Quality Control Tests on Earth

Work
Quality Control Tests on Earth
Works
Moisture Content Determination
Compaction Test
Field Density



Soil Compaction in the Field:



1- Rammers




2- Vibratory Plates




3- Smooth Rollers





4- Rubber-Tire
5- Sheep foot Roller









6- Dynamic Compaction
Definition:

Soil compaction is defined as the method of mechanically increasing the
density of soil by reducing volume of air.
Solids
Water
Air
Solids
Water
Air
Compressed
soil
Load
Soil
Matrix
g
soil (1)
=
W
T1
V
T1
g
soil (2)
=
W
T1
V
T2
g
soil (2)
> g
soil (1)

Factor Affecting Soil Compaction:
1- Soil Type
2- Water Content (w
c
)
3- Compaction Effort Required (Energy)
Why Soil Compaction:
1- Increase Soil Strength
2- Reduce Soil Settlement
3- Reduce Soil Permeability
4- Reduce Frost Damage
5- Reduce Erosion Damage
Types of Compaction : (Static or Dynamic)
1- Vibration
2- Impact
3- Kneading
4- Pressure
Water is added to lubricate
the contact
surfaces of soil particles
and improve the
compressibility of the soil
matrix
Soil Compaction in the Lab:

1- Standard Proctor Test
2- Modified Proctor Test
3- Gyratory Compaction
Standard Proctor Test
Modified Proctor Test
Gyratory Compaction
Proctor Test (ASTM D1557-91)
determines the maximum density of a soil needed for
a specific job site
first determines the maximum density achievable for
the materials and uses this figure as a reference
it tests the effects of moisture on soil density
the soil reference value is expressed as a
percentage of density
these values are determined before any compaction
takes place to develop the compaction
specifications.
Modified Proctor values are higher because they
take into account higher densities needed for certain
types of construction projects.
test methods are similar for both tests
PROCTOR TEST

The Standard Proctor test is a method of finding
the optimum moisture content for compaction of
a soil.
A cylindrical mould 0.001 m
3
in volume is filled
with a sieved soil sample in three equal layers,
each layer being compacted by 25 or 27 blows
in a standard hammer, weight 2.5 kg, dropped
from a height of 300 mm for each blow.

Proctor Test Contd.
The mould is then trimmed and weighed, to
determine the bulk density of the soil.
Moisture content of the soil is then determined
to obtain the dry density.
The test is carried out with soil at different
moisture contents and a graph of dry density
against moisture content is plotted.
A heavy compaction test uses a greater
compactive effort from a 4.5 kg hammer
dropping 450 mm on to five soil layers in the
mould.

Typical Proctor Test Curve
Proctor Test
Soil Compaction in the Lab:

1- Standard Proctor Test
w
c1
w
c2
w
c3
w
c4
w
c5
g
d1
g
d2
g
d3
g
d4
g
d5
Optimum
Water
Content
Water
Content
Dry Density
g
d max
Zero Air Void Curve
S
r
=100%
Compaction
Curve
1
2
3
4
5
(OWC)
4 inch diameter compaction mold.
(V = 1/30 of a cubic foot)
5.5 pound hammer
25 blows
per layer
H = 12 in
Wet to
Optimum
Dry to
Optimum
Increasing Water Content
e
G
w s
dry

1
g
g
g
dry =
g
wet
W
c
100
%
1+
g
ZAV =
G
s
g
w
W
c
G
s
1+
S
r
Example
Example: Standard Proctor Compaction test
carried out on a Piarco sandy soil yielded the
following results:

Bulk density(kg/m
3
) 1700 1880 2010 1940 1860
Moisture content(%) 5.1 10.4 14.4 19.6 24.7

Plot the curve of dry density against moisture
content and hence find the maximum dry
density and the optimum(critical) moisture
content.

Solution
Solution: r = r
d
1 + m
where: r
d
= dry bulk density, r = Wet Density,
m = Moisture Content

m 0.051 0.104 0.144 0.196 0.247
r 1.70 1.88 2.01 1.94 1.86 (gm/cm
3
)
r
d
1.62 1.7 1.76 1.62 1.49 (gm/cm
3
)

Solution Concluded
Compaction Curve For Piarco Sand
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
0 10 20 30
Moisture Content (%)
D
r
y

b
u
l
k

d
e
n
s
i
t
y

(
g
m
/
c
m
3
)
From graph, Maximum Dry Density = 1.76 gm/cm
3
and
Optimum(critical) Moisture Content = 14.5%.


Soil Compaction in the Lab:

1- Standard Proctor Test
ASTM D-698 or AASHTO T-99







2- Modified Proctor Test
ASTM D-1557 or AASHTO T-180
Energy = 12,375 foot-pounds per cubic foot
Energy = 56,520 foot-pounds per cubic foot
Number of blows per layer x Number of layers x Weight of hammer x Height of drop hammer
Volume of mold
Energy =
Moisture
Content
Dry Density
g
d max
Compaction
Curve for Standard
Proctor
(OMC)
g
d max
(OMC)
Zero Air Void Curve
S
r
< 100%
Zero Air Void Curve
S
r
=100%
Zero Air Void Curve
S
r
= 60%
Compaction
Curve for
Modified
Proctor
Water Content
Dry Density
Effect of Energy on Soil Compaction
Higher
Energy
Increasing compaction energy Lower OWC and higher dry density
In the field
increasing compaction energy
= increasing number of
passes or reducing lift depth
In the lab
increasing compaction energy
= increasing number of blows
Field Tests
Sand Cone Test (ASTM D1556-90)
A small hole (6" x 6" deep) is dug in the
compacted material to be tested.
The soil is removed and its moisture content is
calculated.
The specific volume of the hole is determined by
filling it with calibrated dry sand from a jar and
cone device.
The dry weight of the soil removed is divided by
the volume of sand needed to fill the hole.
This gives the density of the compacted soil in lbs
per cubic foot.
This density is compared to the maximum Proctor
density obtained earlier, which gives us the
relative density of the soil that was just
compacted.
Checking Soil Density in the Field:

1- Sand Cone (ASTM D1556-90)







2- Balloon Dens meter
The same as the sand cone, except a rubber
balloon is used to determine the volume of the hole





3- Nuclear Density (ASTM D2292-91)
Nuclear Density meters are a quick and fairly accurate way of determining density and moisture content. The meter uses
a radioactive isotope source (Cesium 137) at the soil surface (backscatter) or from a probe placed into the soil (direct
transmission). The isotope source gives off photons (usually Gamma rays) which radiate back to the mater's detectors on
the bottom of the unit. Dense soil absorbs more radiation than loose soil and the readings reflect overall density. Water
content (ASTM D3017) can also be read, all within a few minutes.
A small hole (6" x 6" deep) is dug in the compacted material to be tested. The soil is
removed and weighed, then dried and weighed again to determine its moisture
content. A soil's moisture is figured as a percentage. The specific volume of the hole
is determined by filling it with calibrated dry sand from a jar and cone device. The dry
weight of the soil removed is divided by the volume of sand needed to fill the
hole. This gives us the density of the compacted soil in lbs per cubic foot. This
density is compared to the maximum Proctor density obtained earlier, which gives us
the relative density of the soil that was just compacted.
Nuclear Density
Sand Cone