FACULTY OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

BET1413 ENGINEERING PRACTICE 2

TECHNICAL REPORT

Laboratory Standard Proctor Test

Group No 01

1. SHAMSUL ADZIM BIN MOHD SALLEH (TE17006)

Group Member’s 2. NUR IZZAH INANI BINTI RAZALI (TE17016)
Name & ID Number 3. WAN MOHD NAIM BIN MUHAMMAD ZAHID (TE17021)
4. WAN NURUL ASYIQIN BINTI WAN ISKANDAR (TE17042)

1. MOHD FAKHRURRAZI BIN ISHAK

Lecturer’s Name 2. AZAHAR BIN MOHD YASIN
3. ZUSAFLY BIN ZUBIR

Endorsment
 TABLE OF CONTENT

No Content Page

1 Introduction

2 Objective

3 Apparatus

4 Procedure

5 Result

6 Discussion

7 Conclusion

8 Reference

9 Appendix
INTRODUCTION:

For earthwork construction it is important to compact soils to a dense state so that the soils
will attain satisfactory engineering properties. It is also desirable to know the optimum soil
conditions for compacting a given soil. According to compaction theory, when samples of a soil are
compacted at different water contents using the same compaction energy, there is optimum water
content at which the soil will reach a maximum dry density. The optimum water content and dry
density depend on the soil composition and the amount of compaction energy used. The moisture-
density relationship of a soil is a graph of dry density versus water content, for a given compaction
effort. The data points obtained from compacting several samples at different water contents form a
smooth curve, called the compaction curve, which is used to obtain the optimum water content and
maximum dry density. The two standardized tests in use today, the standard and modified Proctor
tests, differ only by the amount of compaction energy. In practice, the standard or modified Proctor
test is conducted on a soil. In the Standard Proctor Test, the soil is compacted by a 4.5 kg hammer
falling a distance of 30cm into a soil filled mold. The mold is filled with three equal layers of soil,
and each layer is subjected to 25 drops of the hammer.

OBJECTIVES

1. To determine the relationship between the dry unit weight and the moisture contents using
the standard hammer in Proctor Method.
2. To determine the maximum dry density and the optimum moisture contents of a given soil.

APPARATUS

 Standard compaction mold (with base plate and collar)

 Standard compaction hammers
 10 to 12 moisture contents cans
 Steel straightedge
 Sample extruder
 Large mixing pan
 Large spoon
 Soil mixer or mixing tools
PROCEDURES

1. Air-dry soil has been prepared and weight to 4 kg using weighing scale.
2. Volume of water used 200 m3. Then, mix the soil thoroughly.
3. 1/3 soil mixture were put into the compaction mold.
4. Compaction hammer of 2.5 kg has been used for soil compaction and applied 25 free fall
blows from 300 mm above the soil by using the hammer.
5. Step 3 and 4 were repeated for the following two layer until the mold compact with soil and
has excess soil on the top.
6. The collar and base plate has been removed. The mold and soil were weighted. The data has
been recorded in data sheet.
7. Two sample of soil were taken and weighted before put into the oven for 24 hours.
8. Step 2 until 7 were repeated at least 4 compaction with moisture content of 5%, 10%, 20%
and 30%.
9. The soil weighted again after leave for overnight in the oven. All the data has been recorded
into the data sheet.
RESULTS
1. To determine optimum moisture content and dry unit weight of the sample:
Volume of the mold : 944 cm³/0.000944 m³
Mass of the mold: 2.4 kg/2400 g
Given data sample:

Sample No 1 2 3 4
A 174.48 116.65 173.67 166.24
B 127.01 116.33 139.44 174.67

Table 1 : Wet soil data sample

Sample No 1 2 3 4
A 167.15 106.77 142.02 128.18
B 122 106.35 107.13 138.94

Table 2 : Dry soil data sample

Assumed Water Content, % Mass of mold + soil, kg Mass of soil, kg

5 4 1.6
10 4.1 1.7
20 4.2 1.8
30 4.3 1.9

Table 3 : Dataset of mass of mold + soil and mass of soil

In order to calculate moisture content, density of wet sample must be obtained by using
formula of density which is ρw= Msoil/V

where
ρw : Density of Wet Soil
Msoil : Mass of the soil
V : Volume of the mold
 After that we can easily find its moist unit weight. The table below shows the results of
moisture content

Assumed Water Content Mass of soil, kg Moist Unit Weight, kN/m3 Moisture Content, %
5% 1.6 16.63 4.68
10 % 1.7 17.67 10.28
20 % 1.8 18.71 24.13
30 % 1.9 19.74 32.83

Table 4 : Moist unit weight and moisture content

After we have obtain the moisture content for each of the sample, we must calculate its dry
unit weight in order to find the optimum moisture content and also maximum dry unit weight. We
have decided to use sample A to calculate dry unit weight. By using formula that have been given in
the lab manual, the dry unit weight for each sample are shown in table below;

Assumed Water Content Moisture Content, % Dry Unit Weight, kN/m3

5% 4.68 15.89
10 % 10.28 16.02
20 % 24.13 15.07
30 % 32.83 14.86

Table 5 : Dry unit weight

Assumed Water Content 5% 10% 20% 30%

Mass of soil, kg 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9
Moist unit weight, kN/m3 16.63 17.67 18.71 19.74
Moisture content, % 4.68 10.28 24.13 32.83
Dry unit weight, kN/m3 15.89 16.02 15.07 14.86

Table 6 : Summary of results

 After we have calculated all the values of the sample, now we can plot the graph of moisture
content vs dry unit weight in order to find the optimum moisture content and maximum dry unit
weight.

2. Zero Air Void

In order to plot zero air void curve, we must calculate it by using formula that been given in
lab sheet. The table below are the final results after we have calculated using the formula;

Sample No Moisture Content, % Zero Air Void

1 4.68 1.97
2 10.28 0.92
3 24.13 0.4
4 32.83 0.3

Table 7 : Zero Air Void

DISCUSSIONS & ANALYSIS
The optimum moisture content and the maximum dry unit weight of the soil sample are
acquired by analyzing the graph and getting the coordinate values of the maximum point, which is;

Optimum Moisture Content : 6 %

Maximum Dry Unit Weight : 16.3 kN/m3

When we look at the graph of moisture content vs dry unit weight, the graph is
approximately parabola which it is usually graph that we see in laboratory. The graph is increasing
from 4.68% moisture content to the optimum which is 6% then decreasing from 6.1 % until 30.31
%. This type of compaction curve is bell shaped which is typical of most clayey soil. At the lower
moisture content (4.61%), the soil is stiff and offers more resistance to compaction. As the water
content starts to increase, the soil particle gets lubricated. The soil mass becomes more workable
and the particles have closer packing. The dry unit weight of soil increases with the increase of
water content until it reached the optimum water content. The higher dry unit weight is achieve up
to the optimum moisture content due to force the air voids out from the soil voids. After the
optimum water content is reached, it becomes more difficult to force air out and to further reduce
the air voids. The relationship between moisture content and dry unit weight for a saturated soil is
called zero air voids line. It is not feasible to expel air completely by compaction, by how much
compaction effort is used and in whatever manner.

There are several factors why theoretical and experimental compaction are different. First, at
the real construction site, they using impact (dynamics) rollers while at the laboratory only use 2.5
kg hammer. Besides that, condition of compaction at the laboratory is more confined than at the site
because at the lab, we only use 944cm4 as our mold. Last but not least, the optimum moisture
content at the construction site is more higher than the laboratory because the energy that been used
at the construction site is more than the energy used at the laboratory. As the compaction effect
increased, the optimum moisture content is decreased to some extent.

In this experiment, we have some errors that we need avoided to achieve the data that we
record are valid and suitable. We have noticed that some simple yet can affect the results is parallax
error. The water in the measuring cylinder is one of the parallax error that might affect the results.
Our eyes must be perpendicular to the reading of the measuring cylinder. Besides that, electronic
measuring balance also one of systematic error. The electronic measuring balance is very sensitive.
So, we must measure the reading of our sample in many times in order to avoid wrong results which
it will affect the data and lastly our report for this experiment.

The safety measures in this laboratory must follow in order to avoid from accident from
happening. PPE which stands for personal protection equipment must always wears when we inside
the laboratory whether doing the experiment or only to take the results. This is because, accidents
can be happen anytime without sign. Some of PPE that we wore during the experiment were faculty
jacket and safety shoes. Besides that, first aid kits must put at the location that easily can be found if
the accidents are happen. This is to avoid from emergency treatment from delay and cause more
serious injuries.
CONCLUSIONS
We have achieved the objective of this test which is the relationship between the dry unit
weight and the moisture content. When the moisture content reached its optimum, the dry unit
weight start to decrease. This is because the higher water content that we put inside the soils, the
higher the water losses in the soils during drying. In this test, our optimum moisture content values
from the graph is 6% while the maximum dry unit weight is 16.63kN/m. During the test, we had
several errors such as there a different values of the mass of the soil sample. As the precaution in
future, it need to take the measurement as many time and get slightly different values. The next
problem we got that during the test, we got splash of mud. As for the future it need to do the test in
proper place to prevent from that splash of mud. Soil compaction is a vital part of the construction
process. It is used for support of structural entities such as building foundations, roadways,
walkways, and earth retaining structures to name a few. For a given soil type certain properties may
deem it more or less desirable to perform adequately for a particular circumstance. For example, in
geo-technical engineering, soil compaction is the process in which a stress applied to a soil causes
densification as air is displaced from the pores between the soil grains. When stress is applied that
causes densification due to water (or other liquid) being displaced from between the soil grains,
then consolidation not compaction, has occurred. Normally, compaction is the result of heavy
machinery compressing the soil, but it can also occur due to the passage of animal feet.
REFERENCES

1. Das, Braja M. Principles of Geotechnical Engineering. Published on 2002.

2. McCarthy, David F. Essentials of Soil Mechanics and Foundations. E-book.
3. Multi Experts Tutorial. (2018, April 29). density to moisture content curve, air void and
zero void line |soil mechanics | Multi Experts Tutor [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hlVHhECH90
4. Civil Engineering Test. (2018, August 23). Standard Proctor Test, Proctor Compaction
Test, Calculation, Graph, Water Content, Dry Density, MDD, [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_RM41QNWYk&t=363s
APPENDICES