Departnent of Civil Engineering

SITM,BARABANKI

SAGAR GROUP
OF INSTITUTIONS
LIST OF PRACTICALS SUBJECT-Geotech lab

1. The objectof this experiment is to determine grain size distribution of coarse grained
soil by sieving
2. The object of the test is to determine the plastic limitof soil sample and then to
calculate plasticity index toughness index liquidity index and consistency index of the
soil
3. The object of this test is to determinethe water content of asoil sample in the
laboratory by oven drying method
4. The liquid limit apparatus is made in accordance with is-2720(part5)-1965 for
determine the liquid limit of soils
5. Determination of drydensity of soil in place by core- cutter method
6. Determination of dry density/moisturecontent relationship
7. The direct shear apparatus (hand operaled)is a constant strain type of apparatus
 EXPERIMENT NO. 1

OBJECT:
experiment is to determine grain
The object ofthis
distribution of coarse grained soil by sieving.
SIZe
APPARATUS:
sieve-shaker.
Balances, set of IS gives., mechanical
PROCEDURE:
Forsandy to fine grained soils, the recommended sieve
stack (in order from top to bottom) is as follows:
4.75 mnm
2.00mm
1.00 mm
600 microns
425 microns
300 microns

212 microns
150 microns
75 microns
of sieves from the shaker and obtainthe
Remove the stack
weight of materialretained on cach sieve. Compute thc
retained on each sieve by dividing the weight
percent
retained on cach sieve by original sample weight ws.
Compute the percent passing (or per cent finer) by
retained
starting with 100% and subtracting the per cent
on each sieve as cumulative procedure. Make a senmi
logarithmic plotof grain sixeversIS per cent fíner.
OBSERVATION AND CALCULATIONS:

Weight of dry soilsample W, =

S.N IS Partic Weight % % Cumulati Cumulati
0. Siev le retained( weigh ve % ve %
size g) t retained finer
D retain
(mm) ed (g)

RESULT:
 Fromthe graph get the following
D60
(a) Coefficient of uniformity Cu =p
D0
(D30)2
(b) Cocfficient of concavity curvature Gç (D10XD60)

(C) Classify the soil sample as per MIT and Indian

Standards classification.
PRECAUTIONS:
1:Take the dry soil only. If it is wet, dry it in oven.
2. The time of shaking must beaccording to weightof soil
sample taken.
3. After the shaking obtain the weight of material retained
orm each sieve. Sum these weights and detect any loss of
soil. If the loss of weight is ore than 2% of initial weight
then repeats the whole experiment carefully.
LIMITATIONS:
1. It is only for coarse grained soil.
2. It does not provide information on the shape of the soil
grains i.e., whether they are angular or rounded or flaky
etc. it onlyyields information on grains that passes with
properorientation through openings of certain size.
 EXPERIMENT NO. 2

OBJECT:
determine the plastic limitof soil sample and then to calculate
The obiect of this test is to consistency index of thesoil
liquidity index and
plasticity index toughness index
LIMIT
A. DETERMINATION OF LIQUID
APPARATUS:
carriage
Mechanical liquid limit device (Cassangrande type) consisting of a brass cup and
tool) and
mounted on base Micarta Number 221 A; grooving tool 'a' (Cassangrande or B.S.
grooving tool b°(ASTM tool; porcelain evaporating dish, about 12 cm indiameter or marble
plate 30cm square; flexible spatula, with blade about 8 cm long and 2cm wide; balance; air
tight containers to determine water content: thermostatically controlled oven to maintain
temperature between 105° to 110°C; wash bottle containing distilled water; 425 micron sieve:
desiccators.
PROCEDURE:

1) By means of the gauge on the handle of the grooving tool and the adjustment plate, adjust
the height through which the cup is lifted and dropped so that the point on the cup which
comes in contact with the base falls through exactly 1cm when the handle is rotated by one
revolution. When the adjustment is complete, secure the adjustment plate by tightening its
screwsS.

2) Take about 120gof the specimen passing through the 425

micron sieve, and mix it
thoroughly with distilled water in the evaporating dish or on the marble plate so
paste is formed. Leave the soil for sufficient time so that uniform
that water may permeate throughout the
soil mass. In the case of fat clays, this
soil, through mixing for 15 to 30 minutes measuring time may be up to 24 hours. For an average
is sufficient. The amount of
depends completely on the type of water to be added
soil.
3) Take a portion of the
paste
almost half filled. LLevel flat thewith spatula and place it in the centre of the
top of the wet soil cup so that it is
Darallel the rubber base with a
to symmetrically with the spatula, so that i"
4)With the help of
maximum depth of the soil being l
cm.
(through the centre grooving tool 'a', the paste in the cup is
cup anddrawing it line the can follower), by holding the divided along the cup diamete
of
firmly across. Thus a V tool normal to the surface of the
shaped groove 2 mm wide at the
bottom and
 mm at the top and 8mm deen will be formed- However. in the case of sandy soil tool "a' does
not form a neat groove and hence tool b' is used.

5)Turn the hurdle of the apparatus at the rate of 2 revolutions per second, until the two parts
of the soil come in contact withthe bottomof the grove along adistance of 10 mm. Record
the no. of blows required to cause the groove close for approximate length of 10 mm.
)Collect a representative slice of soil bymoving the spatula widthwise from one edge to the
other edge of the soil cake at right angles to the groove, including the portion of the groove in
which the soil flowed together., and put it in an air tight container. Itswater content is then
determined.
) kemove the remaining soil from the cun andmix it with the soil left earlier on the marble
plale. Change the consistency of the mix by either adding more water or leaving the soilpaste
10 dry as the case may be and repeat step 3. 4. 5 and 6. Note the number of revolutions to close
he groove and keep the soil for water content determination. These operations are repcated or
3or 4 more additional trials. The soil paste in these operations should be of such consistency
that the number of revolutions or drops to close the groove is 25 ± 10.

OBSERVATIONS:
No. Determination No. 2 3 4
Container No.
2 Wt. of container (g)
3 No. of blows
4 Wt. of containert wet soil (g)
5. Wt. of container + dry soil!
Wt. of water
Wt. of oven dry soil (g)
Water content = 7
(%)

Calculations:
Plot the flowcurve on a semilog graph With water content as the ordinate and no. of blows as
abscissa, The water content corresponding to 25 blowS is taken as the liquid limit of the soil.
Results:
Liquid Limit, wi, (from graph) =
W1-Wz
Flow index or slope ofthe curve, If=
Log10n2
 2
PLASTICLIMIT
B. DETERMINATION OF

APPARATUS:
part A except first two items and a rod of3 mm diameter.
Allitems of
PROCEDURE:
passing 42
I) Take about 20g of air dried soil from a thoroughly mixed portion of the soil
water to make it plasti
microns IS sieve. Mix it on the marble plate with sufficient distilled
mature. For se
enough to be shaped intoa ball. Leave the plastic soil mass for some time to
fat clay, the plastic soil mass may be left for 24 hours to allow water to permeate througho
the soil mass.

2) Take about 8gof plastic soil, make a ballof it and roll it on the marble (or glass) plate
just suficient pressure to rollthe mass into the thread of uni form diameter throughout its
length. When the diameter or thread has decreased to 3 mm the specimen is kneaded toget
and rolled out again. Continue this process until the thread just crumbles at 3 mm diametei
3)Collect the crumbled soilthread in the airtight container and keep it for the water conter
determination. The test is repeated twice more. Thus, three readings are obtained for the
determination.

4)Also, determine the natural water content of the soil sample obtained from the field.
OBSERVATIONS AND RESULT:
No. Determination No.
2 3 4
Container No.
2 Wt. of container
(g)
3 W. of container + wet soil (g)
4 Wt. of container + dry soil (g)
W. of water
(g)
Wt. of dry soil (g)
7 wt.of Water
Water content
wt.of dry soil
Plastic limit wp
Av. Water content =
CALCULATIONS:
1) Plastic limit =
2) Plasticity index I,= WL - WP
3) Flow index l, (from part A of Exp.) =

4) Toughness Index I, Ip
ATT
 Expesfment Nos

The object to tesl B to olitesmine ha watu

Content
dbuing methodl Aotetoto
Melerial and Eaypmanb’
æ) Non - Cosoodble ait 4t Containvu
Balance
to annce sutet Benstfutty to welgh roil somples
0-04 /o e te mas
(i) fos
gsatud Bou tho balance &hould hau van
actotag Qnd

i) Destcc ate etth ay eutlable destcattng

) TrLmo siatically tontsotee uith frterios
non Csndtngmaduial . Fempuatun blo tos°c to J1ofc
Test Poedsu -’
i) (tean tontain and ind it mas uith

) lat hu uyuisud yuantity e ha mest kail Jampa

(ortafrn tnd
mas M2 to bt
taken cepnd pon H8 adatien and maxinum
patfels
(ont ain n Qn
and maintaln iu fempoatu Au Oumoud
los c to 10°c, tor cbeut t6 to 24 how.
 4 Tare out te(ontalroi cplace he id and CooQ
4 He destcea tox . fnd the mas Ms o< Hhe
Contafnh ufth Aid and osded goilJampl.
Tabulation obseovaticon ’
Sunple o Teated by
Contafrr o 42 i
2 Mas o ontatn and
wet cil 50.21
3 mats o< Contalnu and
dy boil Ms
4 Mas Contalnu Mi8 20.42

mas
mals
dy soil 2463

wate (ortent
(m-M3)J 2|6

!)} M3M

Calculai on ’ Th watn Content h Senpa Calelatid

Mz- Mg xIo
X(00 ( pu cent
MgMI

fsecautiond ’ ) oen oyng ot 1os'c to uo°c dew net gusutt

fn eable
OT peeimen dhauld be doleol fn tu ouh to Corstant mas
tnclleate d
Contin cefh Hu olbled skecimen, taten at
Beftable heyeals %tea itfal obytng, befng
mas
 ()
EXPERIMENT NO.5
OBJECT:- Determination of ficld density of soil by
(i) Core cutter method
various methods
(i)) Sand replacement
method.
(A) CORE CUTTER
METHOD
APPARATUS:- Core cutter. rammer. knife.
water content balance, container for
determination, etc
PROCEDURE:
L. Measure the inside diameter of core cutter and
cutter. weigh the core
2. Choose small area about 30 cm square and
the top of the core cutter and level it. Put the dolly on
drive
top of dolly protrudes about 1.5 the assembly into the soil until the
cm above the surface.
3. Dig out the cutter from
soil. With thehelp of straight edge
the end of the cutter.
Remove the dolly and trim flat the other trim flat
end also.
4. Weigh the cutter full of soil.
5. Keep some representative soil in oven for 24 hours for water
Content determination.
6. Repeat the test at two or three
nearby locations and get the average
wet and dry density.
OBSERVATION:
S.No.Determination No. 2 3
Wt. of core cutter
 core cutter + soil
2. Wt. of
soil
3. Wt. ofwet cutter
Volume of core
4. Container No.
5. Wt. of container
6. container + wet soil
Wt. of
7. container+dry soil
8. Wt. of
- (8)
9. Wt. of water = (7)
CALCULATIONS: 1 2 3
S.No. Determination NO.
core cutter
wt, of Soil in
1. Bulk density vol. of core cutter
wt. of water
2. Water content
wt. of dry soil
bulkdensity
3.
Dry density = 1+ water density
Average bulk density =
Average dry density
RESULT:
() Bulk density =
(ii) Dry density =
(B) SANDREPLACEMENT METHOD
APPARATUS:
Sand replacement bottle, water content
balance, tools for excavating, etc. determination container,
PROCEDURE:
 1. Fillthe sand in sand replacement bottle (sand pouring cylinder) up
to the top and weigh it.
2. Put the cylinder on glass plate and open the shutter, allow the sand
to runout. Shut the shutter when there is no further movement of sand.
Weigh the sand collected on glass plate. It will give the weight of sand
filling the pouring cone.
3. Take acalibrating container and determine its volume by filling it
with water, since density of water is known.
4. Fill up the calibrating container by sand (of sand replacement
bottle) by placing the bottle on top of container and allowing sand to
run into container. Determine the weight of sand filling container and
COne.

5. ChoOse some area about 45 cm square and level it. Place the tray on
level surface and excavate a hole of 10 cm diameter and 5 cm depth
approximately. Weigh the excavated soil and put sonme representative
of soil in oven for water content determination.
open
6. Remove the tray and place the sand replacement bottle there
Close the shutter when
the shutter and allow the sand to run into hole,
Determine the weight of sand
no further m vement is there in sand.
filling hole aid cone.
OBSERVATION:

1. Wt. of sand in pouring cone

container + cone =
2.Vol. of calibrating
in calibrating container + cone =
J. Wt. of sand
 excavated wetsoil=
4. wt.of determination) =
(water content
5. Wt. of container
container + wet soil =
6.Wt. of
container + dry soil=
7.Wt. of
Wt. of dry soil= (6)- (7)
8. cone =
excavated hole and
9. Wt. of sand in
CALCULATIONS:
calibrating container = (3) -(1)
1. Wt. of sandin calibrating container
wt.of sand in
container
2. Density of sand= vol. of calivrating
hole =
3. Wt. of sand in excavated
hole
wt. of sand in exacavated
4. Vol. of hole =
density of sand
wt. of excavated soil
5. Bulk density of soil = vol. of hole
wt. of water
6.Water content=
wt.of dry soil
bulk density of soil
7. Dry density of soil =
1+ water content
RESULTS:
()Bulk density =
(ii) Dry density =