KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

LABORATORY REPORT ON COMPACTION

 COURSE: S0IL AND ROCK MECHANICS(CE 260)

 NAME : AKOTO FRANCISCA
 INDEX NO: 4765610
 GROUP: 10
 DATE OF EXPERIMENT: 12th MARCH, 2012
INTRODUCTION
One of ways to improve the soil at a site when the geotechnical engineer thinks it
is inadequate is compaction. Compaction is defined as the deliberate process of
pressing soil particles tightly together by applying energy on soil sample to expel
air from its void space(densification). Densification is the most important method
of soil improvement and three of the most common methods of achieving this are
Compaction,Preloading and De-watering.This is done to improve the engineering
properties or performance of the soil (stabilization). Compaction is carried out on
the field and in the laboratory. Laboratory compaction is done to achieve a
relationship between the moisture content and the dry density of the soil sample.
This when done, helps the engineer to determine the maximum dry density (MDD)
and optimum moisture content (OMC). The optimum water content is the water
content that results in the greatest density (maximum dry density) for a specified
compactive effort. This means that at these values there is zero air voids and
maximum compaction is achieved. The values obtained from the laboratory are
used by the engineer to monitor compaction on the field.

OBJECTIVE
 To bring about densification thereby improving the soil.
 To determine the relationship between the maximum dry density and the
optimum moisture content.

APPARATUS
 Oven
 Some containers for moisture content
 Balance for weighing
 A standard hammer of weight 4.5kg
 A cylindrical metal mould
 Base plate
 Collar
  Metal block

PROCEDURE
 The material provided was sieved through BS test sieve 19mm
 7000g of the sieved material was weighed.
 The mould and base plate were weighed.
 The volume of the mould containing the metal block was found using the
relation v = π r 2 h .
 The weighed sample was mixed with water at a percentage of ranging from
2% to 5% depending upon fines within the material at hand.
 The mould was filled in 5 layers, each layer was compacted by 55 blows
with the hammer.(The compacted sample was above the height of the
mould.
 The soil was trimmed to the height of the mould with the straight edge and
mould with soil was weighed.
 Two containers were taken and filled half way with the soil sample in order
for the moisture content to be determined.
 The process from step 5 was repeated until the mass of the mould and the
soil started to fall.

PRECAUTIONS
 The compacted soil was above the height of the mould.
 It was ensured that the rammer was lifted to its maximum height.
 Care was taken in order not to loose any of the weighed sample.
APPENDIX
SAMPLE CALCULATIONS
 DATA FOR CALCULATING THE VOLUME OF THE MOULD
 Diameter of mould =15.5cm
 Height of mould =11.5cm
πD 2
Volume= 4
∗H

=2169.96

m
Bulk density ρ bulk = v

From the table the bulk density for the first test sample is calculated as;
4672
ρ bulk = 2169.96

= 2.153g/cm3.

The same procedure is used to find the bulk densities for the remaining
four (4) samples.

The dry density is also calculated from the formula

γ
γ dry = ¿ bulk
¿
1+w
Where w is the moisture content and the average is used. It is changed

from the percentage to fraction. For same sample whose bulk density

has been calculated, the dry density is given by;

2.153
γ dry=
1+0.04065

= 2.069g/cm3

A graph of the dry density against the moisture content is plotted and

the optimum moisture content (OMC) and the maximum dry density

(MDD) is determined from the graph. The optimum moisture content is

the moisture content percentage at which maximum density can be

achieved.

From the graph the optimum moisture content (OMC) is 9.2% and the

maximum dry density (MDD) is 2.22g/cm3.

A second curve which represent the zero air void (ZAV) or curve of

complete saturation (Wsat) is also plotted. This curve represents the

densities of the samples if all the air voids in the sample were filled with
water. At zero air voids the degree of saturation is 100%, thus the

values for the graph are calculated from the formula;

Gs∗γw
γZAV =
1+wGS

Where Gs’ is the specific gravity of the sample, which was given as 2.65

γw is the specific weight of water also given as 9810

W is the average water content calculated previously.

2.65∗9810
γZAV =
1+0.04065∗2.65

3
γZAV =2.347 g/ cm
Average water Zero air void (ϒZAV)

content (in

fraction)

4.065 2.347

6.295 2.228

9.3 2.086

12.855 19.39

15.015 18.60

CONCLUSION
The material is unsaturated and derives strength from suction in pore
water which collects at grain contacts. As the water content increases,
suctions, and hence effective stresses decrease. The soil weaken, and is
therefore more easily compacted.