UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY RGPV BHOPAL-462033

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

GEO-TECHNICAL ENGINEERING LAB MANUAL
The dry density in g/cc corresponding to the maximum point on the moisture content/dry density curve should
be reported as the maximum dry density to the nearest 0.01. The percentage moisture content corresponding to
the maximum dry density on the moisture content/dry density curve should be reported as the optimum
moisture content and quoted to the nearest 0.2 for values below 5 percent, to the nearest 0.5 for values from 5
to 10 percent and to the nearest whole number for values exceeding 10 percent.

MAXIMUM DRY DENSITY & OPTIMUM MOISTURE CONTENT

For Sub-grade: The sub grade should be compacted to 97% of the dry density achieved with heavy
compaction (modified proctor density) as per IS:2720 (Part 8). For Expressways, National Highways and
State Highways, the material used for sub grade construction should have the dry density of not less
than 1.75 gm/cc.

EFFECT OF SOIL TYPE

Well-graded granular soils can be compacted to higher densities than uniform or silty soils.
Clays of high plasticity may have water contents over 30% and achieve similar densities (and therefore
strengths) to those of lower plasticity with water contents below 20%.
As the % of fines and the plasticity of a soil increases, the compaction curve becomes flatter and
therefore less sensitive to moisture content. Equally, the maximum dry density will be relatively low.

On the basis of relative density, sands and gravels can be grouped into different categories:
Relative density (%) Classification
< 15 Very loose
15-35 Loose
35-65 Medium
65-85 Dense
> 85 Very dense
It is not possible to determine the dry density from the value of the relative density. The reason is that
the values of the maximum and minimum dry densities (or void ratios) depend on the gradation and
angularity of the soil grains.

Procedure for Standard Proctor Test:

1. Collect the soil sample weighing 3kg. The sample must be 3kg after air drying it. Usually, this soil will be
pulverized soil that passes through 4.75mm sieve.
2. If the soil is coarse grained type, the water is added such that its water content comes to 4%. If the soil is
fine grained, water is added to make its water content to 8%. The water content of the sample after addition
must be less than the optimum water content.
3. The soil after addition of water is mixed thoroughly and covered with a wet cloth. This sample is kept aside
for 15 to 30 minutes for undergoing maturing process.

Table: Optimum Water Content Range for Different Soil Types

Sand Sand silt or silty sand Silt Clay

6 to 10% 8 to 12% 12 to 16% 14 to 20%

CBR VALUE: SUB-GRADE

For determining the CBR value, the standard test procedure described in IS:2720 (Part 16) should be strictly
adhered to. The test must always be performed on remoulded samples of soils in the laboratory It is
recommended that the samples be soaked in water for four days prior to testing. In situ CBR test is not
recommended.
 UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY RGPV BHOPAL-462033
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
GEO-TECHNICAL ENGINEERING LAB MANUAL

Preferably the sub-grade soil should have a CBR of 2%. If the CBR<2%, the design should be based on
a CBR of 2% and a capping layer of 150 mm thickness of material with a minimum CBR of 10% shall be
provided in addition to the sub-base Where stage construction is adopted, the thickness of sub-base
shall be provided for ultimate pavement section for the full design life.

California bearing ratio typical values: What are the typical CBR values?
The harder the material, the higher the CBR value. A CBR value of 2% is usually found for clay,
high-quality sub-base will have CBR values between 80% and 100%, and some sands may have values
around 10%.

General Soil Type USC Soil Type CBR Range

GW 40 – 80
GP 30 – 60
GM 20 – 60
GC 20 – 40
Coarse-grained soils
SW 20 – 40
SM 10 – 40
SP 10 – 40
SC 5 – 20
ML 15 or less
CL LL < 50% 15 or less
OL 5 or less
Fine-grained soils
MH 10 or less
CH LL > 50% 15 or less
OH 5 or less

How is the CBR value calculated?

The unit load (pressure) on the plunger for 2.54 mm or 5.08 mm of penetration is divided by the unit load of the
standard material and the result is multiplied by 100.
The bearing capacity of the standard material is considered as a reference value for this test. That’s
why the CBR values are percentages, indicating the strength of a granular material in relation to the
standard material.

A new four lane divided highway is to be constructed on a sub-grade of CBR 1.8 %. The ADT of truck traffic
based on the last count was 8000. The directional split of traffic is 55:45. Vehicle damage factor based on axle
load survey was 4.0. Design a suitable pavement section for a design life of 15 years. The last traffic count was
taken 1 year back and the project would be completed in 2 years from now. Growth rate of traffic = 7%.

In India IRC: 37–2012 is used for design of flexible pavements. It gives design charts for pavement on
the basis of CBR value for sub-grade material ranging from 3% to 15%. However for sub-base layer, MR
(modulus of resilience) value is now considered.

Table 3: Typical CBR values for various soils (Source: Rollings and Rollings, 1996)
Material description CBR Value
Thumb penetration into the wet clay soil: Easy <1
Possible 1
Difficult 2
Impossible 3+
A trace of a footprint left by a walking man 1
SC: clayey sand 10-20
CL: lean clays, sandy clays, gravelly clays 5-15
 UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY RGPV BHOPAL-462033
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
GEO-TECHNICAL ENGINEERING LAB MANUAL
ML: silts, sandy silts 5-15
OL: organic silts, lean organic clays 4-8
CH: fat clays 3-5
MH: plastic silts 4-8
OH: fat organic clays 3-5

Sub-base course: Granular Sub-base (GSB) materials conforming to clause 401 of MORT&H specifications for
road and bridge works is recommended The sub-base material should have minimum CBR of 20% for
cumulative traffic up to 2 msa and 30% for traffic exceeding 2 msa. The material should be tested for
CBR at the dry density and moisture content expected in the field. The thickness of sub-base should
not be less than 150 mm for design traffic less than 10 msa and 200 mm for design traffic of 10 msa and
above.

Base course: The recommended minimum thickness of granular base is 225 mm for traffic upto 2 msa and 250
mm for traffic exceeding 2 msa. For heavily trafficked roads, use of WMM base laid by paver finisher or motor
grader is recommended. Where WBM construction should be adopted in the base course for roads carrying
traffic more than 10 msa, the thickness of WBM shall be increased from 250 mm to 300 mm.

Procedure for Standard Proctor Test

4. Collect the soil sample weighing 3kg. The sample must be 3kg after air drying it. Usually, this soil will be
pulverized soil that passes through 4.75mm sieve.
5. If the soil is coarse grained type, the water is added such that its water content comes to 4%. If the soil is
fine grained, water is added to make its water content to 8%. The water content of the sample after addition
must be less than the optimum water content.
6. The soil after addition of water is mixed thoroughly and covered with a wet cloth. This sample is kept aside
for 15 to 30 minutes for undergoing maturing process. The table-1 below shows the range of optimum water
content for different soil types
Table.1: Optimum Water Content Range for Different Soil Types
Sand Sand silt or silty sand Silt Clay

6 to 10% 8 to 12% 12 to 16% 14 to 20%

2. Next, the apparatus is prepared by cleaning the mold thoroughly. The mold have to be dried and greased
lightly. The mass of the mold with base plate and without collar is weighed. Let it me (Wm).
3. The mold placed over solid base plate is then filled with prepared matured soil to one third of the height. This
layer will take 25 blows with the rammer. The rammer has a free fall height of 310 mm.

END-RESULT SPECIFICATIONS
Target parameters are specified based on laboratory test results:

Optimum water content working range, i.e. ± 2%

Optimum air-voids content tolerance, i.e. ± 1.5%
For soils wetter than wopt, the target Av can be used, e.g.
10% for bulk earthworks
5% for important work
The end-result method is unsuitable for very wet or variable conditions.
 UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY RGPV BHOPAL-462033
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
GEO-TECHNICAL ENGINEERING LAB MANUAL
Compaction as a construction process
Compaction is employed in the construction of road bases, runways, earth dams, embankments and reinforced
earth walls. In some cases, compaction may be used to prepare a level surface for building construction.
Soil is placed in layers, typically 75 mm to 450 mm thick. Each layer is compacted to a specified standard using
rollers, vibrators or rammers.

Objectives of compaction
Compaction can be applied to improve the properties of an existing soil or in the process of placing fill. The
main objectives are to: increase shear strength and therefore bearing capacity increase stiffness and therefore
reduce future settlement decrease voids ratio and so permeability, thus reducing potential frost heave.
To control soil properties in the field during earthwork construction, it is usual to specify the degree of
compaction (also known as the relative compaction). This specification is usually that a certain percentage of
the maximum dry density, as found from a laboratory test (Light or Heavy Compaction), must be achieved. For
example, it could be specified that field dry densities must be greater than 95% of the maximum dry density
(MDD) as determined from a laboratory test. Target values for the range of water content near the optimum
moisture content (OMC) to be adopted at the site can then be decided, as shown in the figure.

For this reason, it is important to have a good control over moisture content during compaction of soil layers in
the field. It is then up to the field contractor to select the thickness of each soil lift (layer of soil added) and the
type of field equipment in order to achieve the specified amount of compaction. The standard of field
compaction is usually controlled through either end-product specifications or method specifications.

TYPICAL TEST RESULTS

Typical maximum density and optimum moisture that can be expected as the result of a standard compaction
test (AASHTO T 99) are given below (Table 5.1). A modifi ed compaction test (AASHTO T 180) will yield 10 to
15 percent higher maximum densities and 20 to 30 percent lower optimum moisture due to the greater
compactive effort used (as described in Table 5.2).
TABLE 5.1
Typical Values of Maximum Density and Optimum Moisture for Common Types of Soil (using AASHTO T 99)
Unified Soil Soil Description Range of Max.Densities kg/m3 (lbs/ft3) Range of Optimum Moisture (%)
CH Highly Plastic Clays 1200-1680 (75-105) 19-36
CL Silty Clays 1520-1920 (95-120) 12-24
ML Silts and Clayey Silts 1520-1920 (95-120) 12-24
SC Clayey Sands 1680-2000 (105-125) 11-19
SM Silty Sands 1760-2000 (110-125) 11-16
SP Poorly-graded Sands 1600-1920 (100-120) 12-21
SW Well-graded Sands 1760-2080 (110-130) 9-16
GC Clayey Gravel w/sands 1840-2080 (115-130) 9-14
GP Poorly-graded gravels 1840-2000 (115-125) 11-14
GW Well-graded Gravels 2000-2160 (125-135) 8-11
 UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY RGPV BHOPAL-462033
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
GEO-TECHNICAL ENGINEERING LAB MANUAL
ESTIMATING MAXIMUM DRY DENSITY AND OPTIMUM MOISTURE CONTENT OF COMPACTED SOILS
NG K.S.*, CHEW Y.M., OSMAN M.H., MOHAMAD GHAZALI S.K.
(1) Maximum dry density was well correlated with optimum moisture content.
(2) MDD and OMC were best correlated with plasticity index (PI) compared to liquid limit (LL) and plastic limit
(PL).
(3) Correlation equations by Sivrikaya et al. [5] and Matteo et al. [2] over predicted MDD when the values for
OMC are known.
(4) Predictive model by Noor et al. [3] gave the best estimation for MDD while OMC was best predicted by Blotz
et al. [1] work.
(5) MLR analyses provide reliable predictive models and Model no.3 which only involve index properties and
specific gravity (Gs) is recommended. However, these models should be limited to soils with similar
characteristics as the soil in this study and more samples are needed to improve the prediction with broader
scope in terms of OMC, MDD, LL, PI, and Gs.

Few prediction models can be found in the literature to predict the compaction properties of soil based on
several geotechnical properties such as grain size, plastic limit (PL), liquid limit (LL), plasticity index (PI) specific
gravity (Gs) and compaction energy (E). Based on the compaction results of 22 clayey soils, Blotz
et al. [1] discovered that the compaction properties were best correlated with liquid limit and thus proposing the
following relationships:
MDDB = (2.27 log LL- 0.94) log E -0.16 LL + 17.02
OMCB = (12.39 -12.21 log LL) log E +0.67 LL + 9.21

On the other hand, Sridharan& Nagaraj [2] developed the prediction model for standard proctor test using only
plastic limit:
MDDR = 0.23 (93.3 - PL)
OMCR = 0.92 PL

Meanwhile, Noor et al. [3] incorporated plastic limit, plasticity index and specific gravity to predict the
compaction properties of the standard proctor test. The relationships are presented as:
G
MDDN  27  PL0.6  PI 0.33  S
2 .7
G
OMCN  0.55 PL  0.36 PI  S
2 .7