Soil Mechanics Laboratory Tests Experiment No.

Moisture Content-Unit Weight Relationship (Compaction Test)

INTRODUCTION

For many civil engineering projects, soils have to be compacted to a dense state to improve
their engineering properties. They are compacted by mechanical means with rolling,
ramming or vibrating equipment. The soil density to be obtained by field compaction is
defined by means of two basic laboratory compaction tests: the standard and modified
compaction tests.

DEFINITION

Soil compaction consists of closely packing the soil particles together by mechanical means,
thus increasing the soil dry unit weight. As illustrated in Fig. la, soils are made of solid grains
with voids filled with air and water. The proportion of solid, liquid and air is represented in
Fig. lb. As shown in Fig. lc, compaction only reduces the air fraction. It barely changes the
water content and has no effect on the solid volume. In theory, the most efficient
compaction process should remove the air fraction completely. However, in practice,
compaction cannot completely eliminate the air fraction, but only reduces it to a minimum,
provided that appropriate techniques are used.
Compaction should not be confused with consolidation which corresponds to the drainage
of water from soils subjected to static loads. In most soils, compaction is too rapid to allow
time for drainage.

As illustrated in the typical compaction curve of Fig. 2, water has an important effect on soil
compaction. Even at low water content, the soil grains are surrounded by a thin film of
water. A small increase in water content tends to increase the repulsion of particles and to
facilitate their orderly arrangement. Until the optimum water content is reached, the
addition of water expels more air from soils, and enables to reach larger dry unit weight. The
densest soil is obtained at the optimum water content. When the water content exceeds this
optimum value, the water pushes the grains apart. Since water is much more incompressible
than the grain assembly and has no time to drain, the dry unit weight starts to decrease.

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Saturation Lines

PURPOSE

To determine the relation between water content and dry unit weight and to find the
maximum dry density and optimum moisture content. Also, improve the engineering
properties of soil mass.

SIGINIFICANCE

- Increase in shear strength

- Increase in density
- Decrease in shrinkage
- Decrease in permeability
- Decrease in settlement (compressibility)
- Decrease void ratio

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SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS:

1- Compaction device standard:

a- Cylindrical metal mold, internal dimension 4 inch in diameter and 4.6 inch high
(volume 1/30 ft3 or 944 cm3 )
b- Removable mold collar 2.5’’ high and 4’’ diameter.
c- Hammer 2’’ diameter face, 5.5 Ib weight
2- Balance
a- Mechanical
b- Electrical
3- Moisture cans
4- Drying oven
5- Large mixing pan
6- Sieve No. 4
7- Straight edge and knife
8- Graduated cylinder
9- Sample of soil of different water content (3 kg)
10- Water

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TEST PROCEDURE

1- The original bulk sample is air dried and weighed. The large particles are removed by
passing the sample through a NO. 4 sieve. The mass of material required for the test
is about 3 kg.
2- Clean and dry the mold, base and extension collar. Determine the weight of
compaction mold with its base (without the collar). Measure the compaction mold to
determine its volume (assume the volume is 1000 cm3).
3- Compute the amount of initial water to add by the following method:
(a) Assume water content for the first test to be 8 percent
(b) Compute water to add from the following equation:
(௦௢௜௟௠ ௔௦௦௜௡௚௥௔௠ ௦)∗଼
Water to add (in ml) =
ଵ଴଴
Where ‘‘water to add’’ and the ‘‘soil mass’’ are in grams.
4- 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 colour.
5- Place the mold assembly on a soild base such as a concrete floor. Add loose soil to
the mold so that it is about half full. Compact the soil by applying 25 blows of the
rammer dropped from controlled height of 300 mm. 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. To avoid injury, the hand that holds the
tube must be kept clear from the falling hammer.
6- Place a second, approximately equal layer of soil in the mold, and compact it with 25
blows as before. Repeat with a third layer, which should bring the compacted soil
level in the extension collar to about 6 mm above the level of the mold body. If the
compacted soil level in the extension collar is much higher, the test becomes
inaccurate because the compacting energy per unit volume of soil is no longer
constant (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).
7- Remove the extension collar carefully. Cut away the excess soil and level off to the
top of the mold. Any small cavity resulting from the removal of stones should be
filled with fine materials.

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8- Weigh the compacted soil while it’s in the mold and to the base, and record the
mass. Determine the wet mass of the soil by subtracting the weight of the mold and
base.
9- Remove the soil from the mold using a mechanical extruder and take soil moisture
content samples from the top and bottom of the specimen. Fill the moisture cans
with soil and determine the water content.
10- 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
(the procedures are carried out to obtain five compaction points).

CALCULATIONS
(1) Calculate the moisture content of each compacted soil specimen by using the average of
the two water contents.
(2) Compute the wet density in grams per cm3 of the compacted soil sample by dividing the
wet mass by the volume of the mold used.
(3) Compute the dry density by using the wet density and the water content as follow:
following formula:

Where:
w = moisture content in percent divided by 100, and ρ = wet density in grams per
cm3.
(4) Plot the dry density values on the y-axis and the moisture contents on the x-axis. Draw a
smooth curve connecting the plotted points.
(5) On the same graph draw a curve of complete saturation or “zero air voids curve”. The
values of dry density and corresponding moisture contents for plotting the curve can be
computed from the following equation:

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Where:
ρd = dry density of soil grams per cm3
Gs = specific gravity of the soil being tested (assume 2.70)
ρw = density of water in grams per cm3 (approximately1 g/cm3)
wsat = moisture content in percent for complete saturation.
This equation defines the saturation lines (See Figure 2).

(6) Identify and report the optimum moisture content and the maximum dry density.
Notes:
1- To obtain five well-placed points on the compaction curve, the water content
is selected low for the first test point and is gradually increased for the other
points. It should be about 4 to 5% below the optimum water content for the
first point, and 4 to 5% above the optimum water content for the fifth and last
point.
2- The procedures above are for standard compaction test. For the modified
compaction test, follow the same procedures, but use the heavier rammer
(44.5 kN instead of 24.4 kN) with a larger height of drop (460 mm instead of
305 mm). Also compact the soil in 5 layers (instead of 3) by applying 25 blows
per layer.

Further Questions for Discussion

1- What is the influence of compaction effort on compaction curve?
2- What is the difference between compaction and consolidation?

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