GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING, SLIIT

B.SC ENGINEERING – YEAR 02 SEMESTER 02

CE 2812 – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING I – LABORATORY ASSIGNMENT

Experiment:

STANDARD PROCTOR COMPACTION TEST

Introduction:
Aim of this experiment is to use the standard proctor compaction test obtain the relationship between
water content and dry unit weight for a given soil sample and to determine the maximum dry unit
weight and optimum water content.

Apparatus:

 Cylindrical metal mold, which is fitted with a detachable base plate and removable extension
collar (Figure 1)
 Metal rammer with 50mm diameter face, weighing 24.4kN, sliding freely in a tube that
controls the height of drop to 300mm
 Sample extruder (jack) for removing compacted material from the mold
 Metal tray
 Balances sensitive to 0.1g and 0.01g
 Drying oven with temperature ranges from 105 0C to 110 0C
 Desiccator
 Trowel or scope
 Straight edge
 No. 4 sieve (4.75mm)
 Water sprayer

Notations:

  Bulk unit weight of the soil w  Water content

 w  Unit weight of water Vw  Volume of water
 d  Dry unit weight of the soil Vs  Volume of soil
M a  Mass of air Va  Volume of air
M s  Mass of soil Gs  Specific gravity of soil
M w  Mass of water N a  Percentage of air voids
THEORY:

Va Ma Mw
Air
Water Content ( w) 
Ms

V Vw Water Mw M Ms
Dry unit weight ( d ) 
V
Soil
Vs Ms Va
Percentage air voids ( N a ) 
V
Figure 1: Soil phases
From the soil phase diagram shown in Figure 1,
M Ms  Mw Ms  Mw 
Bulk unit weight ( )    1  
V V V  Ms 


d  (1)
(1  w)
Then, the graph of dry unit weight verses water content can be plotted knowing  d and w
(Figure 2).
To plot an air-void curve, let the total volume of the soil sample as one unit (V  1)
V  Va  Vw  Vs  1

Mw Ms M M Ms
1  Va    Va  w s 
w  w Gs M s  w  w Gs

But,
Ms
 d  Ms  d
V

d 
1  Va  w  d
 w  wGs

Percentage of air voids

Va
(N a )   Va (V  1)
V
Using above, it can be show that;

(1  N a )Gs  w
d  (2)
(1  wGs )

Then, different air-void lines can be plotted on the same graph of dry weight versus water
content similar to Figure 2.

Figure 2: Graph of Dry unit weight verses water content and lines of air-void ratios

Figure 3: Standard proctor compaction apparatus Figure 4: Sequence of applying blows

PROCEDURE
 Set the compaction mold without the removable collar to the base plate and weigh.

 Attach the removable collar (Figure 3).

 Obtain around 3.0kg representative specimen of the air dried soil sample and break all soil
lumps. Collect the soil passing through No. 4 sieve.

 Add suitable amount of water and mix thoroughly. Start the test with a water content lower
than the optimum.

 Place the mold assembly on a solid base and add soil to the mold so that it is about half full.
Compact the soil by applying 25 blows of the rammer dropping from the controlled height of
300mm. The hammer should be position properly before releasing. Guide tube should be held
vertically and should be placed gently on the soil. As shown in Figure 4, the hammer should
be positioned to evenly distribute the compaction energy into the soil and rotated slightly to
ensure a uniform distribution of blows.

 Place a second, approximately equal layer of soil in the mold and compact it with 25 blows as
before. Repeat with a third layer, which should bring the compacted soil level in the extension
collar to about 6mm above the level of the mold body.

 Remove the extension collar carefully. Cut away the excess soil and level off to the top of the
mold. Any small cavity resulting from the removal of stones should be filled with fine
materials.

 Remove excess soil on the base plate carefully using the brush and weigh (Soil + Compaction
mold + Base plate).

 Remove the base and set the mold on the sample extruder and remove the sample from the
mold.

 Immediately, collect some soils from top, middle and bottom to determine the water content.

 Break up the material in the tray and add some water to the soil with the sprayer. Then mix
the soil thoroughly.

 Keep repeating the compaction process increasing the water content until five or six runs have
been made and soil become very wet and sticky.
CALCULATIONS:

 Do the specimen calculation assuming G s = 2.65. (Each student should do specimen

calculation for a different data set).
 Complete the table provided.
 Draw the graph of dry unit weight, ( d ) .versus water content (w) .
 Determine the maximum dry unit weight and optimum moisture content.
 Construct the 0% and 10% air-void curves in the graph of dry unit weight versus water
content.

RESULTS:
Give the following results

1. Maximum dry unit weight

2. Optimum water content

DISCUSSION:

a) What is the importance of knowing the optimum moisture content and the maximum dry unit
weight for a particular soil?

b) What are the advantages of the compaction of soils?

c) Why is the soil passing No. 4 sieve used in the laboratory test and what are the
disadvantages of discarding the course portion?

Name:
Student Number:
Group:
Date:
Note: Please keep the laboratory clean and order.
OFFICE USE ONLY
The student has successfully completed the laboratory exercise.

...............................................
INSTRUCTOR