MAPUA UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF CIVIL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND

GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
SOIL MECHANICS AND MATERIALS TESTING
LABORATORY

NAME: SY, MIKE ANDREAN M.

COURSE & SECTION: CE161P – E06 STUDENT NO.: 2017100156

GROUP NO.:

EXPERIMENT NO. 3.B

HYDROMETER ANALYSIS OF SOIL

TITLE

DATE PERFORMED: JUNE 20 2020

DATE SUBMITTED: JUNE 21 2020 GRADE

Engr. Timothy Daniel Felicia

INSTRUCTOR
OBJECTIVE

This method describes a procedure for the quantitative determination of particle

sizes in fine-grained soil by means of a hydrometer.

PROCEDURES

Hydrometer Analysis of Fractions, Passing No. 10 Sieve

1. Dispersion of sample: Weigh 50 grams of the air-dried sample (100 grams for
sandy soil), place in a beaker, and fill with distilled water to about half the depth
and allow to soak for at least 18 hours. After soaking, add 20 ml. of sodium
silicate as a deflocculating agent, and wash the contents into the dispersion
cup. Add distilled water until it is about 2 inches from the brim and disperse the
contents for 1 minute in the mechanical stirring apparatus.

2. Transfer the mixture to the graduated cylinder and add distilled water to bring
the water level to the 1000 mL mark. Place the cylinder in the constant
temperature bath. Stir the suspension frequently to avoid settlement of
particles.

3. Remove the cylinder from the water bath as soon as the temperature of the
suspension and the water bath are the same. Shake thoroughly the mixture for
I minute by turning the cylinder upside down and back, using the palm of the
hand as stopper. The soil should not stick to the bottom of the cylinder when
upside down.
4. Insert carefully the hydrometer in the suspension and start the timer.

5. Take hydrometer readings at total elapsed time of 1⁄2 and 1 minute without
removing the hydrometer from the suspension. Read the hydrometer at the top
of the meniscus formed around its stem. Repeat the shaking and reading
procedure until a consistent set of readings are obtained.

6. Restart the test but this time; take readings after 2,5, 15, 30, and 60 minutes.
Insert carefully the hydrometer about 15 to 20 seconds before each of these
readings. Dry the stem before insertion. It should be removed carefully and
placed in a cylinder of distilled water after each reading. Take the temperature
of the suspension immediately following each hydrometer reading and record.
Between hydrometer readings, the top of the cylinder should be covered to
retard evaporation and to prevent the collection of dust or dirt from the air.

7. After the final reading, wash the suspension on a No.200 sieve. Dry the fraction
retained, and performs the sieve analysis procedure using the No. 40, 60, and
200 sieves.
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT

1. Balance, sensitive to 0.01 gram

- Use to determine the weight of the sample
2. Mechanical stirring apparatus with a metal paddle and dispersion cup
- Use to disperse the content in the mixture
3. Hydrometer
- The instrument used for testing the relative density of the liquid or solution
4. 1-L graduated cylinder
- Contains the mixture for testing
5. Thermometer (graduated to 0.1 'C)
- Use to measure the temperature of the mixture
6. Set of standard sieves
- Use to separate the different particle sizes of soil
7. Water bath
- Use to bathing materials in constant temperature
8. Evaporating dish
- Use to contain material for incubating in water
9. Oven with temperature control
- Use to dry the soil samples
10. Timing device
- Determine the time elapse of certain interval
11. Drying Pan
- Temporary container for soil samples
12. Spatula
- Use for handling powdery material
13. Glass Dessicator
- Use to store soil samples for cooling
14. Deflocculating agent
- Use to prevent the fine soil particles from suspension
15. Distilled water supply
- Water that is clean for elimination contamination and use for better accuracy
of the experiment

Balance Stirrer and dispersion cup

Hydrometer Graduated Cylinder

 Thermometer Set of Sieves

Water Bath Evaporating Dish

Oven with Temperature Control Timing Device

 Drying Pan Spatula

Glass Dessicator Deflocculating agent

Distilled Water Supply

APPLICATION
For hydrometer analysis, is still the same as sieve analysis which is use for
analyzing particle distribution of samples. With hydrometer analysis used for finer
grain because it is not advisable to create sieve for this finer grains because grains
could be stuck which would provided inaccuracy of data.
Application for this experiment is the as the sieve analysis, because hydrometer
test also provides the particle distribution but with finer grains. Moreover, in
considering finer particles, it can present the level of permeability of the soil. Since
finer particle of soil are usually composed of clay or silt, which fills the voids of the
soil, thus this information could help engineers to design considering the
permeability of the soil.

TECHNICAL OBSERVATION
In this experiment, it is needed to determine the particle distribution of the finer
grain from the previous experiment using the hydrometer analysis. Hydrometer
analysis is very different from sieve analysis. This requires more delicate process
in doing since, to analyze the data the test is repeated several times in different
intervals to determine the distribution.
For this experiment, instruments like the hydrometer are very delicate
equipment and must be require to have proper calibration. By following through
the instructions, calibration for hydrometer would require graduated cylinder
contain water and sodium hexametaphosphate as seen in the video.
Observing the experiment, the manual requires to utilized the soil that passed
sieve no. 10 while in the video resent it uses the soil passing through sieve no.
200. But process used were the same for both reference. In addition, there is also
difference for the time interval used of both reference. The video suggest to test at
4, 8 ,16, and 20 minutes and 1, 2 ,3 ,4, 8, and 24 hours. While for the manual it
states to test at ½ , 1, 2, 5, 15, 30, and 60 minutes. This difference were just given
due to different interest of time, since in lab we have limited time I think that is why
the test was just conduct in minutes.
REFERENCE/S

1- https://theconstructor.org/geotechnical/particle-size-distribution-soil-
hydrometer-
method/2775/#:~:text=Hydrometer%20method%20is%20used%20to,the%20c
enter%20of%20its%20bulb.

2- https://civilblog.org/2015/11/18/hydrometer-analysis-of-soil-what-why-how/