COBILLA, ROMAR C.

BSCE 4B

LABORATORY
EXPERIMENTS
PRESENTED TO ENGR. MIRIAM B. VILLANUEVA

Undrained Triaxial Compression Test

Laboratory Experiment #1

Material and Equipment Needed:

right-circular cylindrical specimen of cohesive soil;

load frame;
pressure system and water source;
triaxial cell;
2 0-rings;
latex membrane;
membrane stretcher;
vacuum grease;
deformation indicator graduated to 0.001 in.;
load cell or proving ring;
scale with precision of0.01 g;
calipers;
oven-safe moisture content container; and
soil drying oven set at 110 5 c

Procedure:
1. Obtain a soil specimen from your instructor. Use calipers to measure the initial length (La) of the
specimen. Measure the diameter near the top, middle, and bottom of the specimen, and calculate
the average diameter (D0) and average initial area (A0).Also measure the moist mass of the
specimen (M).
2. Apply a light coating of vacuum grease to the perimeter of the base and cap to help create a
waterproof seal.
3. Place the soil specimen on the base, and place the cap on top of the specimen. Make sure that the
piston hole in the cap faces up.
4. Place the membrane and two O-rings on the membrane stretcher, and apply light vacuum to the
membrane stretcher tube to pull the membrane towards the inside wall of the membrane stretcher.
5. The following steps describe how to place the membrane on the soil specimen:
a. Carefully lower the stretched membrane over the specimen without touching the specimen.
b. Center the membrane on the specimen and release the vacuum to allow the membrane to
constrict around the specimen.
c. Gently pull the ends of the membrane over the base and cap so that the membrane
surrounds the base, specimen, and cap without wrinkles.
d. With the membrane stretcher still around the specimen, carefully roll the O-rings onto the
membrane where the membrane contacts the base and cap. If the base and cap are
machined with grooves, make sure that the O-rings are seated in the grooves.
6. The following steps describe how to assemble the triaxial cell:
a. Place a light coating of vacuum grease on the O-rings in the pedestal and top.
b. Place the cell wall on the pedestal, and make sure the pedestal and cell wall are properly
seated against one another.
c. Place the top on the cell wall, and make sure the cell wall and top are properly seated
against one another.

d. Slide the piston down into the hole in the cap. The tip of the piston should be far enough
into the hole to prevent the specimen from tipping when the triaxial cell is moved, but
should not be applying any load to the cap. Once in position, lock the piston in place by
turning the locking screw in the top.
e. Tighten each of the three cell bars a little bit at a time, alternating between bars to assure
an intimate seal between the pedestal, cell wall, and top.
7. Open the vent valve in the top of the triaxial cell, and begin filling the triaxial cell with water from the
pedestal valve. Shut off all valves to the triaxial cell when water emerges from the vent valve.
8. Position the triaxial cell in the load frame with the deformation indicator and load cell.
9. Apply the desired cell pressure 3 to the cell through the bottom valve. You will know the specimen
is under pressure when the membrane appears to be in intimate contact with the specimen.
10. Release the piston by loosening the locking screw in the top of the triaxial cell, and zero the load
cell. If a proving ring is used instead of a load cell, zero the dial gauge and record the proving ring
constant Kp.
11. Zero the deformation indicator. If an analog dial gauge is used, record the dial gauge conversion
factor KL.
12. Manually advance the piston until the tip of the piston is seated against the cap. You will know it is
seated when the load cell begins to indicate a slight load. Once the load cell indicates a slight load,
stop advancing the piston.
13. Begin loading the specimen at a strain rate between 0.3-1.0%/min. ASTM D2850 suggests that
initial readings be taken at 0.1 %, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, and 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5%, and
3.0%. After that, readings should be taken at a strain interval of 1.0%. However, it may be
necessary to take readings more frequently to accurately identify the peak applied load. Record
your data on the Unconsolidated Undrained Triaxial Test Data Sheet, using additional sheets as
needed. Load the specimen until 1 = 15%.
14. If your deformation indicator is a digital dial gauge, proximeter, or LVDT, your reading will be L,
and will be in units of length. If your deformation indicator is an analog dial gauge, your reading will
be GL, and will be in units of divisions.
15. If your load frame is configured with a load cell, your reading will be P, and will be in units of force.
If your load frame is configured with a proving ring instead of a load cell, your reading will be GP,
and will be in units of divisions.
16. Plot versus 1. Identify the deviator stress at failure, f, as either 1) the peak value of or 2)
at 1 = 15%.
17. Place the specimen in a soil drying oven overnight and obtain the dry weight of the specimen, MS,
for weight-volume calculations.
18. Repeat Steps 1-17 for 3 or more additional specimens tested over a range of 3. Plot the Mohr
circles for each specimen to define the Mohr-Coulomb failure envelope and Su.

Direct Shear Test

Laboratory Experiment #2

Material and Equipment Needed:

Figure 1. Direct Shear Device

Figure 2. Load and Deformation Dial Gauges

Procedure:

Figure 3. Triple Beam Balance

1. Weigh the initial mass of soil in the pan.
2. Measure the diameter and height of the shear box. Compute 15% of the diameter in millimeters.
3. Carefully assemble the shear box and place it in the direct shear device. Then place a porous
stone and a filter paper in the shear box.
4. Place the sand into the shear box and level off the top. Place a filter paper, a porous stone, and a
top plate (with ball) on top of the sand
5. Remove the large alignment screws from the shear box! Open the gap between the shear box
halves to approximately 0.025 in. using the gap screws, and then back out the gap screws.
6. Weigh the pan of soil again and compute the mass of soil used.

7. Complete the assembly of the direct shear device and initialize the three gauges (Horizontal
displacement gage, vertical displacement gage and shear load gage) to zero.
8. Set the vertical load (or pressure) to a predetermined value, and then close bleeder valve and
apply the load to the soil specimen by raising the toggle switch.
9. Start the motor with selected speed so that the rate of shearing is at a selected constant rate, and
take the horizontal displacement gauge, vertical displacement gage and shear load gage readings.
Record the readings on the data sheet. (Note: Record the vertical displacement gage readings, if
needed).
10. Continue taking readings until the horizontal shear load peaks and then falls, or the horizontal
displacement reaches 15% of the diameter.

Unconfined Compression Test

Laboratory Experiment #3

Material and Equipment Needed:

Compression Device
Load and Deformation Dial Gauges
Sample Trimming Equipment
Balance
Moisture Can

Procedure:
1. Extrude the soil sample from Shelby tube sampler. Cut a soil specimen so that the ratio (L/d) is
approximately between 2 and 2.5. Where L and d are the length and diameter of soil specimen,
respectively.
2. Measure the exact diameter of the top of the specimen at three locations 120 apart, and then
make the same measurements on the bottom of the specimen. Average the measurements and
record the average as the diameter on the data sheet.
3. Measure the exact length of the specimen at three locations 120 apart, and then average the
measurements and record the average as the length on the data sheet.
4. Weigh the sample and record the mass on the data sheet.
5. Calculate the deformation (DL) corresponding to 15% strain (e).
6. Carefully place the specimen in the compression device and center it on the bottom plate. Adjust
the device so that the upper plate just makes contact with the specimen and set the load and
deformation dials to zero.

7. Apply the load so that the device produces an axial strain at a rate of 0.5% to 2.0% per minute, and
then record the load and deformation dial readings on the data sheet at every 20 to 50 divisions on
deformation the dial.
8. Keep applying the load until (1) the load (load dial) decreases on the specimen significantly, (2) the
load holds constant for at least four deformation dial readings, or (3) the deformation is significantly
past the 15% strain that was determined in step 5.
9. Draw a sketch to depict the sample failure.
10. Remove the sample from the compression device and obtain a sample for water content
determination. Determine the water content.

California Bearing Ratio Test

Laboratory Experiment #4

Material and Equipment Needed:

Moulds 2250cc capacity with base plate, stay rod and wing nut confirming to 4.1,
4.3 and 4.4 of
IS: 9669-1980.
Collar confirming to 4.2 of IS: 9669-1980.
Spacer Disc confirming to 4.4 of IS: 9669-1980.
Metal rammer confirming to IS: 9189-1979.
Expansion measuring apparatus with the adjustable stem, perforated plates, tripod
confirming and to weights confirming to 4.4 of IS: 9669-1980.
Loading machine having a capacity of at least 5000kg and equipped with a
movable head or base that travels at a uniform rate of 1.25mm / min for use in
forcing the penetration plunger in to the specimen.
Penetration plunger confirming to 4.4 of IS: 9669-1980.

Dial gauge two numbers reading to 0.01mm.

IS sieves 37.50 or 22.50 or 19mm and 4.75mm.
Miscellaneous apparatus such as mixing bowl, straight edge, scales, soaking tank,
drying oven, filter paper, dishes and calibrated measuring jar.

Procedure:
There are two types of methods in compacting soil specimen in the CBR moulds
Static Compaction method.
Dynamic Compaction method.
1.) Static Compaction
a. In this method calculate the mass of wet soil at required moisture content to give a desired
density when compacted in a standard test mould as given below
Volume of mould = 2250cc.
Weight of dry soil (W) = 2250 x MDD.
m
Weight of wet soil =1+ ---------- x W
100
Weight of water = Weight of wet soil - Weight of dry soil.
m = Optimum moisture content obtained from the laboratory compaction test.
b. Take oven dried soil sample of calculated weight and thoroughly mix with water (OMC) as
obtained from the above equation.
c. Record the empty weight of the mould with base plate, with extension collar removed (m1).
d. Place the correct mass of the wet soil in to the mould in five layers.
e. Gently compact each layer with the spacer disc.
f.

Place a filter paper on top of the soil followed by a 5cms displacer disc.

g. Compact the mould by pressing it in between the platens of the compression testing
machine until the top of the spacer disc comes flush with the top of the mould.
h. Held the load for about 30 seconds and then release.
i. In some soil types where a certain amount of rebound occurs, it may be necessary to
reapply load to force the displacer disc slightly below the top of the mould so that on
rebound the right volume is obtained.
j.

Remove the mould from the compression testing machine.

k. Remove the spacer disc and weigh the mould with compacted soil (m2).
l. Replace the extension collar of the mould.
m. Prepare two more specimens in the same procedure as described above.
2.) Dynamic Compaction
a. Take representative sample of soil weighing approximately 6kg and mix thoroughly at
OMC.
b. Record the empty weight of the mould with base plate, with extension collar removed (m1).
c. Replace the extension collar of the mould.

d. Insert a spacer disc over the base plate and place a coarse filter paper on the top of the
spacer disc.
e. Place the mould on a solid base such as a concrete floor or plinth and compact the wet soil
in to the mould in five layers of approximately equal mass each layer being given 56 blows
with 4.90kg hammer equally distributed and dropped from a height of 450 mm above the
soil.
f.

The amount of soil used shall be sufficient to fill the mould, leaving not more than about
6mm to be struck off when the extension collar is removed.

g. Remove the extension collar and carefully level the compacted soil to the top of the mould
by means of a straight edge.
h. Remove the spacer disc by inverting the mould and weigh the mould with compacted soil
(m2).
i. Place a filter paper between the base plate and the inverted mould.
j. Replace the extension collar of the mould.
k. Prepare two more specimens in the same procedure as described above.
l.

In both the cases of compaction, if the sample is to be soaked, take representative

samples of the material at the beginning of compaction and another sample of remaining
material after compaction for the determination of moisture content.

m. Each sample shall weigh not less than 100g for fine-grained soils and not less than 500 for
granular soils.
n. Place the adjustable stem and perforated plate on the compacted soil specimen in the
mould.
o. Place the weights to produce a surcharge equal to the weight of base material and
pavement to the nearest 2.5kg on the perforated plate.
p. Immerse the whole mould and weights in a tank of water allowing free access of water to
the top and bottom of specimen for 96 hours.