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Soil Mechanics: Lecture - 2 Particle Size Analysis

The document discusses particle size analysis of soils. It describes two types of tests used: mechanical analysis using sieves of different sizes to measure percent gravel, sand and fines, and hydrometer analysis to measure percent silt and clay in fines. It provides examples of calculations for effective size (D10), uniformity coefficient (Cu) and coefficient of gradation (Cc) using sieve analysis data. Students are asked to perform these calculations for given sieve analysis results and determine if the soil is poorly or well graded.

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Jhon Russel Cruz Antonio
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31 views18 pages

Soil Mechanics: Lecture - 2 Particle Size Analysis

The document discusses particle size analysis of soils. It describes two types of tests used: mechanical analysis using sieves of different sizes to measure percent gravel, sand and fines, and hydrometer analysis to measure percent silt and clay in fines. It provides examples of calculations for effective size (D10), uniformity coefficient (Cu) and coefficient of gradation (Cc) using sieve analysis data. Students are asked to perform these calculations for given sieve analysis results and determine if the soil is poorly or well graded.

Uploaded by

Jhon Russel Cruz Antonio
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Soil

Mechanics
LECTURE – 2
PARTICLE SIZE ANALYSIS
Introduction
Why is the particle size distribution important?
 Predict soil behavior
 Soil classification
 Predict how to engineer the soil

There are 2 types of tests that are performed to measure particle size
 Mechanical Analysis – measures percent % gravel , sand, and fines
 Hydrometer Analysis – measures fines (% silt vs clay)
Mechanical Analysis (Sieve Analysis)
Mechanically shake the soil through a series of sieve with various size of mesh
Cannot mechanically separate soil smaller than 0.075mm (#200 sieve).
Sieve Analysis
Standard Sieve
Sieve no. Sieve Opening (mm)

4 4.750

10 2.000

20 0.850

40 0.425

60 0.250

100 0.150

200 0.075
Hydrometer Analysis
Fine-grained soil is mixed with water, and grain size distribution is correlated with the rate of
sedimentation.

Uses Stokes Law:


an expression describing the resisting force on a particle moving through a viscous fluid and
showing that a maximum velocity is reached in such cases, e.g. for an object falling under
gravity through a fluid.
Hydrometer Analysis
Distribution Curve
Use to plot Percent Finer vs Particle diameter
Course – grained soil (i.e. gravel & sand)
Distribution Curve
A
1. Effective Size (D10) Criteria for Well-Graded Soil
10% Finer
 
2. Uniformity Coefficient (Cu)
  D60
Cu =
D10
3. Coefficient of Gradation (Cc)
  D230
C c=
D60 × D 10
Ex. Using the ff sieve result find (a) percent finer of each sieve and plot the particle size distribution, (b)D10, D30, D60 from distribution curve, (c) Uniformity coefficient and coefficient of gradation.

Sieve # : Sieve Size Mass Retained Cumulative Percent Finer


(mm) : (grams) : mass retained, (%) :
  Mi (grams) :
x 100 %
4 4.750 0 0 100
10 2.000 44 44 92.0
20 0.850 56 100 81.9
40 0.425 82 182 67
60 0.250 51 233 57.7
80 0.180 106 339 38.5
100 0.150 92 431 21.8
200 0.075 85 516 6.4
pan -- 35 551 0
Mass total = 551
D60 = 0.29  
D30 = 0.17
D10 = 0.09
Uniformity Coefficient
Cu = D60 / D10
Cu = 0.29 / 0.09 = 3.22
Coefficient of gradation
Cc = D30² / D60 x D10
Cc = 0.17² / 0.29 x 0.09
Cc = 1.11
Poorly graded
Activity - Using the ff sieve result find:

(a) percent finer of each sieve and plot the particle size distribution,

(b)D10, D30, D60 from distribution curve,

(c) Uniformity coefficient and coefficient of gradation.

(d) determine if poorly or well graded


A)
Sieve # : Sieve Size (mm) : Mass Retained Cumulative mass Percent Finer (%) :
(grams) : retained, Mi
(grams) :

4 4.750 0
10 2.000 40
20 0.850 60
40 0.425 89
60 0.250 140
80 0.180 122
100 0.150 210
200 0.075 56
pan -- 12
Mass total=
B)
Sieve # : Sieve Size (mm) : Mass Retained Cumulative mass Percent Finer (%) :
(grams) : retained, Mi
(grams) :
4 4.750 1.2
8 2.36 2.4
10 2.000 4.6
20 0.850 10.2
40 0.425 195.6
60 0.250 165.8
100 0.150 80.5
200 0.075 62.8
Pan -- 27.1
Mass total=

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