INSITU DENSITY TESTS

SOIL MECHANICS

SOIL MECHANICS LABORATORY DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY OF MORATUWA SRI LANKA

DENSITY OF SOIL IN PLACE BY THE SAND CONE METHOD

SCOPE APPARATUS
This test method sets out the procedure for the determination for the insitu dry density of compacted soils, gravels and crushed rock materials in earth works and pavement layers by the sand replacement method using a sand pouring cone. This test is generally limited to materials with a maximum particle size of 5cm. 1.

1. The standard density apparatus consisting of jar and detachable appliance consisting of a cylindrical valve with an orifice 12.5 mm in diameter

2. Any clean, dry free-flowing uncemented sand. 3. Balance of 10 kg. capacity readable and accurate to 01g. 4. Drying oven. 5. Miscellaneous equipment such as small pick chisels or spoons for digging test hole. 6. Density base plate with a center flanged 16.5 mm diameter hole

PROCEDURE

(a). Determine the Volume of the Jar and Attachment up to and Including the Volume of the valve Orifice as Follows :1. Weigh the assembled apparatus and record (W1) 2. Place the apparatus upright and open the valve. 3. Fill the apparatus with water until it appears over the valve. 4. Close valve and remove excess water. 5. Weigh the apparatus and water and determine the temperature of the water (W2). 6. Repeat the procedure described in steps (1) to (5) at lease twice.

(b). Determine the Bulk Density of the Sand to be Used in the Field Test as Follows :1. Place the empty apparatus up right on a firm level surface close the valve and fill the funnel with

sand. 2. Open valve and keeping funnel at least half full of sand, fill the apparatus. Close valve sharply and empty excess sand. 3. Weigh apparatus with sand (W 3) and determine the net weight of sand by subtracting the weight of the apparatus.

(c). Determine the Weight of Sand Required to Fill the Funnel as Follows:1. Put sand in the apparatus and secure weight of apparatus and sand. 2. Seat the inverted apparatus on a clean, level, plane surface. 3. Open the valve and keep open until after the sand stops running. 4. Close the valve sharply, weigh the apparatus with remaining sand (W 4)and determine the loss of sand. This loss represents the weight of sand required to fill the funnel. 5. Replace the sand removed in the funnel determination and close the valve.

(d). Determine the Density of the Soil in Place as Follows :1. Prepare the surface of the location to be tested so that it is a level plane. 2. Seat the inverted apparatus on the prepared plane surface over the special plate provided and mark the outline of the hole. 3. Dig the test hole inside the mark being very careful to avoid disturbing the soil that will bound the hole. Soils that the essentially granular require extreme care. Place all loosened soil in a container being careful to avoid losing any material. 4. Seat the apparatus in the previously marked position, open the valve and after the sand has stopped flowing, close the valve. 5. Weight the apparatus with remaining sand and determine the weight of sand used in the test (W5). 6. Weight the material that was removed from the test hole (W). 7. Mix the material thoroughly and secure and with a representative, sample for moisture determination. 8. Dry and weigh the moisture sample. 9. Repeat step (1) to (8) at least twice.

Department of Civil Engineering University of Moratuwa In Situ Density by Sand Cone Method

Client: Project : Determination of Density of Sand Mass of bottle (kg) Mass of bottle filled with sand (kg) Mass of bottle and sand after inverting on a flat surface (kg) Mass of bottle and sand after filling the hole (kg)
3 Volume of the bottle (cm ) 3 Bulk Density of the Sand (kg/m )

1.942 9.700

8.200 6.930 3975 1951.70

Determination of bulk density of the soil Mass of soil and Pan (kg) Mass of Pan (kg) Mass of Soil (kg)
3 Volume of the hole (m )

2.510 1.310 1.200 0.000651 1844.1

Bulk Density of the soil in field (kg/m3) Moisture Content Determination Can Number Mass of wet soil can (g ) + Mass of Dry soil can (g) + Mass of can (g) Mass of moisture (g) Mass of Dry soil (g) Moisture content % Average moisture content % Dry Density Determination Dry Density of the soil in fieldg /m (k 3)
3 Maximum dry density (kg/m )

a
78.50 65.80 10.50 12.70 55.30 22.97

b
77.50 65.90 10.60 .11.60 55.30 20.98 21.5

bb
80.30 68.40 10.50 11.90 57.90 20.55

1517.8 1670.0 88.1

Relative Compaction %

CALCULATION 1. Insitu Density of Soil:in Kg / m3

sand = W2 W1 V1

2. The Water Content of the Soil and then the Dry Density of the Soil :Water content

w= Mw Ms dry = bulk
(1 w +)

Dry Density

DISCUSSION Discuss the following in your report.

1. The Limitations of this Test. 2. Compare the Core Cutter with other Methods of Field Density Determinations

1.

Specimen Calculation Bulk Density of the sand = = 9.700 - 1.942 3975 X 10-6 1951.7 kg /m3

Mass of sand required to fill the funnel = 9.700 - 8.200 kg = 1.500 kg Mass of sand required to fill the hole Volume of the hole = 8.200 - 6.930 kg = 1.270 kg = 1.27 1951.7 = 6.507 X 10-4 m3 = 2.510 - 1.310 = 1.20 kg = 1.200 6.507 X 10-4 = 1844.1 kg = 78.50 - 65.80 65.80 - 10.50 = 22.97 % X 100

Mass of the soil Bulk density of the soil

Moisture content of the soil

Find the average moisture content Average moisture content = 21.50 %

Dry density in the field

= 1844.1 1 + 0.2150 = 1517.8 kg/m3

DENSITY OF THE SOIL IN PLACE BY THE CORE CUTTER METHOD SCOPE This test method sets out the procedure for the determination for the insitu dry density of compacted soils in earth works and pavement layers.

APPARATUS 1. The standard density apparatus consisting of steel cylinder and detachable collar. 2. Balance of 10 kg. capacity readable and accurate to 01 g. 3. Drying oven. 4. Miscellaneous equipment such as rammer, straight edge, chisels for digging surrounding soil.

PROCEDURE Determine the Density of the Soil in Place as Follows:-

1. Weigh the core cutter (W1) and calculate the internal volume from its dimensions (V). Prepare the surface of the location to be tested 3. Place core cutter with the collar on top, on the prepared surface and drive into the soil with a help of a hammer. 4. Dig the surrounding soil to take out the core cutter. 5. After leveling off at both ends of core cutter with a straight edge, weigh it (W2). 6. Remove the soil sample from the core cutter and mix material thoroughly and secure and weigh a representative sample for moisture determination.

CALCULATION 1. Volume of the density apparatus:-

V1 = (W2 - W1)T in millimeters. 2. Insitu Density of the Soil (at least for two trails)

a)

Volume of the test hole V = (Ws W4) in m3 sand

Bulk Density of the Soil : = W in kg/m3 V 4. The Water Content of the Soil and then the Dry Density of the Soil Water Content Dry Density w = Mw MS dry= bulk (1 + w)

DISCUSSION Discuss the following in your report. 1. The Limitations of this Test. 2. Compare the Sand Cone Methods of Field Density Determinations 3. Why is it important to measure the field density? Give examples

Departm ent of Civil E ngineering University of M oratuwa In Situ Density by the Core Cutter M ethod Client: Project:
D eterm ination of bulk density of the soil M ass of soil and core cutter (kg) M ass of core cutter (kg) M ass of Soil (kg) V olum e of the core cutter 3(cm ) 3 Bulk D ensity of the soil (kg/m ) M oisture C ontent Determ ination C an N um ber W eight of w et soilcan (g ) + W eight of D ry soilcan (g) + g) eight of can (g) W W eight of m oisture (g) W eight of D ry soil (g) M oisture content % A verage m oisture content % D ry D ensity Determ ination D ry D ensity g /m) (k 3 3 M axim um dry density (kg/m ) R elative Com paction % 1629.6 1670.0 94.6 a 78.50 65.80 10.50 12.70 55.30 22.97 b 77.50 65.90 10.60 11.60 55.30 20.98 21.50 bb 80.30 68.40 10.50 11.90 57.90 20.55 2.975 0.995 1.980 1000 1980.0

Specimen calculation

Mass of soil Volume of the core cutter Bulk density of the soil

= 2.975 - 0.995 = 1.980 kg = 1000 cm 3

1.980 1000 X 10 -6 = 1980.0 kg /m3 = 1629.6 kg/m3

Moisture content of the soil = ( 78.50 - 65.80)X 100 (65.80 - 10.50) = 22.97 % Find the average moisture content Average moisture content = 25.30 % Dry density in the field = 1980.0 1 + 0.2150