Sieve Analysis of Soil

Soil Mechanic
College of Engineering
Water Resources Department
3rd Stage
Group: B

Done by: Shatw Dana

Sara Sarkawt
Rawaz Ali
Sivar Rzgar
Las Saman
Date: November 10/2021
Contents:

Introduction…………………………………………….…………... 3
Aim of Experiment……………………………………….………... 4
Equipment……………………………………………….…………. 4
Procedure………………………………………………….………... 5
Calculation…………………………………………………….……. 6
Table of Calculation........................................................................... 7
Graph…………………………………………………….………..... 8
Discussion..........................…………………………..…………...... 9
Reference........................................................................................... 10
Data Sheet………………………………………………....….......... 11

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Introduction

Sieve analysis is a method that is used to determine the grain size distribution of
soils that are greater than 0.075 mm in diameter. It is usually performed for sand
and gravel but cannot be used as the sole method for determining the grain size
distribution of finer soil.
In order to classify a soil for engineering purposes, one needs to know the
distribution of the size of grains in a given soil mass. Sieve analysis is a method
used to deter mine the grain- size distribution of soils. Sieves are made of woven
wires with square openings. Note that as the sieve number increases the size of the
openings decreases.
For all practical purposes, the No. 200 sieve is the sieve with the smallest opening
that should be used for the test.

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Aim of Experiment

This test is performed to determine the percentage of different grain sizes

contained within a soil.

Equipment
- Sieves, a bottom pan, and a cover, sieve numbers (1,
3/4, 4, 8, 20, 50, 200).
- A balance sensitive.
- Mechanical sieve shaker.
- Brush

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Procedure

- First of all we started by weighting all of the seven sieves separately that we had
for this experiment.
- After weighting the sieves we poured all the soil that we had prepared for the test.
- After stacking up all the sieves on top of each other and putting a cover on them,
we placed the sieves on the mechanical sieve shaker and left them on it for 10
minutes.
- Finally after finishing the 10 minutes we took the weight of the seven sieves
separately again to find the weight of the retained soil.

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Calculation

1- Weight retained on each sieve (g) = (Wt. of sieve + retained (g)) - Wt. of each
sieve (g)
582 - 534 = 48 (g)
2- Percent of weight retained on each sieve = (Mass retained/Total mass) *100
(48/1328) *100 = 361
3- Cumulative percent retained
3.61 + 13.70 = 17.31
4- Percent finer
100 – 3.61 = 96.39

Mass Loss During sieve analysis = (W-W1/W)*100

(1328 – 1322/1328)*100 = 0.45%
In which it’s OK because it’s less than 2%

Cu = D60 / D10 = 14/1 = 14 ✓ (Cu > 4)

Cc = ( (D30)2 )/ D60 × D10 = ( 62 )/14×1 = 2.57 ✓ (Cc = 1-3)
So it’s well graded soil ✓

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Table of Calculation

Weight Weight Percent

Sieve Sieve Weight of (sieve retained of weight Cumulative Percent
No. Opening of each + on each retained percent finer
(mm) sieve (g) retained) sieve (g) on each retained
(g) sieve

1 in 26.5 534 582 48 3.61 3.61 96.39

3/4 in 19 558 740 182 13.70 17.31 82.69

No.4 4.75 506 1246 740 55.72 73.03 26.97

No.8 2.36 486 618 132 9.94 82.97 17.03

No.20 0.85 396 490 94 7.07 90.04 9.96

No.50 0.30 372 460 88 6.62 96.66 3.34

No.200 0.075 340 376 36 2.71 99.37 0.63

Pan 370 372 2 0.15 99.52 0.48

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Graph

8
Discussion

Sieve analysis is used to obtain the particle size distribution of a solid material by
determining the amount of powder retained on a series of sieves with different
sized apertures. A sample is added to the top of a nest of sieves arranged in
decreasing size from top to bottom. As the sieves are vibrated, the sample is
segregated onto the different sized sieves. The weight of sample retained on each
sieve is then used to determine the particle size distribution as well as the mean
diameter of the sample.
While doing the calculation’s we need to find first (weight retained on each sieve
in g) from the following rule [weight of (sieve + retained) on each sieve.
Second (the percent of weight on each sieve) from this rule [ mass retained / Total
mass *100], third (cumulative percent retained) and forth the percent finer and
from all these we will be able to find the mass loss during the test and we got 0.45
% in which we can say the experiment we have done is Ok and can be used
because its less than 2%.
The values of Cc and Cu used to classify whether the soil is well-graded or not. So
from the graph we have found Cc and Cu in which first we started by finding
D10 ,D30 ,D60 on the log paper in order to find the calculations. For Cu the rule used
is (D60/D10) for Cc the rule is D30²/D60*D10 the ranges that we used is coarse soil
that it’s given in the manual . The standard range for Cc should be between (1-3)
and we have got a result 2.57 in which its it’s allowable and can be used and the
range for Cu should be greater than 4, our result is 14 so it’s good.
Some possible error that may come in our way while doing the test are, some of the
soil weight may disappear and turn into dust while shaking , if we left the sieve on
the shaker for another 20 min our results would have been more accurate, another
error that may be done is the tendency to not use enough sieves in a sieve stack, a
major mistake that is seen in these test’s is the improper cleaning of test sieves
between runs.

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Reference

https://www.astm.org/?fbclid=IwAR08VJwVG8xLVlQ7GttWWOOYzSu5i3N
14oqMzs9cwh1V1J-1B0MHvAt-h3g

https://uta.pressbooks.pub/soilmechanics/chapter/sieve-
analysis/?fbclid=IwAR2pxbvlyIF6kwwN99AMzoSgs526900QCGT8mbc1kJC
Tg3fBZy7JS9p7zck

https://basiccivilengineering.com/2017/06/sieve-analysis-
test.html?fbclid=IwAR2_OzsPu_hPYUYGGzEdLgz8kwtYFDBGXycnajeYuX
0nbqcj-J0IGb4vSzc

https://blog.wstyler.com/particle-analysis/collecting-sieve-analysis-
data?hs_amp=true&fbclid=IwAR3V0xXLqrtUTkeSoLHTXY00gsx33TXGq5
pSdjkOPIuNrUP6-u71JVC42CM

https://www.geoengineer.org/education/laboratory-testing/step-by-step-guide-
for-grain-size-analysis?fbclid=IwAR0piMgyLGQq4MobmZLH-
roqYXRTjBEDpa1akcKdm4avmE_ZUeBCvC7cDD8

https://www.in.gov/indot/div/mt/aashto/testmethods/aashto_t27.pdf?fbclid=Iw
AR3s9GM6IzEDyAdTY64HC_ltC55CAyAs3mfm68w1IShnrXZdTgub_qk1_
CU

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