This laboratory exercise aimed to determine the moisture-unit weight relationship of soil through a compaction test. The compaction test employs the tamping method developed by Proctor in 1933 using a compaction mold, balance, drying oven, and other tools. The test establishes how the dry density of soil varies with moisture content, identifying an optimum moisture content that achieves greatest density. Soil compacted wet of optimum is weaker and softer, while dry of optimum is stronger with a flocculated structure. The results of compaction are important to control soil properties for civil engineering projects.
This laboratory exercise aimed to determine the moisture-unit weight relationship of soil through a compaction test. The compaction test employs the tamping method developed by Proctor in 1933 using a compaction mold, balance, drying oven, and other tools. The test establishes how the dry density of soil varies with moisture content, identifying an optimum moisture content that achieves greatest density. Soil compacted wet of optimum is weaker and softer, while dry of optimum is stronger with a flocculated structure. The results of compaction are important to control soil properties for civil engineering projects.
This laboratory exercise aimed to determine the moisture-unit weight relationship of soil through a compaction test. The compaction test employs the tamping method developed by Proctor in 1933 using a compaction mold, balance, drying oven, and other tools. The test establishes how the dry density of soil varies with moisture content, identifying an optimum moisture content that achieves greatest density. Soil compacted wet of optimum is weaker and softer, while dry of optimum is stronger with a flocculated structure. The results of compaction are important to control soil properties for civil engineering projects.
Lab 14: Determining Moisture Unit Weight Relations of Soil
(Compaction Test) By Fiel Ervyn S. Tiosen
ABSTRACT
In this Laboratory Exercise we were to determine the Moisture Unit
Weight Relations of Soil through a Compaction Test. Compaction is defined as the reduction in soil void ratio by expulsion of air from the voids. Compaction occurs instantly with application of a force, because compaction involves reducing the void ratio without changing the moisture content, the degree of saturation will increase. 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. The apparatuses we used for this Laboratory Exercise are the ff: Compaction mold, US Sieve # 4, Analytical Balance, Large flat pan, Moisture cans, Drying oven, and Plastic squeeze bottle with water. 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.The optimum water content is the water content that results in the greatest density for a specified compactive effort. PICTURE OF SET-UP
Gathering soil to do the lab experiment
Compacted soil CONCLUSION
Compaction of soil is probably one of the largest contributors to the site
work economy; in other words-it is important because large sums of money are spent on it everyday. Soil is a very flexible and inexpensive construction material and can be manipulated to produce a material with a wide range of properties. Control of compaction in the field permits civil engineers to engineer a soil to produce a material with properties that are optimized for a project.