Discussion class – Practical Report

Geology and Soil Mechanics

GSM1501
1st Semester

Lecturer: Miss Zakithi Dube

011 670 9790 – teams app
dubezn@unisa.ac.za
 Sieve Analysis

Sieve Analysis (Retained on 0.425 mm sieve)

Total mass of sample: 8332.0 (g)

Sieve size
Individual Individual % Cumulative %
Mass Retained (g) Retained Passing
(mm) 𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟
75 0 0 100 𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼𝐼 % 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 = × 100
63 572.3 6.9 93
𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠
50 462.4 5.6 88
28 294.9 3.5 84
20 624.7 7.5 77
14 1015.7 12.2 64
5 1121.9 13.5 51
2 484.7 5.8 45
0.425 499.9 6.0 39.0
<0.425 3255.5 39.0
 Sieve analysis

(𝐴𝐴 − 𝐵𝐵)
𝑃𝑃 = 𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆
𝐴𝐴
100 − 45.0
= 39.0
100
= 21.5 %
Material passing 0.075mm sieve

Sieve size Sample size: 100(g)

Correction(
P = percentage of the total material passing the
(mm) Mass Retained (g) % Retained % Passing
P) 0.075 mm sieve
0.075 45 45 55 21.5%
Sf = cumulative percentage passing 0.425 mm

A = mass of soil fines used for the test, before

washing (g)

B = mass of dry material retained on sieve after

washing (g)
 Liquid Limit

Liquid limit

Test 1 Test 2 Test 3

Container Number A B C
Mass of container & wet soil (g) 20.05 18.23 18.69 mass of moisture
Mass of container & dry soil (g) 18.94 17.47 17.81 Liquid Limit(1) = 100 x
mass of dried soil
Mass of container only (g) 14.03 14.15 14.15
Mass of moisture (g) 1.11 0.76 0.88
Mass of dry soil (g) 4.91 3.32 3.66
% moisture content 22.61 22.89 24.04
Number of taps 28 27 21
Liquid Limit Graph
 Liquid Limit

• Liquid limit is moisture content at 25 taps from

the graph after plotting Test 1, 2, and 3 (%
moisture content vs the number of taps).
• As shown from the graph, the liquid limit for
the material is 23.24%.
 Plastic Limit
Average PL = 20.13 ≈ 𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐%

PI = LL – PL
= 23.24 – 20

Plastic limit
Test 1 Test 2
= 3.24 %
Container Number D E
Mass of container & wet soil (g) 15.01 15.95
Mass of container & dry soil (g) 14.82 15.64
Mass of container only (g) 13.9 14.06
Mass of moisture (g) 0.19 0.31
Mass of dry soil (g) 0.92 1.58
% moisture content 20.65 19.62
 Linear Shrinkage
Shrinkage measured to be 3.97mm at 21 taps.
Limit Shrinkage (LS) = Shrinkage (mm) ×𝑓𝑓
Where:

100 0.8
𝑓𝑓 = 𝑋𝑋
150 1 − 0.008𝑁𝑁
100 0.8
𝑓𝑓 = 𝑋𝑋
150 1 − 0.008(21)

= 0.64

∴ Limit shrinkage (LS) = 3.97 × 0.64

=𝟐𝟐.𝟓𝟓 %
 MDD & OMC

Test no A B C D E
Mass of Empty Mould (g) 4612 4723 4595 4667 4681
Mass Mould & Wet material (g) 9578 9843 9796 9895 9977

Mould Volume (ml) 2315 2334 2341 2326 2353

𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊 𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷 (𝐤𝐤𝐤𝐤/𝑚𝑚3 ) 2145 √ 2194 √ 2222 √ 2248 √ 2251 √

Moisture Sample no A1 A2 A3 A4 A5
Mass of Pan (g) 521 547 556 538 513
Mass Pan + Wet Material (g) 1047 1186 1123 1074 1053
Mass Pan + Dry Material (g) 994 1115 1056 1005 979
% 𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴 𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄 11.2 √ 12.5 √ 13.4 √ 14.8 √ 15.9 √

𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫 𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫 (𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘/𝑚𝑚3 ) 1929 √ 1950 √ 1959 √ 1958 √ 1942 √

 MDD & OMC

Example of Wet and Dry density calculations

For calculations below, refer to Test no: A of MDD & OMC results above.

𝑀𝑀𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚

𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊 𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷 (𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘/𝑚𝑚3 ) =
𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚
= 4966/0.002315
= 2145 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘/𝑚𝑚3

𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊 𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷
𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷 𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝑦𝑦 =
1+% 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀

= 2145/ 1+0.112
= 1929 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘/𝑚𝑚3
 Graph – MDD & OMC
MDD = 1960 & OMC = 14.0
1970

1965

1960

1959
1955 1958
Dry density (kg/m3)

1950
1950
1945

1940 1942

1935

1930

1929
1925

1920
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Moisture content (%)