Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering I Laboratory Report Format

You must include the following headings within each test. This format should
be followed by all groups.
➢ Title of the experiment
➢ objective
➢ Theory
➢ Apparatus
➢ Procedure
➢ Result
➢ Calculation
➢ Discussion
➢ Conclusion

✓ The graphs should be drawn by using Microsoft Excel

Submission date – 03/16/2025

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 Experiment – 1
Specific gravity Determination

Working Data sheet for specific gravity Determination

S.No Trial number 1 2 3
1 picnometer number A B C
2 Mass of dry soil (Ms)g 100 100 100
3 Mass of pycnometer+dry soil +water (M1)g 719.5 718 717.5
4 Test temprature,°c 27°c 27°c 27°c
5 Mass of pycnometer+water (M2)g 657.5 654.5 655.5
6 Specific gravity of soil at test temprature (GatT)
7 correction factor, K
8 Specific gravity of soil at 20°c
9 Average Specific gravity of soil at 20°c

Question

1. Why is the specific gravity test important in soil engineering?

2. How does soil type affect its specific gravity value?
3. How does the presence of organic matter affect specific gravity?
4. What is the significance of specific gravity in soil classification?

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 Experiment – 2
Water content Determination

Working Data sheet for water content Determination

Test Method: ASTM D2216 - 98
Trial - Trial -
No specimen
1 Trial - 2 2
1 container No d-1 d-2 d-3
2 Weight of empty container (W1),g 17.779 17.697 18.842
3 Weight of container +wet soil (W2),g 123.437 138.895 142.687
4 Weight of container +dry soil (W3),g 104.264 118.364 121.843
5 Weight of moisture,g
6 Weight of dry soil ,g
7 Water content,w (%)
8 Average Water content,w (%)

✓ Calculation

✓ Discussion

Question

1. Why is the water content test important in soil engineering?

2. How does water content affect soil strength and compaction?
3. How does high water content impact soil stability in construction?

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 Experiment - 3
Atterberg Limit tests

Working Data sheet for Atterberg Limit tests

Description Liquid limit Plastic limit
S.no Trial No 1 2 3 4 1 2
1 container No L-1 L-2 L-3 L-4 P-2 P-3
2 Number of blows 16 23 26 32
3 Mass of empty can (g) 17.7 17.19 16.82 17.54 18.14 18.41
4 Mass of wet soil + can (g) 42.74 35.26 35.53 44.54 27.59 25.08
5 Mass of dry soil + can (g) 35.1 30.17 30.78 37.94 25.43 23.53
6 Mass of dry soil (g)
7 Mass of water (g)
8 Water content,W (%)
9 Computed LL & Average of PL (%)
10 PI (%)

Questions
1) Plot the flow curve?
2) Determine the values of LL, PL & PI?
3) Classify the soil type based on its PI value
4) Why are Atterberg limits important in soil classification?
5) Which soil type typically has the highest plasticity index?
6) How does water content affect soil consistency?

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 Experiment – 4
Gradation test
Working Data sheet for Sieve Analysis
Total Mass of oven dried soil sample = 3200g

wt. wt. of wt. of

sieve percentage Cumulative Percentage
of sieve retained
size of retained percent of of passing
sieve &retained soil
(mm) soil retained soil
(gm) soil (gm) (gm)
S. No
1 25 925.5 1150.06
2 19 932.5 1248.12
3 12.5 915.5 1341.88
4 8 937.5 1265.96
5 4.75 975.5 1497.86
6 2.36 806.5 910.71
7 2 812.5 934.84
8 1.18 815.5 954.12
9 0.6 770 866.32
10 0.425 798 932.625
11 0.3 772.5 884.85
12 0.15 773 999.24
13 0.075 758.5 1000.15
14 pan 699 905.26

Question
1) Plot particle size distribution curve?
2) from the graph determine the value of :-
✓ D10 =
✓ D30 =
✓ D60=
3) Calculate the value of Cc & Cu and classify the soil depending on the value of Cc & Cu ?
4) Determine the percentage of particle size that is

a. % of Gravel
b. % of sand
c. % of fine

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 Hint:
▪ Gravel – particle size range = 4.75mm to 80 mm
▪ Sand – particle size range = 0.075mm to 4.75mm
▪ Fine – particle size range = less than 0.075mm

5) Classify the soil type based on AASHTO & USCS Classification system using the result
of LL, PL & PI?
6) Why is soil gradation important in construction?
7) How does gradation affect soil permeability?

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 Experiment – 5
Hydrometer Analysis

Working Data sheet for Hydrometer Analysis

hydrometer
Actual Corrected
Elapsed Temprature Temprature reading Effective Grain Adjusted
hydrometer hydrometer Percent Cofficient
Time correction Corrected length size, D % finer
(o C) reading reading Finer K
(min) (Tc) for (cm) (mm) PA
(Ra) (Rc)
meniscus

0.5 22 43.5
1 22 43.0
2 22 42.5
4 22 41.5
8 22 41.0
15 22 40.5
30 22 39.0
60 23 37.5
120 25 35.5
240 26 33.0
480 24 32.0
960 22 31.5
1440 21 30.5

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 Experiment – 6
Standard Compaction Test

Working Data sheet for Standard compaction test

Trial
Compacted soil sample 1 2 3 4 5
Mass of mold (g) 3675 3675 3675 3675 3675
Mass of Mold + Compacted soil sample (g) 5088.5 5492 5726 5539 5493
Mass of compacted soil sample (g)
Mass of empty can (g) 16.537 16.604 17.222 17.544 16.758
Mass of empty can + Moist soil sample (g) 129.102 134.284 119.435 125.988 92.171
Mass of empty can + Dried soil sample (g) 110.333 112.563 98.544 101.243 73.292
Mass of water (g)
Mass of dried soil sample (g)
Moisture content, w (%)
Wet density (g/cm3)
Dry density (g/cm3)
OMC (%)
MDD (g/cm3)

Use: volume of mold = 944cm3

Question
1. Draw the moisture vs dry density curve?
2. Determine the maximum dry density (MDD) &optimum moisture content (OMC)
of the soil?
3. What is the purpose of a compaction test in soil engineering?
4. How does compaction affect soil strength and permeability?
5. What factors influence soil compaction?
6. How does clay content affect compaction results?

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 Experiment – 7
Linear shrinkage test

Working Data sheet for Linear shrinkage test

Trial Number
S.NO Observation 1 2 3
1 Length of shrinkage mould (cm) 14 14 14
2 Diameter of mould (cm) 2.6 2.6 2.6
3 Length of soil paste before drying (cm) 14 14 14
4 Length of dry soil (cm) 13.8 13.9 13.7
5 Change in length (cm)
6 Linear shrinkage (%)
7 Average Linear shrinkage (%)

Question

1. Classify the soil type based on the result of linear shrinkage?

2. Why is the linear shrinkage test performed on soil samples?
3. Which soil type is likely to have linear shrinkage above 15%?
4. What is the significance of linear shrinkage in foundation design?
5. What are the effects of high linear shrinkage on construction projects?

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 Experiment – 8
Free swell Test

Working Data sheet for Free swell Test

Trial Number
Observation
S.No 1 2 3
1 Mass of dry soil passing 425µ sieve (gm) 10 10 10
2 Volume in water after 24 hrs swell (Vd) (cc) 10.8 10.7 10.4
3 Volume in kerosene after 24 hrs swell (Vk) (cc) 10 10 10
4 Free swell index (%)
5 Average Free swell (%)

Question

1. Classify the soil type based on the result of linear shrinkage?

2. Which soil property mainly influences free swell?
3. What type of clay mineral causes high free swell?
4. Why is high free swell a concern in civil engineering?
5. How can expansive soils with high free swell be treated for construction?

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