Index Properties

Experiment 3 Specific Gravity of Soil

Foundation Soil Section

Materials Research and Testing Centre

Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City Development
Addis Ababa University

December, 2019

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 1 Experiment 3: Specific gravity
Theoretical Background
Purpose of the test
Apparatus and Reagent
Sample preparation and test specimen
Testing Procedures
Test Computations

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 Experiment 3: Specific gravity of soil solids by water
pycnometer
Theoretical background

 Theoretical background
specific gravity of soil solids, Gs , is the ratio of the mass of a unit
volume of a soil solids to the mass of the same volume of gas-free
distilled water at 200 C .
ρs γs
specific gravity, Gs = ρw ,200 C = γw ,200 C

 Testing standards
ASTM D854, AASHTO T100, BS 1377-2-1990:section 8, EN ISO
17892-3

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 Experiment 3: Specific gravity of soil solids by water
pycnometer
Purpose of the test

 Purpose of the test

The specific gravity of soil solids is used to calculate the density of
the soil solids. This is done by multiplying its specific gravity by the
density of water (at proper temperature).
The specific gravity of a soil solids is used in calculating the phase
relationships of soils, such as void ratio and degree of saturation.

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 Experiment 3: Specific gravity of soil solids
Apparatus and Reagent

 Apparatus and Reagent

 Pycnometer
 Heat Source or Vacuum source
Balance
Drying oven
Desiccator
Thermometer
pipette or medicine dropper
 Distilled gas-free water

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 Experiment 3: Specific gravity of soil solids
Sample preparation and test specimen

 Sample preparation and test specimen

disturbed soil sample is used for this test
sample is first dried in an oven and then pulverized and sieved on the
4.75mm (NO. 4) sieve, the passing portion is taken as the test
specimen.
the specimen size depends on the the nominal volume of pycnometer
to be used and soil type. According to ASTM D 854

Soil Type Min. Dry Mass for Min. Dry Mass for
250mL Pycnome- 500mL Pycnome-
ter (g) ter (g)
SP, SP-SM 60 ± 10 100 ± 10
SP-SC, SM, SC 45 ± 10 675 ± 10
Silt & Clay 35 ± 5 50 ± 10

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 Experiment 3: Specific gravity of soil solids
Testing Procedures

 Testing Procedure
Record the identification number and mass of a clean and dry
pycnometer, Mp .
Fill the pycnometer with distilled gas-free water up to the calibration
marker. (the concave bottom of meniscus formed by the water
surface must align with the calibration marker).
Record the mass of the pycnometer and the water, Mpw and the
temperature, Tc .
Reduce the water level in the pycnometer to about 31 to 12
Weigh the required mass of soil and record as Ms .
Using a funnel place the soil in the pycnometer;care should be taken
not to lose any of the soil particles.
Entrapped air in the soil slurry can be removed using either heat
(boiling), vacuum or combining heat and vacuum. If each method is
used separately ASTM recommends at least 2h (of heat or vacuum).
If a combination of heat and vacuum are used, 1h.
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 Experiment 3: Specific gravity of soil solids

Fill the pycnometer with gas-free water and allow to attain room
temperature.
Adjust the water level in the pycnometer and record mass of the
pycnometer, water and soil, Mpws
Record the temperature of the soil-water mix as testing temperature,
Tt
 The initial steps of measuring MP , filling the pycnometer, measuring
Mp w and Tc are in fact calibration of the pycnometer.

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 Experiment 3: Specific gravity of soil solids
Test Computations

 Test Computations
if Tt = Tc −→ MPW ,c = MPW ,t

Ms
Specfic gravity at 200 C : Gs,200 C = × GT (1)
MPW ,t − MPWS,t + Ms

if Tt 6= Tc −→ MPW ,c 6= MPW ,t

MPW ,c − MP
Volume of pycnometer: VP = (2)
ρw ,c
Mass of pycnometer + water at test temprature: MPW ,t = MP + ρw ,t VP (3)
Ms
Specfic gravity at 200 C : Gs,200 C = GT (4)
MPW ,t − MPWS,t + Ms
where GT is the specific gravity of water at testing temperature, i.e.
ρ
GT = ρ w ,t0 . This value may be found from the testing standard.
w ,20 C

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 Experiment 3: Specific gravity of soil solids
Example

 Example
Test No. 1 2
Pycnometer No. A1 A5
Mass of Pycnometer, Mp 50.8 g 45.1 g
Mass of Pycnometer and Water, Mpw ,c 150.4 g 144.9 g
Calibration Temperature, Tc 19.8 0 C 19.7 0 C
Mass of soil, Ms 25.0 g 25.0 g
Mass of Pycnometer and Water and soil, Mpws,t 166.1 g 160.6 g
Testing Temperature , Tt 20.7 0 C 20.5 0 C

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 Experiment 3: Specific gravity of soil solids
Example

 Example
for Test No. 1
TC 6= Tt hence MPW ,c 6= MPW ,t

MPW ,c − MP
VP =
ρw ,c
150.4g − 50.8g
VP = g = 99.775cm3
0.99825 cm 3

Where density of water at calibration temperature (Tc = 19.80 C ),

ρw ,c = 0.99825 is found from ASTM D854 Table 2

MPW ,t = MP + ρw ,t VP
g
MPW ,t = 50.8 + 0.99806 × 99.775cm3 = 150.381g
cm3
Where density of water at test temperature (Tc = 20.70 C ), ρw ,t = 0.99806 is
found from ASTM D854 Table 2
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 Experiment 3: Specific gravity of soil solids
Example

Ms
Gs,200 C = GT
MPW ,t − MPWS,t + Ms
25g
Gs,200 C = × 0.99985
150.381g − 166.1g + 25g
Gs,200 C = 2.69

Where specific gravity of water at test temperature (Tc = 20.70 C ),

GT = 0.99985 is found from ASTM D854 Table 2
Note that the pycnometer and the mass of soil used do not confirm to the
minimum sample size set by the current ASTM D854

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 The End
Any Questions?

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