January 20, 2021

CE 401 – CE31S6 Geotechnical Engineering 1 (Soil Mechanics)

GROUP ____ (5 Members)

ACDAL, ABEGYL LAGBO, ISABELLA

BOBIS, ANGELIKA SECRETARIO, MARK JAMES
EMPERADO, TRISHA MAE

Laboratory Report
COMPACTION TEST
1. Objective(s):
The activity aims to introduce the basic concepts, significance and procedures for
conducting the compaction test, which will be used for the compaction specification for
field compaction of soil.
2. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs):
The students shall be able to:
2.1 Apply laboratory equipment with ease and precision suiting the objectives of the
experiment.
2.2 Determine the Optimum Moisture Content (OMC)
3. Discussion:
Compaction is the process of densification of soil mass by reducing air voids.
Compaction of soil increases the density, shear strength, bearing capacity, thus reducing
the voids, settlement and permeability. The process does not involve the removal of
water. The process primarily results in an increase of soil unit weight (density). The
results of this are useful in the stability of field problems like earthen dams,
embankments, roads and airfield. Compaction is the application of mechanical energy to
a soil to rearrange the particles
and reduce the void ratio.
4. Apparatus:
 Molds,
 Manual rammer,
 Extruder,
 Balance,
 Drying oven,
 Mixing pan,
 Trowel,
 #4 sieve,
 Moisture cans,
  Graduated cylinder,
 Straight Edge.
5. Application:
The purpose of the compaction is required in the development of street banks,
improvement of street subgrade, subbase, and base layers. Compaction of materials in
dams is expected to guarantee dependability and water snugness of the dam dividers.
In such compacted in the field is constrained by the estimation of the OMC dictated by
research center compaction test. The compaction energy to be given by a compaction
unit is additionally constrained by the most extreme dry thickness decided in the lab.
As such, the research center compaction tests results are utilized to compose the
compaction detail for field compaction of the dirt.
The principal explanation behind compacting soil is to lessen resulting settlement
under working loads.
 Compaction builds the shear strength of the dirt.
 Compaction lessens the voids proportion making it harder for water to stream through
soil. This is significant if the dirt is being utilized to hold water, for example, would be
needed for an earth dam.
Compaction can forestall the development of enormous water pressures that
influence soil to melt during seismic tremors.
6. Procedure:
1. Thoroughly mix the selected sample with sufficient water to dampen it to
approximately 4 percentage points below optimum moisture content.

2. Form a specimen by compacting the prepared soil in the 4 in. (102 mm) mold
(with collar attached) in three approximately equal layers to give a total
compacted depth of about 5 in. (127 mm). Compact each layer by 25 uniformly
distributed blows from the rammer dropping free from a height of 12 in. (305
mm) above the approximate elevation of the soil when a sleeve type rammer is
used, or from compacted layer when a stationary mounted type rammer is
used. During compaction, the mold shall rest firmly on a dense, uniform, rigid
and stable foundation.

2.1Following compaction, remove the extension collar, carefully

trim the compacted soil even with the top of the mold by means of
straightedge. Holes developed in the surface by removal of coarse
material shall be patched with smaller size material. Weigh the
mold and moist soil in pounds or in kilograms and divide the mass
of the compacted specimen, mold minus the mass of the mold by
0.000943 and record the results as wet density W1 in kg/m3
 3. Remove the material from the mold and slice vertically through the center. Take
a representative sample of the material from one of the cut faces, weigh
immediately, and dry in an oven at 110±5oC for at least 12 h, or to constant
mass, to determine the moisture content. The moisture content sample shall
weigh not less than 500 g.

4. Thoroughly break up the remainder of the material until it will pass a 19.0 mm
sieve and add to the remaining portion of the sample being tested. Add water in
sufficient amounts to increase the moisture content of the soil sample by one or
two percentage points, and repeat the above procedure for each increment of
water added. Continue this series of determinations until there is either a
decrease or no change in the wet mass, W 1 per cubic foot or cubic meter of
compacted soil.

7. Data and Results:

WORK SHEET FOR TEST ON MOISTURE DENSITY RELATIIONS OF SOILS

Trial Number 1 2 3 4 5
Water added in ml
Mold + wet soil
Wet Density, kg/m3

Container number
Container + wet soil
Water
Container
Dry soil
Moisture Content, %
Dry Density, kg/m3
Method Used: __A __B __C __D
Rammer, kg : 2.5( ) 4.5 ( )
Layer No. : 3( ) 5( )
No. of Blows/Layer: 25( ) 56( )
Volume of Mold, m : 0.000943( ) 0.002125( )
3

Maximum Dry Density (MDD), kg/m3:

Optimum Moisture Content (OMC), %:

8. Conclusion:
Soil Compaction is the process in which the density of soil increases when stress
is applied and causing a reduction in the volume of air. As a construction process,
 compaction is employed in the construction of road bases, runaways, earth dams,
embankments and reinforced earth walls. In some cases, compaction may be used to
prepare a level surface for building. At relatively high water contents, the compacted
soil is nearly saturated and so the compactive effort is in effect applying undrained
loading and so the void volume does not decrease; as the water content increases, the
compacted density achieved will decrease, with the air content remaining almost
constant. Some of the benefits of proper soil compaction are increased of shear
strength of the soil due to its increased density, reduces the chances of settlement and
reduces the permeability of the soil.
9. References:
(n.d.). Standard Proctor Test - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. Retrieved January
19, 2021, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/standard-proctor-test

(n.d.). Standard Proctor Test - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. Retrieved January

19, 2021, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/standard-proctor-test

(n.d.). Soil Compaction - Tas | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au. Retrieved January 19,
2021, from http://soilquality.org.au/factsheets/soil-compaction-tas

 (n.d.). Compaction. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from

http://environment.uwe.ac.uk/geocal/SoilMech/compaction/compaction.htm