50 SOIL MECHANICS AND FOUNDATIONS Limitations of sedimentation analysis. The analysis is based on the assumptions that (i) soil particles are spherical, (ii) particles settle independent of other particles and the neighbouring particles do not have any effect on its velocity of settlement and (iii) the walls of jar, in which the suspension is kept, also do not affect the settlement. In actual practice, the fine particles of soil, for which this analysis is primarily meant, are not truly spherical. The particles of fine grained soils are thin platelets which do not settle Out of suspension in the same manner and at the same rate as smooth spheres. Thus, the sedimentaion analysis gives the particles size equivalent diameter. The upper limit of particle size for the validity of the law is about 0.2 mm (Taylor : 1948) beyond which the liquid tends to develop a turbulent motion at the boundaries of the particles. The lower limit of particle size is about 0.0002 mm. For particle smaller than 0.0002 mm ‘equivalent diameter, Brownian movement affects their settlement. and Stoke’s law no longer remains valid. Also it is assumed that the soil has an average specific gravity, the value of which is used in computing the diameter D. Actually, different particles may have different specific gravity, depending upon their mineral constituents. The settlement of the particles is influenced by the surrounding particles as the liquid is not of infinite extent. The particles falling near the wall of the jar are also affected. 3.7, PIPETTE METHOD The pipette method is the standard sedimentation method used in the laboratory. The equipment consists of a pipette, a jar and a number of sampling bottles. Generally, a boiling tube of 500 ml capacity is used in place of a jar. Fig. 3.5 shows a pipette for extracting samples from the jar (or tube) from a desired depth (H,). The pipette consists of () a 125 ml bulb with stop cock, for keeping distilled water, (ii) a three way stop cock. (iti) suction and waste water outlets and (iv) sampling pipette of 10 ml capacity (including the capacity of the cock). The method consists in drawing off samples of soil suspension, 10 ml in volume, by means of this pipette from a depth of 10 cm (H,) at various time intervals after the commencenment of the sedimentation. The recommended time intervals are : 1/2, 1, 2, 4, 8, 15 and 30 minutes, and 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 24 hours. reckoned from the commencement of the test. The pipette should be inserted in the boiling tube about 25 seconds before the selected time interval and the time taken for sucking the sample should not be more than 10 to 20 seconds. Each sample, so taken, is transferred into suitable sampling bottles and dried in an oven. The mass My of solids Per ml of suspension is thus found by taking the dry mass and dividing it by 10. Method of preparing soil suspension. In the sedimentation analysis, only those particles which are finer than 75 micron size are included. Hence the soil sample is washed through a 75 micron sieve. About 12 (0 30 g of oven-drived sample (depending upon the type of soil) is accurately weighed and mixed with distilled water in a dish or beaker to form smooth thin paste. To have proper dispersion of soil, a dispersing agent (deflocculating agent) is added to the soil. Some of the common dispersing agents are : sodium oxalate, sodium silicate and sodium polyphosphate compounds, such as tetra sodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate (calgon) and sodium tripolyphosphate. IS : 2720 (Part 1V)-1965 recommends the use of dispersing solution containing 33 g of the sodium-hexametaphosphateDETERMINATION OF INDEX PROPERTIES st + 38 Bulb (Capacity Yt 125 mi Approx) For Distiled Water Suction. ; Outlet Water Outlet I Pipette and | ‘Changeover Cook ane Capacity 10 mi Approx. Constant _| 7 Temperature Bath ees) @ ) Sampling Pipette Pipette, Boiling Tube otc FIG. 3.5. PIPETTE ANALYSIS APPARATUS. and 7 g of sodium carbonate in distilled water to make one litre of solution. 25 ml of this solution is added to the dish (containing the soil and distilled water) and the mixture is warmed gently for about 10 minutes. The contents are then transferred to the cup of a mechanical mixer, using a jet of distilled water to wash all traces of the soil out of the evaporating dish. The soil suspension is then stirred well for 15 minutes or longer in the case of highly clayey soils. The suspension is then washed through 75 micron sieve, using jet of distilled water and the suspension, which has passed through the sieve, is transferred to the 500 ml capacity boiling tube (sedimentation tube). Care should be taken that all the particles finer than 75 micron size are transferred to the tube. The tube is then filled to the 500 ml mark, by adding distilled water. The tube is then put in a constant temperature water bath [Fig. 3.5 (6)], where used. When the temperature in the tube has been stabilised to the temperature of the bath, the soil suspension is thoroughly shaken by inverting the tube several times, and then replaced in the bath. The stop watch is then started, and soil samples are collected at various time intefvals, with the help of pipette, Those soils, which contain organic matter and calcium compounds, are pretreated before the dispersing agent is mixed (as explained above) since these contents act as cementing agents and cause the particles to settle as aggregations of particles instead of as individuals. The process of removal of organic matter and calcium compounds is known as pretreatment.2 ‘SOIL MECHANICS AND FOUNDATIONS The soil is first treated with hydrogen peroxide solution to remove the organic matter by oxidation. The mixture of soil and hydrogen peroxide is kept warm at a temperature not exceeding 60 °C, till no further evolution of the gas takes place. The remaining hydrogen Peroxide in the solution is then decomposed by boiling the solution. To remove the calcium compound, the cooled mixture of soil is then treated with 0.2N hydrochloric acid. When the reaction is complete, the mixture is filtered and the filtrate is washed with distilled Water until it becomes free from the.acid. The filtrate is then dried in the oven, to know the loss of mass due to Pretreatment. Calculation of D and N 10 ml samples are collected from the soil suspension (sedimentation tube) from a depth of 10 cm, with the help of the pipette, at various time intervals. The samples are collected into the weighing bottles (sampling bottles), and kept in the oven for drying. ‘The mass Mp, per ml of suspension so collected is calculated as under - Mp = DEY mass of sample in the weighing bottle = URES of sample in the weighing bottle > volume of the pipette volume of sample collected in the weighing bottle=10 ml. ‘The Percentage finer is calculated from the following expression based on Eq. 3.11: Mo-F ane * 100 3.13) where m= mass of dispersing agent present in the total suspension of volume V volume of suspension = 500 ml ‘N’= percentage finer, based on Mz If 25 mi of dispersing agent solution, containing 33 g of sodium hexametaphosphate and 7 g of sodium carbonate per litre is used, we get 3347 1000 The corresponding diameter D of the particle, to which the above Percentage of soil is finer, is calculated from Eq. 3.9. The observation may be recorded as shown in Table 3.16. The pipette method, though very simple, requites more time, and is not suitable for routine control tests. The apparatus is very sensitive, and very accurate weighings are required. Due to these reasons, sometimes the hydrometer method of sedimenation analysis is preferred. 3.8. HYDROMETER METHOD The hydrometer method of sedimentation analysis differs from the pipette analysis in the method of taking the observations — the principles of the test being the seme in both the cases. {n the pipette analysis, the mass M, per ml of suspension is found directly by collecting a 10 ml sample of soil suspension from the sampling depth H,. However, in the hydrometer analysis, Mp is computed indirectly by reading the density of the soil ++-(3.12) where vy m= x2S=1g