Institute of Technology of Cambodia

Faculty of Hydrology & Water Resources Engineering

Road Engineering and Construction

PROCTOR TEST

LECTURE:

Dr. SAO Sochan

STUDENT: ID:

PHAT Kimhang e20201449

(2023-2024)
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................1
II. OBJECTIVE..................................................................................................................1
III. MATERIALS.................................................................................................................1
IV. METHODOLOGY........................................................................................................3
4.1 PROCEDURES..........................................................................................................3
4.2. CALCULATION.......................................................................................................4
V. RESULTS...........................................................................................................................5
VI. CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................7

PROCTOR TEST
ASTM D1557/Modified
 I. INTRODUCTION

Proctor test is a laboratory method used to determine the optimal moisture content and
maximum dry density of soil for use in road construction. Proctor test is defined by ASTM
D1557. Moreover, compaction is also a process of densification of soil by reducing air voids
using mechanical energy, the dry unit weight after compaction initially increases with
moisture content. However, beyond a certain point, the dry unit weight decreases with any
further increase in moisture content.

II. OBJECTIVE

The objective in the proctor test is

 Increase shear strength

 Reduced Permeability
 Reduced compressibily.

III. MATERIALS

The equipment that we use in this test are:

 Straightedge/knife
 Ruler
 Trowel
 Moisture cans
 Balance
 Drying oven
 Sieve (No.4,4.75mm)
 Set of molds (collar, mold, base plate, rammer)
 Soil sample 30kg

Mold Hammer Oven dry

 Balance Trowel Graduated cylinder

Straightedge/knife Moisture can

Ruler

Sieve (No.4,4.75mm) Soil sample

IV. METHODOLOGY
 4.1 PROCEDURES

The first step that we have to do before starting our proctor test is:

 Dry out the soil sample

 Break the soil sample and sieve it
 Add water to the soil sample (5 kg of soil)
 Compact the soil sample in the compaction mold
 Measure the wet unit weight (γ)
 Measure the moisture content (w)
 Calculate the dry unit weight

Moreover, the moisture contents that we use in this test are 4%, 8%, 10%, 12%, 14%, 18%.

The step that we starting our test are:

 Take a sufficient quantity of representative soil, air dry it, and gently break it with a
hammer.
 Sieve the soil through No. 4 sieve and reject the coarser material.
 Take about, 5 kg of soil, add water to bring its water content to about 4%, then mix it
thoroughly.
 Clean the mold, measure its diameter and height and weight it without the collar.
 Fit the collar and compact the moist soil in five equal layers by the rammer with
evenly distributed blows to each layer.
 Use 56 blows for 6 inches diameter mold to the total height of mold with collar
 Remove the collar trim the compacted soil even with the top of the mold with a
straightedge.
 Clean outside of the mold and base plate and weigh it.
 Remove the soil from the mold, split it and take about 100g sample for water content
determination.
 Add more water to increase the water content by 2 to 3% and repeat the compaction
procedure for each increment of water unit the mass of the compacted soil decreases.
 Calculate water content and corresponding dry density.
 Plot the compaction curve between water-content as abscissa and dry density as
ordinate.

4.2. CALCULATION
The formula that we use to calculate in our Proctor Test are:

 Water content, w(%)

Mw
w ( %) = × 100 %
Ms

 Mw= Mass of water (g)

 Ms= Mass of dry soil (g)

 Bulk unit weight (γ b)

γ (kN/m3) = K × ρ

 K= conversion constant, depending on density unit,

Use 9.8066 for density in g/cm3
Use 0.0098066 for density in kg/m3

 Mass density ( ρ )

M wet
ρ ( g/cm3 ) = soil

 Dry unit weight, γ d (kN/m3)

γb
γ d ( kN /m )=
3
w
1+
100

V. RESULTS
 The data that we have are in a table below:

 Standard Proctor Test Procedural and Equipment Specification

Number of blows per layer 56

Mold diameter, d (cm) 15.24
Mold height, h (cm) 11.64
Volume of mold, V(cm^3) 2122.23
Volume of mold, V(m^3) 0.002122231

 Number of the trials that we have test with the different moisture

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Trial 6

Number of layers per trial 5 5 5 5 5 5
Water content before Compaction 4% 8% 12% 14% 16% 20%
  Water Content Determination

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Trial 6

Moisture can lable A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6
Mass of can, Mc (g) 16.434 19.51 18.66 19.503 17.296 16.344
Mass of can + wet soil, Mcws (g) 110.937 96.136 111.47 100.785 114.966 181.98
Mass of can + dry soil, Mcs (g) 105.452 89.267 99.806 89.777 99.482 150.416
Mass of water, Mw (g) 5.485 6.869 11.664 11.008 15.484 31.564
Mass of dry soil, Ms (g) 89.018 69.757 81.146 70.274 82.186 134.072
Water content, W (%) 6.16 9.85 14.37 15.66 18.84 23.54
Water content, W 0.061616752 0.0984704 0.1437409 0.15664399 0.1884019 0.23542574

 Unit Weight Determination

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Trial 6

Weight of mold, Wm (g) 4700 4700 4700 4700 4700 4700
Weight of soil + mold, Wms (g) 8400 8900 9200 9200 9000 8800
Weight of soil in mold, Ws (g) 3700 4200 4500 4500 4300 4100
Weight of soil in mold, Ws (kN) 0.037 0.042 0.045 0.045 0.043 0.041
Moist Unit weight (kN/m^3) 17.43 19.79 21.20 21.20 20.26 19.32
Dry unit weight (kN/m^3) 16.42 18.02 18.54 18.33 17.05 15.64

 Final Result

Dry unit weight (kN/m^3) Water content, W (%)

 16.42 6.16
18.02 9.85
18.54 14.37
18.33 15.66
17.05 18.84
15.64 23.54

 Compaction curve

Maximum dry density

Optimum moisture content

So, we got the result of the proctor test:

 Optimum moisture content  15%

 Maximum dry density  18.5 kN/m3

 Appendix
 VI. CONCLUSION

Proctor test standard is a fundamental and essential method for determining soil's
optimum moisture content and maximum dry density, providing crucial insights into its
compaction characteristics. By following standardized procedures and utilizing the Proctor
test, engineers can accurately assess soil suitability for construction projects, ensuring
optimal compaction and stability. The Proctor test standard is a cornerstone in geotechnical
engineering, enabling informed decision-making and promoting the safe and efficient design
and construction of infrastructure projects. In the end, we found from an error in the
machinery, and the sample and we dropped the line hammer on the sample.