University Of Halabja

Civil Engineering Department.3rd stage

Soil lap

Subject: soil mechanic

Experiment No: 3

Name:
Rezhwan Hama Karim

Group: B

Year of Study:
2020-2021

Date:
1/12/2020
Contents:
Introduction……………………………………………………………….……..3
Purpose of this experiment …………………………………………………….3
Standard references……………………………………………….…………….3
Materials and equipment………………………………………………….……4
Procedure ………………………………………………………………..………8
Data analysis…………..……………………………………………..…………10
Discussion..……………………………………..………………………………14
Conclusion ………………………………………………………………..……14

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Introduction
The Proctor compaction test is a laboratory method of experimentally
determining the optimal moisture content at which a given soil type will become
most dense and achieve its maximum dry density. And the
graphical relationship of the dry density to moisture content is then plotted to
establish the compaction curve.

Purpose of this experiment

This laboratory test is performed to determine the relationship between the
moisture content and the dry density of a soil for a specified compactive effort.
The compactive effort is the amount of mechanical energy that is applied to the
soil mass. Several different methods are used to compact soil in the field, and
some examples include tamping, kneading, vibration, and static load compaction.
This laboratory will employ the tamping or impact compaction method using the
type of equipment and methodology developed by R. R. Proctor in 1933,
therefore, the test is also known as the Proctor test.

Standard reference
 ASTM D 698 - Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction
Characteristics of Soil Using Standard Effort (12,400 ft-lbs/ft3 (600 KN-
m/m3)).
 ASTM D 1557 - Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction
Characteristics of Soil Using Modified Effort (56,000 ft-lbs/ft3 (2,700 KN-
m/m3)).

Significance
Mechanical compaction is one of the most common and cost effective means of
stabilizing soils. An extremely important task of geotechnical engineers is the
performance and analysis of field control tests to assure that compacted fills are
meeting the prescribed design specifications. Design specifications usually state
the required density (as a percentage of the “maximum” density measured in a
standard laboratory test), and the water content. In general, most engineering
properties, such as the strength, stiffness, resistance to shrinkage, and

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imperviousness of the soil, will improve by increasing the soil density. The
optimum water content is the water content that results in the greatest density for
a specified compactive effort. Compacting at water contents higher than (wet of )
the optimum water content results in a relatively dispersed soil structure (parallel
particle orientations) that is weaker, more ductile, less pervious, softer, more
susceptible to shrinking, and less susceptible to swelling than soil compacted dry
of optimum to the same density. The soil compacted lower than (dry of) the
optimum water content typically results in a flocculated soil structure (random
particle orientations) that has the opposite characteristics of the soil compacted
wet of the optimum water content to the same density.

Materials and apparatus:

A-Materials:-

 Sample of soil

B-apparatuses:-

 Balance accurate to 0.1g (0.2% of the sample weight).

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  Mixing pan

 Mold

 Manual rammer

5
 moisture cans

 Extruder

 Spatula

6
 Drying oven set at 105 0C

 Trowel

 Sieve #4

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  Graduated cylinder

 Straight edge

Procedure:
 Depending on the type of mold you are using obtain a sufficient quantity of
air-dried soil in large mixing pan. For the 4-inch mold take approximately
10 lbs., and for the 6-inch mold take roughly 15 lbs. pulverize the soil and
run it through the # 4 sieve.
 Determine the weight of the soil sample as well as the weight of the
compaction mold with its base (without the collar) by using the balance and
record the weights.
 Compute the amount of initial water to add by the following method:
Assume water content for the first test to be 8 percent. (b) Compute water
to add from the following equation: ( ) 100 soil mass in grams 8 water to
add (inml) = Where “water to add” and the “soil mass” are in grams.
Remember that a gram of water is equal to approximately one milliliter of
water.

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 Measure out the water, add it to the soil, and then mix it thoroughly into the
soil using the trowel until the soil gets a uniform color (See Photos B and
C).
 Assemble the compaction mold to the base, place some soil in the mold and
compact the soil in the number of equal layers specified by the type of
compaction method employed (See Photos D and E). The number of drops
of the rammer per layer is also dependent upon the type of mold used (See
Table 1). The drops should be applied at a uniform rate not exceeding
around 1.5 seconds per drop, and the rammer should provide uniform
coverage of the specimen surface. Try to avoid rebound of the rammer from
the top of the guide sleeve.
 The soil should completely fill the cylinder and the last compacted layer
must extend slightly above the collar joint. If the soil is below the collar
joint at the completion of the drops, the test point must be repeated. (Note:
For the last layer, watch carefully, and add more soil after about 10 drops if
it appears that the soil will be compacted below the collar joint.)
 Carefully remove the collar and trim off the compacted soil so that it is
completely even with the top of the mold using the trowel. Replace small
bits of soil that may fall out during the trimming process (See Photo F).

 Weigh the compacted soil while it’s in the mold and to the base, and record
the mass (See Photo G). Determine the wet mass of the soil by subtracting
the weight of the mold and base.
 Remove the soil from the mold using a mechanical extruder (See Photo H)
and take soil moisture content samples from the top and bottom of the
specimen (See Photo I). Fill the moisture cans with soil and determine the
water content.
 Place the soil specimen in the large tray and break up the soil until it
appears visually as if it will pass through the # 4 sieve, add 2 percent more
water based on the original sample mass, and re-mix as in step 4. Repeat
steps 5 through 9 until, based on wet mass, a peak value is reached
followed by two slightly lesser compacted soil masses.

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Data analysis
 First of all calculating the moisture content of each compacted soil specimen
by using the average of three water contents.

Weight of Weight of Weight of Average

Water
Can No. empty wet dry water
content.
cans (g). soil+can(g). soil+can(g) content.
11.0 33.4 31.2 10.8%
Sample1
11.0 34.5 31.9 12.4% 11.8%
(S6,N6Q21)
11.0 34.7 32.1 12.3%
11.2 34.5 31.4 15.3%
Sample2
11.1 32.7 30.1 13.6% 14.7%
(X12,F4,D12)
11.1 33.1 30.2 15.1%
11.0 34.4 30.9 17.6%
Sample3
11.2 32.7 29.5 17.5% 17.9%
(C12,C4,E3)
11.0 33.3 29.8 18.6%
11.0 32.1 28.7 19.2%
Sample4
11.0 32.0 28.4 20.7% 20.3%
(AB1,X2,F1)
11.0 33.6 29.7 20.9%
11.0 34.2 29.8 23.4%
Sample5
11.2 35.3 30.4 25.5% 24.7%
(B3,R13,T5)
11.2 35.1 30.3 25.1%

The water content is calculated as follows:

Wc is Weight of metal container.

Ww+c is Weight of container and wet soil.
Wd+c is Weight of container and dry soil
And then find average water content.

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 Compute wet density in grams per cm3 of the compacted soil.
Mold properties

Inner Dia. 10.2 Cm

Height 11.2 Cm

Empty mass 1957.9 G

r=D/2= 10.2/2 = 5.1cm

Volume of empty mold= = =914.7

Mass of the soil= mass soil and mold-mass of mold

(Wet density)

Sample1:
=2.21g/
Sample2:
=2.32g/
Sample3:
=2.4g/
Sample4:
=2.4g/
Sample5:
2.36g/

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  Compute the dry density.

Which w=moisture content of the soil.

And =dry density of the soil.
Sample1

Sample2

Sample3

Sample4

Sample5

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  Plot the compaction curve.
soil compaction-curve copaction curve

zero air voide line curvw

2.15

2.1

Pd max
2.05
dry-density g/cm3

2.04

1.95
accebtable range
of water for 94%
1.91 94%of Pd max
1.9
OWC

dry of obtimum wet of optimum

1.85
0.1 0.15 0.179 0.2 0.24 0.25
water -content

Optimum water content=0.179=17.9%

Maximum dry density=2.04g/cm3

 Draw a curve of zero air void line in the above curve:

⌊ ⌋

Pd = dry density of soil grams per cm3.

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Gs = specific gravity of the soil being tested (assume 2.70 if not given).
ρw = density of water in grams per cm3 (approximately1 g/cm3 ).
w = moisture content in percent for complete saturation.

assumed w Pd
0.08 2.22
0.1 2.13
0.12 2.04
0.14 1.96
0.16 1.89
0.18 1.82

 Calculat95% of maximum dry unit:

At 95% compaction Yd=0.95×2.04=1.91g/cm3 and with interpolation w=0.24

Discussion:
In this test we find relationship between dry density and water content for a
specified compactive effort. Whit using different equipment’s, and we find each
of Ydmax and Wopt and we can say our soil sample at Ydmax=2.04 is well
compacted and e can use for many construction purpose and need wc=0.179 we
note that at the beginning of our curve the addition of the water reduce the void
of the water and increase dry unit weight but after Wopt the yd is decrease. In
this test result we draw a (zero-air-void-line) which if this curve not intersect
curvature between dry density and water content, but our curve is intersect each
other and this mean our soil sample is not fully saturated and this mean air voids
in our soil is not equal to zero and retained so that our soil sample is not well
compacted because in well compact the air voids is equal to zero. And with 94%
of compaction we found each of Yd and water content and we note that the
acceptable rang of water at %94 of compaction obtained from wet side of
optimum water content so we found acceptable water rang for this compaction,
and this wet of optimum use for soils with large volume changes from changes of
water content such as expansive and collapsible, if we use less water content than
11.8% for our soil we may find 94%compaction for dry optimum

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Conclusion:
In compaction of soils, the main aim is to keep the soil particles close together
which leads to improve dry density of soil. The soil with maximum dry density is
suitable for the several constructional purposes. But maximum dry density of soil
through compaction will be possible at particular moisture content called
optimum moisture content. Hence compaction purely depends upon the
relationship between moisture content of soil and its dry density which is briefly
discussed below.

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