Familiarization of

Apparatuses and Equipment

for Soil Testing

Mark Steven A. Escal

August 25, 2021
 Table of Contents

Background
Objective
Brief Description of How the Activity Was Done
Results
Summary
Background

Soil testing is defined as a "procedural evaluation of soil fertility by rapid

chemical analysis, with a focus on determining the available nutrient status and
reactivity of a soil”.
A soil test is a chemical procedure for determining a soil's nutrient providing
capacity. When compared to plant analysis, soil analysis has a number of advantages.
Its ability to evaluate the nutrient condition of the soil before the crop is planted is
referred to as testing is going to be planted.
The soil properties are analyzed for the construction of civil engineering
structures to determine the basis for the construction calculations.
This activity illustrates some of the equipment required for soil property
research and analysis, such as sampling, preparation, classification, consolidation,
shear strength, triaxial, compaction, penetration, bearing capacity, permeability,
density, and chemical testing, among other things. The testing equipment complies
with key international standards such as EN, ASTM, and national norms.

Objective

To let the student become acquainted with soil testing laboratory, the
equipment, and apparatus by defining the common equipment parts and testing
terminology.

Brief Description of How the Activity Was Done

The activity took place in the Allied Material Testing Lab in Laguitas, Malaybalay
City, Bukidnon. The group was led inside the testing area of the laboratory by the
laboratory technician. The laboratory technician demonstrated the steps involved in
conducting soil testing. The spatula, Casagrande’s apparatus, weighing scale,
moisture cans, bucket for soil samples, measuring cylinder, glass plate, Erlenmeyer
flask, water, syringe, steel reference rod, and grooving tool were among the first
laboratory instruments introduced for the plastic limit test. There were printed copies
about the procedures on how to do the test. As the laboratory technician was doing
the procedure, a stack of sieves was then introduced. These sieves, according to the
technician, are used to determine the particle size distribution of soil samples and
come in various sizes. Following that, the cone penetrometer, a device used for liquid
limit testing, was introduced followed by the tray and a brush. Some of the equipments
used for proctor compaction test was presented next. These includes the compaction
mold, proctor hammer, drying oven, moisture cans, and a plastic graduated cylinder.
A CBR mold, CBR testing machine, and spacer disc which are used for CBR test was
introduced after that. The last equipments to be introduced were the sample ejector,
strain controlled triaxial test device, and density basket. Another laboratory technician
demonstrated the actual process on how to do the soil compaction test, bringing the
activity to a close.
Results

Engineers must use several sorts of soil properties as a basis for their
calculations while constructing civil engineering structures.
The following are the instruments and their uses presented during the Soil
Testing Laboratory Visitation at Allied Material Testing Lab. This equipments are
needed to analyze soil samples and predict future behavior, including sample
sampling, classification, consolidation, direct shear strength, triaxial strength,
compaction, penetration, bearing capacity, permeability, density, geotechnical, and
chemical tests, all in accordance with the main International Standards.
 Compaction mold

Spacer disc

Plastic graduated cylinder

CBR mold

Moisture cans

Proctor hammer

Weighing scale

Sieves
 Drying oven

Metal tray

Cone penetrometer
 Proving ring,
dial gauge

Penetrating
rod

Stainless steel
columns,
beams, nuts

ABS controller
Sample ejector
CBR Testing Machine

Step motor wide speed

range

Density basket
Triaxial cell

Power coating

Stainless steel columns,

top board, nuts

LCD display

Strain controlled triaxial

test device
 Hand shovel

Metal straightedge
Compaction mold

Plastic graduated
cylinder

Sieve

Soil sample

Above photo shows a compaction test. The compaction test is done to

determine the relationship between the moisture content and the dry density of a soil
for a specified compactive effort. This type of compaction test is the modified
compaction test where a 10 lb hammer falling a distance of 18 inches is done to
compact the soil, and uses five equal layers of soil.
Some other testing terminologies mentioned during the activity were the triaxial
test which determines the shear strength and stiffness of soil and rock for use in
geotechnical design, liquid limit test which determines the liquid limits of a fine-grained
soil or the water content at which a pat of soil in a standard cup and cut by a groove
of standard dimensions which flows together at the base of the groove for a distance
of 13 mm, and the plastic limit test which also determines the water content of the soil
but its moisture content is expressed as a percentage of the weight of the oven-dry
soil, at the boundary between the plastic and semi-solid states of consistency.
Equipments and Their Uses

Spatula – a broad, flat, flexible blade used to help with mixing, scraping, and
other tasks related to transferring materials and samples from one place to
another.

Casagrande’s apparatus – an instrument for determining a soil's liquid limit. It

comprises of a firm rubber base with a brass dish, handle, and cam. Per
rotation, the dish travels a distance of 1 cm.

Weighing scale (digital) – the most accurate and precise analog front-end (AFE)
equipment for measuring the load of an item using force sensors. These scales
have a wide range of applications, including extensive use in industry.

Moisture cans – these are made of stainless steel or aluminum and is used to
find out how much moisture is in soil and other materials.

Bucket – used to carry soil samples.

Measuring cylinder (graduated cylinder) – is a typical laboratory instrument for

determining the volume of a liquid. It has a cylindrical shape that is thin. The
amount of liquid measured is represented by each marked line on the
graduated cylinder.

Glass plate – used as a cover, a mixing surface, and other typical laboratory
applications.

Erlenmeyer flask – used to contain liquid and soil to find the specific gravity of
soil.

Steel reference rod – used to roll the soil sample into an ellipsoidal shaped
mass in plastic limit test.

Grooving tool – used in conjunction with Atterberg Limits Testing to determine

when a soil's water content reaches the point where it turns from liquid to
plastic. Grooving Tools are used in conjunction with a Liquid Limit Machine to
determine the liquid limits of a soil sample's fine-grained part.

Sieves – used to determine particle size. A woven wire screen with square
openings is rigidly placed in a shallow cylindrical metal frame in its most typical
form.

Cone penetrometer - used to perform a cone penetrometer test (CTP), from

which preliminary geotechnical engineering properties of soils, such as soil
strength, and the delineation of soil horizons, can be analyzed.

Compaction molds – used for soil compaction testing. The Proctor Compaction
Test, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), and Limerock Bearing Ratio (LBR) tests
are just a few of the tests that these tough proctor molds comply.
 Proctor hammer – used for the proctor compaction of soil samples through
sliding drop the hammer.

Drying ovens – to remove the moisture or dry the soil samples as quickly as
possible.

CBR mold – used to mold the soil samples for California Bearing Ratio testing.

CBR testing machine – used for CBR testing which measure the strength of
subgrade soil and highway sub base and subgrade via a penetration test.

Spacer disc – used as a false bottom on a soil mold during the compaction
process.

Sample ejector – used to quickly extrude compacted soil or asphalt samples

from soil density or Marshall compaction molds. The sample ejector works for
both lab and field use to extract soil samples from 4″ and 6″ compaction molds.

Strain controlled triaxial test device – used to determine the strength and
deformation characteristics of the soil specimen under the static axial load.

Density basket - designed to measure the specific gravity of aggregates,

compacted and uncompacted bituminous mixtures, aggregates, and other
materials.

Metal straightedge – is a precision edge that is used to compare straightness

of an opposing surface, do precision layout, and play other supporting roles
when straightness of a surface is of concern.

Hand shovel – a tool used for digging, scooping, and moving soil samples.

Summary

The subsurface conditions, ground surface features, type of construction, and,

in rare cases, weather changes all affect the stability and performance of a structure
built on soil. Drilling and sampling, seismic surveying, test pit excavation, and data
analysis can all be used to investigate subsoil conditions.
That is why it is important to check the quality of soil before building an
infrastructure. Hence, soil testing is primarily done to test the bearing capacity of soil.
The soil must have the ability to withstand the weight of the building.
In this activity, the student was able to familiarize the common equipment used
in soil testing and was able to get acquainted with testing terminologies.
Compaction test equipments such as no. 4 sieve, proctor hammer, steel
straightedge, moisture cans, compaction molds, drying oven, metallic tray, hand
shovel, graduated cylinder, and water are used for determining the relationship
between the moisture content and density of compacted soil.
 Triaxial tests involves confining a cylindrical soil or rock specimen in a
pressurized cage to simulate a stress environment, then shearing the sample to failure
to evaluate the material's shear strength qualities.

The liquid limit test. The moisture content of a soil at the boundary between the
liquid and plastic stages of consistency is given as a percentage of the weight of the
oven-dried soil. When the cup of a standard liquid limit apparatus is dropped 25 times
from a height of 0.3937 in. (10 mm) at a rate of two drops/second, the moisture content
at this boundary is arbitrarily defined as the water content at which two halves of a soil
cake will flow together for a distance of 12 in. (12.7 mm) along the bottom of a groove
of standard dimensions separating the two halves.

The plastic limit test. The moisture content of a soil at the boundary between
the plastic and semisolid phases of consistency is given as a percentage of the weight
of the oven-dry soil. When rolled into a thread 18 in. (3 mm) in diameter using a ground
glass plate or other appropriate surface, it is the moisture content at which a soil will
just begin to disintegrate.