Review of Relative Density

Principles
 Relative Density principles apply to
compaction of relatively clean, coarse-
grained soils.
 Relatively clean usually taken to be less 12
% or less finer than the #200 sieve.
 Important for compaction study of filters
Objectives
 Explain basic principles  Summarize minimum
of compacting clean and maximum index
sands and gravels density tests
 Understand basic tests to  Detail the importance
obtain reference of water content in
densities. compacting clean
 Use 1 point compaction sands and gravels
test in design and quality
control
Review of Compaction Principles

 Compaction Tests are not commonly

performed on soils with 12 % or fewer fines
 Small percentage of fines means soils
cannot easily hold water to examine range
of water and effect on dry density
Review of Compaction Principles
 Compaction tests performed on clean sands
may have this appearance
Dr density

w%
Compacting Clean Sands

 Clean sands are compacted most easily at

either very dry or very wet water contents
 At intermediate water contents, capillary
stresses in voids resist compaction
 Bulking is term for this phenomenon
 Compacting Clean Sands
 Vibration most effective energy for sands
 Use smooth-wheeled vibratory roller
Relative Density

 Alternative to traditional compaction test is

relative density tests
 Minimum Index Density
 Maximum Index Density
 Relative Density
 Minimum Index Density
 Minimum index
density of clean
sand is that Sand
resulting from dropped no
very loosely more than 1”

filling a steel
mold. ASTM
Method D4254
Minimum Index Density
 After filling the
mold, excess soil is
carefully screed
off. The volume of
this mold is 0.1 ft3.
Knowing the
weight of soil in
the mold, the dry
density is easily
computed
Maximum Index Density
 Example Minimum dry density = 96 pcf
 Maximum index density of clean sand
results from vibration at high amplitude on
vibratory table for 10 minutes.
ASTM D4253
 Example Maximum dry density = 117.5 pcf
Maximum Index Density
Weight on
sample inside
sleeve

Vibratory
table
Maximum Index Density
Weight on
sample inside
sleeve

Vibratory
table
 Maximum Index Density

Sample
densified by
vibration

Measure 
height to
determine
new d
Plate on which weight
sits during vibration
Void Ratio and Dry Density
 The void Ratio is calculated for each state of
denseness of sample.
 Maximum void ratio occurs at minimum index
density - For Example Min.d = 96.0 pcf
 Minimum void ratio occurs at maximum index
density For Example Maximum d = 110.0 pcf

Gs   water
e 1
 dry
 Minimum and Maximum Void Ratios

 First Calculate void ratio at Minimum d

Gs   water 2.65  62.4
emax  1   1  0.7225
 dry 96.0

 Next Calculate void ratio at Maximum d

Gs   water 2.65  62.4

emin  1   1  0.5033
 dry 110.0
 Relative Density Equation

emax  emeasured
Rd (%)  x100
emax  emin
Diagram below illustrates a
relative density of about 40 %
emeasured
emin emax

dmax d measured d min

increasing density
 Calculate Void Ratio of Compacted Sand

 Now, assume that the density of this

sand was measured in a compacted fill
and it was 102.5 pcf. Calculate a value
for relative density of the fill. First,
calculate the void ratio of the fill:

Gs   water 2.65  62.4

e 1   1  0.6133
 dry 102.5
Compute Relative Density
 Now, use the values of void ratio in the
relative density equation:

emax  emeasured
Rd (%)  x100
emax  emin

0.7225  0.6133
Rd (%)  x100  49.9 %
0.7223  0.5033
 Compute Relative Density
 Relative Density Equation
(rewritten in dry density terms)
 Solve for Example:
 d max  d   d min 
Rd (%)  100
 d   d max   d min 
110 .0102.5  96.0 
Rd (%)   100  49.8 % 
102.5110 .0  96.0 
Fort Worth Relative Density Study
 NRCS lab in Fort Worth studied 28 filter
sands and used some published data
 Minimum and Maximum Index Densities
were performed on each sample
 A 1 point dry Standard Proctor energy mold
was also prepared for each sample.
 Values of 50% and 70% relative density were
plotted against the 1 point Proctor value
 70 % Relative Density vs. 1 Point Proctor
130

125

120
70 % Relative Density

115

110

105 Best fit correlation

100

95 70 %RD = 1 Point line

90
90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130
Field 1 Point Proctor Test Dry Density, pcf
70 % Relative Density vs. 1 Point Proctor

 Conclusion is that the field 1 point

Proctor dry test is about equal to 70
% relative density
 50 % Relative Density vs. 1 Point Proctor
125

120
best fit line
115

110
50 % Rd

105

100

95 95 % of 1
point

90
90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130
Field 1 pointdry density
50 % Relative Density vs. 1 Point Proctor

 Conclusion is that the 95 % of the

field 1 point Proctor dry test is
about equal to 50 % relative
density
Relative Density Estimates from FW
SML Study

D 70 = 1.075 x d 1pt -9.61,

for RD70 and d 1pt in lb/ft3

D 50 = 1.07 x d 1pt - 12.5,

for RD50 and d 1pt in lb/ft3
 Relative Density Estimates from FW
SML Study

 Example Relative Density Estimates

– Given: 1 Point Proctor Test
d = 105.5 pcf
– Estimate 70 % and 50% Relative Density
– Given that measured d is 98.7, evaluate
state of compaction of sand.
Review of Relative Density

 Class Problem - Relative Density

– A soil’s minimum index density is 96.5 pcf
and its maximum index density is 111.5 pcf.
The Gs value is 2.65
– Calculate the emin and emax
– Compute the void ratio and dry density
corresponding to a relative density value of
70 %
 Class Problem Solution

 Given: Minimum index density is 96.5 pcf

 Maximum index density is 111.5 pcf.
Gs   water 2.65  62.4
emax  1   1  0.7136
 min_dry 96.5

Gs   water 2.65  62.4

emin  1   1  0.4831
 max_dry 111 .5
Class Problem Solution

 Now, substitue a value for RD of 70(%)

in the relative density equation
emax  emeasured
Rd (%)  x100
emax  emin

0.7136  emeasured
70  x100
0.7136  0.4831
Class Problem Solution
 Solving and Rearranging the equation:
0.7136  emeasured
70  x100
0.7136  0.4831
70 0.7136  emeasured

100 .2305
0.16135  0.7136  emeasured
emeasured  0.7136  0.16135  0.5225
 Class Problem Solution
 Now, calculate a value for dry density at this void ratio:

Gs   water 2.65  62.4

e 1 0.55225  1
 dry  dry

2.65  62.4 165.36

1.55225   dry   106.5 lb 3
 dry 1.55225 ft

 Summary - The dry density corresponding to

70(%) relative density for this sample is 106.5
pcf
 Other information on Relative Density
140

130
Gravelly sand
120
Dry Density, pcf

110 sand and silty

sand

100

90
Reference - Donovan, N.C. and Sukhmander Singh, "Liquefaction Criteria
for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline." Liquefaction Problems in Geotechnical
Engineering, ASCE Specialty Session, Philadelphia, PA, 1976.
80
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Relative Density, %
 Other information on Relative Density
45

40 Chart is for silty

sands (SM)
Saturated Water Content, %

35

30
Average

25

20

15
Reference ભ Donovan, N.C. and Sukhmander Singh,
"Liquefaction Criteria for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline." Liquefaction
10 Problems in Geotechnical Engineering, ASCE Specialty Session,
Philadelphia, PA, 1976.
5
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Relative Density, %
Class Problem

 Given that the water content of a silty

sand that was obtained from a saturated
zone of a channel bank measured 24.5
percent
 What is the estimated relative density
of the sand?
Class Problem Solution

 Reading from the chart, the

estimated Rd value is about 42
percent.