Particle Size Analysis (Mechanical Method)

Introduction:
Sieve analysis is a method to determine the grain size distribution of soil,
in order to classify a soil; the sieves are made out of woven as the sieve
number increases the size of the opening decreases.
Objective:
To classify a sample of soil and to present the resulting data .
Equipment:
1. Set of Sieves.
2. Pan and cover.
3. Brush.
4. Scoop.
5. Oven.
6. Mechanical sieve shaker.
7. Sensitive balance.
Procedure:
1. Obtain a 500 g of dry soil.
2. Get the sieves we need (4, 8, 10, 16, 30, 40, 50, 100, 200)
and we put the sieves from the larger to a smaller up to down
on each other (the sieve which is larger at the top).
3. Weight and record the mass of the empty sieves.
4. Put the soil into the sieves on the top to make it goes down
throw the sieves to separate by size.
5. Put the cover at the top of the sieve and run the shaker from
10 to 15 minutes.
6. After the time is over we remove the cover and separate the
sieves from each other
7. Weight each one of the sieves with the retained soil.

Data Sheet:

Sieve
opening Size
(mm)

Sieve #

Mass of
empty
sieve(g)

Mass of
retained +
sieve (g)

Pan

749

756

1.40%

1.40%

98.6%

0.074

200

705

740

35

7.00%

8.40%

91.6%

0.149

100

864

928

64

12.80%

21.20%

78.8%

0.297

50

961

994

33

6.60%

27.80%

72.2%

0.420

40

961

1017

56

11.20%

39.00%

61.0%

0.595

30

993

1110

117

23.40%

62.40%

37.6%

1.19

16

1048

1131

83

16.60%

79.00%

21.0%

2.00

10

1130

1140

10

2.00%

81.00%

19.0%

2.38

1117

1172

55

11.00%

92.00%

8.0%

4.76

1107

1139

32

6.40%

98.40%

1.6%

Mass
retained (g)

% retained

Cumulative
% retained

% finer
(Passing)

Calculations:
For # 100

Mass of empty sieve = 864g

Mass of sieve + retained soil = 928g
Mass (retained)

= 928 864 = 64g

% Retained = (Mass (retained) / total mass) 100%

= (64/500) 100%
= 12.80%
Cumulative % retained = 12.80% + 8.40%
= 21.20%
% Finer = 100 % - Cumulative % retained =100 % 21.20%
= 78.8%