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Lab Report

This document describes a test to determine the silt content of sand. Silt is finer than sand and can decrease the strength of concrete and mortar if present. The test involves shaking a sample of sand and water in a graduated cylinder then allowing it to settle. The amount of silt that settles above the sand layer is measured and used in a calculation to determine the percentage of silt content. According to Ethiopian standards, sand with more than 6% silt content should not be used for construction purposes.

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61 views3 pages

Lab Report

This document describes a test to determine the silt content of sand. Silt is finer than sand and can decrease the strength of concrete and mortar if present. The test involves shaking a sample of sand and water in a graduated cylinder then allowing it to settle. The amount of silt that settles above the sand layer is measured and used in a calculation to determine the percentage of silt content. According to Ethiopian standards, sand with more than 6% silt content should not be used for construction purposes.

Uploaded by

muludibo7
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Silt Content of Sand

Objective

The objective of the test is to determine the silt (finer than No.200 sieve) content in

sand.

TheoryTheory

Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions
but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand is a product
of natural or artificial disintegration of rocks and minerals. Sand is

obtained from glacial, river, lake, marine, residual and wind-blown (very fine sand)

deposits These deposits, however, do not provide pure sand. They often contain

other materials such as dust, loam and clay that are finer than sand. The presence of

such materials in sand used to make concrete or mortar decreases the bond between

the materials to be bound together and hence the strength of the mixture. The finer

particles do not only decrease the strength but also the quality of the mixture

produced resulting in fast deterioration.

Therefore

necessary that one make

test on the silt content and checks against permissible limits,

A simple test which can be made on site to give guide to the amount of silt in

natural sand is the field settling test. This test should not be used for crushed rock

sands.

According to the Ethiopian Standard it is recommended to wash the or sand or reject if the silt content
exceeds a value of 6%.
Apparatus

● Graduated cylinder or any glass jar


● Dish for taking sample of sand
● Small size spoon
● Sample sand
● Funnel
● Clean water (tap water)
Procedure

1. Take a graduated cylinder or jar having a capacity of 250 ml.

2. Pour 40 ml of sand to the cylinder.

3. Fill approximately 2/3 of the cylinder with water.

4. Shake the cylinder vigorously for about a minute.

5. Leave the cylinder for about an 30 minutes to allow the silt to settle on the layer of the sand.

6. Measure the amount of fines forming separate layer on the top of the washed sand.

Calculation

Silt Content (%) = A/B x 100

Where:

A - amount of silt deposited above the sand

B = amount of clean sand

Result

Silt Content (%) = A/B x 100 = 3/36×100=8.33%

According to the Ethiopian Standard, if the silt content of the sand is more than 6%

it shall not be used for construction. The silt content here is above 6%, to be precise 8.33% so we can not
use the sampled sand for construction.

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