

DATA OBSERVATION
The specifications of this experiment are mentioned:

• Thickness of sampler ring= 2cm

• Diameter of sampler ring = 6cm
• Weight = 51g
• Weight of ring & sampler = 142.5 g
• Area of halve = 28.27 cm2
• Least count of proving ring = 0.425 kg/div

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• Least count of deformation ring = 0.01 mm

Different observations of shear stress parameters under different loading as given below:

Defor Displa 5kg load 10 kg load 15 kg load 20 kg load

matio ceme
Load Shear Shear Load Shear Shear Load Shear Shear Load Shear Shear
n Dial nt
Dial Force Stress Dial Force Stress Dial Force Stress Dial Force Stress
Readi (cm)
Readi (kg) kg/c Readi (kg) kg/c Readi (kg) kg/c Readi (kg) kg/c
ng
ng m2 ng m2 ng m2 ng m2

50 0.05 16.0 6.80 0.24 12 5.10 0.18 13.0 5.53 0.20 50.0 21.26 0.75
100 0.1 22.0 9.36 0.33 20.5 8.71 0.31 23.0 9.78 0.35 70.0 29.76 1.05
150 0.15 24.5 10.42 0.37 30 12.75 0.45 29.0 12.33 0.44 80.8 34.36 1.22
200 0.2 27.0 11.48 0.41 38.5 16.36 0.58 34.0 14.46 0.51 85.5 36.36 1.29
250 0.25 28.5 12.12 0.43 45 19.13 0.68 39.0 16.58 0.59 85.6 36.40 1.29
300 0.3 29.5 12.54 0.44 48 20.40 0.72 42.0 17.86 0.63 89.5 38.06 1.35
350 0.35 30.8 13.10 0.46 52 22.10 0.78 47.0 19.98 0.71 94.5 40.18 1.42
400 0.4 31.5 13.39 0.47 54 22.95 0.81 50.0 21.26 0.75 97.1 41.25 1.46
450 0.45 32.0 13.61 0.48 55.5 23.59 0.83 53.0 22.54 0.80 104.0 44.22 1.56
500 0.5 32.3 13.74 0.49 56 23.80 0.84 55.0 23.39 0.83 109.1 46.35 1.64
550 0.55 32.9 13.99 0.49 58 24.65 0.87 57.0 24.24 0.86 113.6 48.26 1.71
600 0.6 32.9 13.99 0.49 59 25.08 0.89 58.0 24.66 0.87 120.1 51.03 1.80
650 0.65 32.9 13.99 0.49 60.5 25.71 0.91 59.0 25.09 0.89 121.6 51.66 1.83
700 0.7 32.9 13.99 0.49 61.5 26.14 0.92 59.0 25.09 0.89 122.1 51.87 1.83
750 0.75 32.9 13.99 0.49 63 26.78 0.95 59.0 25.09 0.89 122.1 51.87 1.83
800 0.8 32.9 13.99 0.49 63 26.78 0.95 59.0 25.09 0.89 122.1 51.87 1.83

The graphical representation of the above observation is as given below:

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DEFORMATION VS SHEAR STRESS

1.4

1.2

1
Shear Stress (kg/cm^2)

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9
Deformation (cm)

0.5 kg/cm^2 1.0 kg/cm^2 1.5 kg/cm^2 2.0 kg/cm^2

Observation of maximum shear stress and normal stress under different loading are as below:

Max. Shear Stress

Load (kg) Normal Stress (Kg/cm2)
(kg/cm2)

5 0.5 0.39
10 1.0 0.78
15 1.5 0.99
20 2.0 1.34

The graphical representation of the above observation is as given below:

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NORMAL STRESS VS SHEAR STRENGTH

1.60

1.40
y = 0.6115x + 0.1109
Shear Strength (kg/cm^2)

1.20

1.00

0.80

0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5
Normal Stress (kg/cm^2)

RESULTS
From the equation written in graph:

Cohesion factor c’ = 0.1 which means that soil is sandy

For internal friction angle;

m = tan φ’ = 0.61

φ’ = tan-1(0.61)

φ’ = 31.38°

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EXPERIMENT NO: 02
DETERMINATION FOR ONE-DIMENSIONAL CONSOLIDATION
PROPERTIES OF SOIL USING INCREMENTAL LOADING METHOD

OBJECTIVE

• To determine the magnitude and rate of consolidation of a fully saturated soil when it
is restrained laterally and drained axially while subjected to incrementally applied
stress-controlled loading.

SCOPE
When a layer of fine-grained (cohesive) soil, including ML, CL, and CH, is subjected
to an increase in effective stress through an increase overburden stress, the soil undergoes a

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long-term reduction in void ratio “e” which is accompanied by settlement of the soil layer. To
quantify both the ultimate amount of settlement and the time rate of settlement in the soil layer,
a one-dimensional consolidation test is performed in the laboratory. Using laboratory-derived
parameters, field settlement behaviour of the soil layer can be predicted.

APPARATUS

• Oedometer
• Saturated Sand sample
• Sampler ring
• Different applying loads
• Deformation proving ring & load proving ring

ASTM REFERENCE
ASTM-D2435/2435M: Standard test method for One-Dimensional Consolidation
Properties of Soils Using Incremental Loading:

RELATED THEORY
Consolidation is a time dependent settlement of a cohesive soil under the influence of
a normal load applied on it. For rate of consolidation, it is necessary that all the voids are filled
with water i.e. fully saturated soil, so that pore water pressure uniformly generated across the
soil sample.

The above figure shows the arrangement of the soil sample in the oedometer apparatus.

Consolidation Test is used to determine the rate and magnitude of settlement in soils.
The settlement values obtained by this test are due to primary consolidation only which is 90%
of the total consolidation. The moment just after the application of normal stress, there is a
sudden settlement of the specimen which is due to removal of air voids and it can’t be
categorized as consolidation which is due to dissipation of excess pore water pressure.

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PROCEDURE
• First step is to collect the soil specimen using consolidation metal ring. The ring should
be clean and dried and its weight, inner diameter and height are measured using
weighing balance and Vernier callipers respectively.
• Press the metal ring into the soil sample using hands and it is taken out with soil
specimen.
• Now trim the excess soil content on top and bottom of the rings using Knife or spatula
or fine metal wires. This excess soil can be used to measure the water content of soil
sample.
• Assemble the oedometer. Place the parts of oedometer from bottom to top in the order
beginning with bottom porous stone, filter paper, specimen ring, filter paper and top
porous stone.

• Place the loading Pad and mount the whole assembly on the loading frame and centre
it such that load is applied axially. Water reservoir is connected to the mounted
assembly to saturate the soil. The water level in the water reservoir should be of same
level as the soil specimen.
• Now apply the initial load of pressure intensity 0.4 kg/cm2 and note down the
deformation dial reading after 0.25, 1, 2.5, 4, 6.25, 9, 16, 25, 30 minutes, 1, 2, 4, 8, 24
hrs.

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• Next apply the second load increment of 0.8 and repeat same procedure. Similarly apply
the load increments 0.4, 0.8, 1.6 & 3.2 kg/cm2 and repeat the same procedure and note
down the readings.
• Now drained out all the excess water and remove the applied loads gently. Take out a
sample of specimen from it for the calculation of final water contents.

DATA OBSERVATIONS & CALCULATIONS

Observation of consolidation test are:

• Height of ring = 2cm

• Diameter of ring = 6cm
• Area of ring = 28.27cm2
• Volume of ring = 56.55cm3
• Weight of ring = 100 gm
• Specific Gravity of Solids, G = 2.23
• Weight of ring + wet soil specimen = 209.9 gm
• Initial water content = 9.93%
• Initial void ratio = 0.22
• Initial height of specimen, H = 2 cm

Void ratios after every incremental load can be calculated by two ways:

• Height of soil solids method

• Change in void ratio method

But we prefer to calculate the void ratios by change in void ratio method due to data
limitation.

CALCULATION OF VOID RATIOS

Change Change
Pressure Initial Initial
S. No: Final Dial in in void
Intensity Dial Height H Void Ratio
Reading Height ratio
(kg/cm2) Reading (mm)
(∆H) (∆e)
1 0.4 0 141 20 0.36 0.02 0.19
2 0.8 141 410 19.64 0.68 0.04 0.16
3 1.6 410 672 18.96 0.66 0.04 0.12
4 3.2 672 924 18.3 0.64 0.04 0.08

The e-log Ϭ’ curve for the above observation is plotted below:

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e-log Ϭ' curve

0.25

0.2 (0.5,0.19)
Void Ratio (e)

0.15

(2,0.11)
0.1

0.05

0
0.1 1 10
log Ϭ'

CALCULATION OF COMPRESSION INDEX Cc

From the graph;

At Ϭ’ = 0.5 kg/cm^2, e = 0.19

At Ϭ’ = 2 kg/cm^2, e = 0.11

We know that;

𝑜 1 𝑒 −𝑒
𝐶𝑐 = log(Ϭ′ +∆Ϭ)−𝑙𝑜𝑔Ϭ ′
𝑜 𝑜

CALCULATION OF COEFFICIENT OF VOLUME COMPRESSIBILITY Mv

1 𝑒 −𝑒
Mv = 1+𝑒 × (Ϭ′𝑜− Ϭ1′ )
𝑜 1 𝑜

MAGNITUDE OF CONSOLIDATION Sc

The magnitude of consolidation can be calculated as:

𝐶𝑐 ×𝐻 Ϭ′𝑜 +∆Ϭ
Sc =
1+𝑒𝑜
× log(
Ϭ′𝑜
)

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TIME RATE OF Dial Gauge

Deformation at 0.4
CONSOLIDATION Time (min) Reading at 0.4
kg/cm2 (mm)
kg/cm2
The second part is the 0 0 0
0.25 49 0.12446
determination of time rate of
0.5 50.5 0.12827
settlement of the soil. For this, we 1 52 0.13208
have calculated the co-efficient of 2 54.5 0.13843
consolidation Cv by log time 4 58 0.14732
method. 8 64 0.16256
15 71.5 0.18161
30 85 0.2159
60 99 0.25146
120 112 0.28448
240 137.5 0.325
480 140 0.35
1440 141 0.35814

The graphical representation of deformation vs log time is given below:

LOG TIME METHOD

log t (min)
0.1 1 10 t50% = 41 min 100 1000 10000
0

0.05 Initial
Compression
0.1 ao = 0.14
Deformation (mm)

0.15

0.2
a50% = 0.23
Primary
0.25 Consolidation

0.3
a100% = 0.347
0.35

0.4

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From the graph:

0.196 𝑑2
Cv = where d = 10mm, t50 = 41min
𝑡50

RESULTS
• Compression Index (Cc) = 0.13
• Coefficient of volume change (mv) = 0.045
• Magnitude of consolidation (Sc) = 1.36 mm
• Coefficient of consolidation (Cv) = 0.69 m/day

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EXPERIMENT NO: 03
DETERMINATION OF COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF AN UNCONFINED
COHESIVE SOIL

OBJECTIVE

• To determine graphically the compressive strength of an unconfined cohesive soil

sample in the intact, remoulded and reconstituted conditions using strain-controlled
application of axial load.
• To determine approx. the shear strength using compressive strength of the given soil
sample.

SCOPE
The primary purpose of the unconfined compression test is to quickly obtain a measure of
compressive strength for those soils that possess sufficient cohesion to permit testing in the
unconfined state. This information is used to estimate the bearing capacity of spread footings
and other structures when placed on deposits of cohesive soil.

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APPARATUS

• Unconfined Compressive Test apparatus (UCA-02)

• Sample extruder
• Deformation & proving indicator
• Data sheet

ASTM REFERENCE
ASTM-D2166: Standard test method for unconfined compressive strength of cohesive
soil.

RELATED THEORY
❖ UNCONFINED COMPRESSION STRENGTH

The compressive stress at which an unconfined cylindrical specimen of soil will

fail in a simple compression test. In this test method, unconfined compressive strength is taken
as the maximum load attained per unit area or the load per unit area at 15 % axial strain,
whichever is secured first during the performance of a test.

❖ SPECIFICATIONS

Specimens shall have a minimum diameter of 30 mm (1.3 in) and the largest
particle contained within the test specimen shall be smaller than one tenth of the specimen
diameter. For specimens having a diameter of 72 mm (2.8 in) or larger, the largest particle size
shall be smaller than one sixth of the specimen diameter. The height-to-diameter ratio shall be
between 2 and 2.5.
With respect to shear strength, cohesive soil can fail under conditions of rapid
loading where excess pore pressures do not have time to dissipate.

Figure 1: - SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH APPARATUS

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PROCEDURE
• Obtain a test specimen from your instructor. Use callipers to measure the initial length
(Lo) of the specimen. Measure the diameter near the top, middle, and bottom of the
specimen, and calculate the average diameter (Do) and average initial area (Ao). Also
measure the moist mass of the specimen (M).
• Place the specimen in the load frame, and advance the pedestal (or crossbar) so that all
the moving parts (pedestal, specimen, load cell, and crossbar) are seated snugly against
each other.
• Zero the load cell. If a proving ring is used instead of a load cell, zero the dial gauge
and record the proving ring constant KP.
• Position and zero the deformation indicator. If an analogue dial gauge is used, record
the dial gauge conversion factor KL.
• Begin loading the specimen at a strain rate between 0.5-2.0%/min. Take readings
frequently enough to fully define the peak of the curve during the test. Record your data
on the Unconfined Compressive Strength Test Data Sheet, and use additional sheets as
needed. Load the specimen until  1 = 15% or maximum unconfined compressive
strength attained per unit area.
• Plot the compressive strength verse strain Ɛ graph to idealize the compressive strength
of that specimen.
• Place the specimen in a soil drying oven overnight and obtain the dry weight of the
specimen, Ms, for weight-volume calculations.

DATA OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS

Observations before the experiments are:

• Least Count for Proving Ring = 0.218 kg/div

• Least Count for Deformation Ring = 0.001 cm
• Diameter of cylindrical specimen = 3.5 cm
• Actual area of cylindrical specimen = 9.62 cm2

Axial Load Axial Axial Strain Corrected Axial Stress

Deformation
S. No: Deformation Dial Load P Ɛ (∆L/L Area ∆Ϭ
Reading
∆L (cm) Reading (kg) *100) % (cm2) (kg/cm2)
1 0 0.000 0 0.00 0.00 9.62 0.00
2 50 0.005 9 1.96 0.07 9.62 0.20
3 100 0.010 16 3.49 0.14 9.63 0.36
4 150 0.015 21 4.58 0.21 9.64 0.48
5 200 0.020 25 5.45 0.29 9.64 0.57
6 250 0.025 29 6.32 0.36 9.65 0.66
7 300 0.030 32.5 7.09 0.43 9.66 0.73
8 350 0.035 36.5 7.96 0.50 9.66 0.82

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9 400 0.040 40 8.72 0.57 9.67 0.90

10 450 0.045 43.75 9.54 0.64 9.68 0.99
11 500 0.050 47 10.25 0.71 9.69 1.06
12 550 0.055 50 10.90 0.79 9.69 1.12
13 600 0.060 52.75 11.50 0.86 9.70 1.19
14 650 0.065 55 11.99 0.93 9.71 1.24
15 700 0.070 57 12.43 1.00 9.71 1.28
16 750 0.075 57.5 12.54 1.07 9.72 1.29
17 800 0.080 56.25 12.26 1.14 9.73 1.26
18 850 0.085 53 11.55 1.21 9.73 1.19
19 900 0.090 50 10.90 1.29 9.74 1.12

The graphical representation for the compressive strength of soil is given below:

COMPRESSIVE STRESS VS STRAIN

1.40

1.20
Compressive Stress (kg/mm2)

1.00

0.80

0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00
0.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00 1.20 1.40
Axial Strain

RESULTS
The compressive strength of the soil under specific conditions i.e. undrained, laterally
unconfined is 13 kg/cm2

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EXPERIMENT NO: 04
DETERMINATION OF SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL BY VANE SHEAR
TEST

OBJECTIVE

• To determine the undrained shear strength of cohesive soil especially soft clays.
• This test is applicable for a non-stratified soil having low shear strength (less than 0.3
kg/cm2)

SCOPE
In many engineering problems, it is required to determine the shear strength of the soil
directly in the field. This test method has an advantage of the measuring shear strength of soil
directly in the field with lesser time and give approximate results comparing with the accurate
one.

APPARATUS

• Vane shear test apparatus

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• Soil sample container

• Vernier calliper for measuring the dimensions
• Data sheet
ASTM REFERENCE
ASTM D4648 / D4648M: Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Miniature Vane Shear
Test for Saturated Fine-Grained Clayey Soils.

ASTM D2573 / D2573M: Standard Test Method for Field Vane Shear Test in Saturated
Fine-Grained Soils.

RELATED THEORY
The vane shear test is an in-situ geotechnical testing methods used to estimate the
undrained shear strength of fully saturated clays without disturbance. The vane shear test
apparatus consists of a four-blade stainless steel vane attached to a steel rod that will be pushed
into the ground.
A typical vane shear test consists of the following components:

PROCEDURE

• Clean the vane shear apparatus and apply grease to the lead screw for better movement
of handles.
• The specimen in the mould should be at least 30 mm in diameter and 75 mm long.

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• Mount the specimen container with specimen on the base of the vane shear apparatus
and fix it securely to the base.
• Lower the vanes into the specimen to their full length gradually with minimum
disturbance to the soil specimen.
• Note down the reading of pointer on circular graduated scale which is initial reading.
• Rotate the vane inside the soil specimen using torque applying handle at a rate of 0.1°
per second.
• When the specimen fails, the strain indicator pointer will move backwards on the
circular graduated scale and at this point stop the test and note down the final reading
of pointer.
• The difference between Initial and final readings is nothing but the angle of torque.
• Repeat the procedure on two more soil specimens and calculate the average shear
• strength value.

DATA OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS

Observations before the experiments are:

• Diameter of vane = 3.75 cm

• Height of vane = 7.5 cm
• Torque = (spring constant/180) × (final dial reading – initial dial reading)
• Shear strength of soil can be calculated from the given formula:

𝑫𝟐 𝑯
Shear
Initial Dial Final Dial Spring G=𝝅( +
Torque 𝟐 Strength
S. No: Reading Reading Difference Constant 𝑫𝟑
(Kg-cm) ) S=T/G
(Deg) (Deg) (Kg-cm) 𝟔 Kg/cm2
1 188 196 8 4.98 0.221 193.28 1.14*10-3
2 191 200 9 4.98 0.249 193.28 1.28*10-3
3 186 195 9 4.98 0.249 193.28 1.28*10-3

RESULTS
Avg. Shear strength of soil specimen = 1.23*10-3 kg/cm2

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EXPERIMENT NO: 05
DETERMINATION OF BEARING CAPACITY OF COHESIVE SOIL USING
STANDARD PENETRATION TEST “SPT”

OBJECTIVE
• To determine the penetration resistance of cohesive-less soil.
• To determine the in-situ properties of cohesion-less soil.

SCOPE
The Standard Penetration test (SPT) is a common in situ testing method used to
determine the geotechnical engineering properties of subsurface soils. It is a simple and
inexpensive test to estimate the relative density of soils and approximate shear strength
parameters.

APPARATUS
• Standard Split Spoon Sampler
• Drop Hammer weighing 63.5 kg
• Guiding rod

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• Drilling Rig.
• Driving head (anvil).
• Tripod assembly
• Rope
• Pulleys
• Data sheet

ASTM REFERENCE
ASTM D1586: Standard test method for Standard Penetration Test “SPT”.

RELATED THEORY
Standard Penetration Test (SPT) involves driving a standard thick-walled sample tube
into the ground at the bottom of a borehole by blows from a slide hammer with standard weight
and falling distance. The sample tube is driven 150 mm (6 in) into the ground and then the
number of blows needed for the tube to penetrate each 150 mm (6 in) up to a depth of 450 mm
(18 in) is recorded. The sum of the number of blows required for the second and third 6 in. of
penetration is reported as “SPT blow-count value” commonly termed "standard penetration
resistance" or the "N-value".

The N-value provides an indication of the relative density of the subsurface soil, and it
is used in empirical geotechnical correlation to estimate the approximate shear strength
properties of the soils.

Relative Friction
N-Value Soil Packing Density angle
[%] [°]
<4 Very loose < 20 < 30
4 -10 Loose 20 - 40 30 - 35
10 - 30 Compact 40 - 60 35 - 40
30 - 50 Dense 60 - 80 40 - 45

NOTE: If the number of blows for 150mm drive exceeds 50, it is taken as refusal and the test
is discontinued. The standard penetration number is corrected for dilatancy correction and
overburden correction.

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PROCEDURE

• The test is conducted in a bore hole by means of a standard split spoon sampler. Once
the drilling is done to the desired depth, the drilling tool is removed and the sampler is
placed inside the bore hole.
• By means of a drop hammer of 63.5 kg mass falling through a height of 750 mm at
the rate of 30 blows per minute, the sampler is driven into the soil.
• The number of blows of hammer required to drive a depth of 150 mm is counted.
Further it is driven by 150 mm and the blows are counted.
• Similarly, the sampler is once again further driven by 150mm and the number of
blows recorded.
• The number of blows recorded for the first 150mm not taken into consideration.

DATA OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS

We perform test on the lawn outside of soil mechanics lab (UET Peshawar) where
Soil is
cohesive soil.
Fall = 30 inches.
Hammer weight = 140 lb. = 63.5 kg

Drop
Blows
(inches)

6 3 blows
12 4 blows
18 6 blows

Value of N = 6 blows + 4 blows = 10 blows

For this experiment the corrections are:

The correction factor are taken from the above table
• Hammer type is donut and mechanism is hand dropped so efficiency Em is 0.6
• Bore hole dia factor CB, As equipment variables are 65-115mm so correction factor
• is 1.
• Sampler correction CS , The sample is standard so correction factor is 1

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• Rod length Correction CR, As Rod length is 3-4 m so correction factor is 0.75
𝐸 ×𝐶𝐵 ×𝐶𝑆 ×𝐶𝑅 ×𝑁
N60 = 𝑚
0.60
N60 = 7.5
Meyerhof’s Equations:
Soil SPT Number, N60 = 7.5
Width of footing, B = 4 feet
Bottom surface of footing above the ground level, D = 3 feet
Meyerhof’s Equation:
𝑁⁄
4
Qa = ( )…………….(1)
𝐾
K =1+0.33(D/B)
Putting the values:
K =1+0.33(3/4)
K = 1.2475
Putting values in above equation (1):
Qa = 1.5 kips/ft2

RESULTS
The bearing capacity of the soil is 1.5 kips/ft2

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EXPERIMENT NO: 06
DETERMINATION OF BEARING CAPACITY OF COHESIVE SOIL USING
PLATE LOAD TEST

OBJECTIVE
• To determine the ultimate bearing capacity using plate load test.

SCOPE
Plate load test is done at site to determine the ultimate bearing capacity of soil and
settlement of foundation under the loads for clayey and sandy soils. So, plate load test is helpful
for the selection and design the foundation. To calculate safe bearing capacity suitable factor
of safety is applied.

APPARATUS
• Mild Steel plate
• Reaction beam or reaction truss
• Dial gauges
• Excavating tools
• Necessary equipment for loading platform
• Loading columns
• Settlement recording devices

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• Hydraulic jack and pump

ASTM REFERENCE
ASTM D1194: Standard test method for Plate Load Test for the calculation of bearing
capacity of soil.

PROCEDURE
• Excavate test pit up to the desired depth. The pit size should be at least 5 times the size
of the test plate (Bp).
• At the center of the pit, a small hole or depression is created. Size of the hole is same
as the size of the steel plate. The bottom level of the hole should correspond to the level
of actual foundation. The depth of the hole is created such that the ratio of the depth to
width of the hole is equal to the ratio of the actual depth to actual width of the
foundation.
• A mild steel plate is used as load bearing plate whose thickness should be at least 25
mm thickness and size may vary from 300 mm to 750 mm. The plate can be square or
circular. Generally, a square plate is used for square footing and a circular plate is used
for circular footing.
• A column is placed at the center of the plate. The load is transferred to the plate through
the centrally placed column.
• The load can be transferred to the column either by gravity loading method or by truss
method.
• For gravity loading method a platform is constructed over the column and load is
applied to the platform by means of sandbags or any other dead loads. The hydraulic
jack is placed in between column and loading platform for the application of gradual
loading. This type of loading is called reaction loading.
• At least two dial gauges should be placed at diagonal corners of the plate to record the
settlement. The gauges are placed on a platform so that it does not settle with the plate.
• Apply seating load of .7 T/m2 and release before the actual loading starts.
• The initial readings are noted.
• The load is then applied through hydraulic jack and increased gradually. The increment
is generally one-fifth of the expected safe bearing capacity or one-tenth of the ultimate
bearing capacity or any other smaller value. The applied load is noted from pressure
gauge.
• The settlement is observed for each increment and from dial gauge. After increasing
the load-settlement should be observed after 1, 4, 10, 20, 40 and 60 minutes and then at
hourly intervals until the rate of settlement is less than .02 mm per hour. The readings
are noted in tabular form
• After completing of the collection of data for a particular loading, the next load
increment is applied and readings are noted under new load. This increment and data
collection is repeated until the maximum load is applied. The maximum load is
generally 1.5 times the expected ultimate load or 3 times of the expected allowable
bearing pressure.

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DATA OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS

After collection of field data, the load-settlement curve is drawn. It is a logarithmic
graph where the load applied is plotted on X-axis and settlement in Y-axis. From the graph, the
ultimate load for the plate is obtained which is the corresponding load for settlement of onefifth
of the plate width.

When the points are plotted on the graph, the curve is broken at one point. The corresponding
load to that breakpoint isvconsidered to be the ultimate load on the plate. The ultimate bearing
capacity can be calculated from the ultimate load from the plate. The ultimate bearing capacity
is then divided by a suitable factor of safety to determine the safe bearing capacity of soil from
the foundation.

Bearing Capacity Calculation for Clayey Soils

Ultimate bearing capacity = ultimate load for plate
𝒒𝒖(𝒇) = 𝒒𝒖(𝒑)
Bearing Capacity Calculation for Sandy Soils
Ultimate bearing capacity = ultimate load for plate x {Width of pit (Bf) / Size of Plate
(Bp)}
𝒒𝒖(𝒇) = 𝒒𝒖(𝒑) 𝒙 𝑩𝒇 / 𝑩𝒑
Finally, safe bearing capacity = ultimate bearing capacity / factor of safety
The factor of safety ranges from 2 to 3.
CALCULATION OF FOUNDATION SETTLEMENT FROM PLATE
LOAD TEST:
We can also calculate settlement for given load from plate load test as follows,
Foundation Settlement Calculation on Clayey Soils

𝑆𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 (𝑠𝑓) = 𝑠𝑝 𝑥 𝐵𝑓/𝐵𝑝

Foundation Settlement Calculation on Sandy Soils

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Settlement of foundation, (𝑠𝑓) = 𝑠𝑝 [{𝐵𝑓(𝐵𝑝 + 0.3)}/{𝐵𝑝(𝐵𝑓 + 0.3)}]2

Where Bf and Bp are widths of foundation and plate.

RESULTS
Since we have not perform any experiment that’s why we cant calculate the bearing
capacity of the soil.

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