MAPUA UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF CIVIL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND

GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
SOIL MECHANICS AND MATERIALS TESTING
LABORATORY

NAME: PANGIBITAN, GEOJANNI R.

COURSE & SECTION: CE161P-2 / A5 STUDENT NO.: 2018109231 _

EXPERIMENT NO. 1

WATER CONTENT IN SOIL

TITLE

DATE PERFORMED: AUGUST 26, 2020

DATE SUBMITTED: AUGUST 28, 2020 GRADE

ENGR. TIMOTHY DANIEL DJ. FELICIA

INSTRUCTOR
 Experiment No. 1
WATER CONTENT IN SOIL

OBJECTIVE
This method of test is intended for determining the hygroscopic water content of
soils by oven drying to constant weight.

PROCEDURE
1. Weigh the clean and dry specimen container (and its lid, if used) and record as
Wc.
2. Select a representative sample of the soil, place in the container and cover
immediately. Weigh and record as W1.
3. Open the container and dry in the oven to constant weight at a temperature of 110
± 5ºC. The drying time will depend on the kind of soil and size of sample. A 25-
gram sandy material can be dried at about 2 hours, while the same weight of a
plastic, fine-grained soil will require at least 4 hours to dry at constant weight.
4. Remove the container from the oven and cool to room temperature. Weigh and
record as W2.

A sample may be cooled at room humidity within an hour after it has been
removed from the oven. If it cannot be weighed within this period, it should be placed
in a desiccator to cool to room temperature. This is especially significant if the soil is
very plastic and the room humidity is high. Weighing hot container is not advisable
as it affects the accuracy of results.
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT

Balance, sensitive to 0.1 grams

• Balance, sensitive to 0.1 grams – device used for measuring weight of the
containers and soil samples.

Tin or aluminum container with lids

• Tin or aluminum container with lids – used as storage for soil samples taken
out from the sieve.
 Tongs
• Tongs – used for handling, moving, and transferring hot containers.

Desiccator
• Desiccator – sealable enclosures containing desiccants used for preserving
moisture-sensitive items such as cobalt chloride paper for another use.
 Laboratory Oven
• Laboratory oven – ovens for high-forced volume thermal convention
applications. It provides uniform temperature throughout.

Sieve
• Sieve – a utensil consisting of a wire plastic mesh held in a frame used for
straining solids from liquids, for separating coarser from finer particles.
APPLICATION
In all studies of soil mechanics, knowledge of natural moisture content is crucial.
In order to assess the weight and settling, natural moisture content is used on certain
areas. A sense of the condition of the soil in the field is provided by the natural
moisture content.
When it comes to civil engineering, it is indeed important to know the water
content of the specific location where the building is to be constructed. Its application
is mostly for designing. In addition to this, its application is for the analysis of soil
liquification potential.
The laying of the base is one of the core aspects of soil testing and analysis. In
soil compaction, for example, lose soil should be compacted for increasing unit
weights in the building of road embankments, earth dams, and many other
engineering structures. In terms of dry weight, the degree of compaction of a soil is
measured. I In compaction, water is being applied to the ground. As it reaches the
ground, water eventually becomes a softening agent for several soil sections and
particles. When soil particles fall over each other, the larger the moisture content, the
less the soil holds. Thus, the more significant it becomes when building a base.
For soil compaction, the moisture content is essential. The permeability of soil
is also impaired. The permeability of the soil reduces as the moisture content
increases. The moisture content has a significant effect on the shear intensity. Shear
strength is high where the water level is low in soil. The bearing capacity of the soil
reduces as the moisture content is higher in the soil.
Moreover, the analysis of water and moisture content is often used in soil for
measurements of weight-volume. The moist soil mass is made up of masses of dry
soil, plus water in the soil. Water can vary in humid soil. In order to ensure
consistency, moisture content is calculated on a dry basis rather than a total mass
basis.
TECHNICAL OBSERVATION
The measurement of moisture content is used primarily for the determination of
soil volume. The amount of moisture is also an indicator of the shrinkage threshold
and strength of coherent soils.
The method used in this experiment was the oven drying method which is
considered as the simplest and most commonly used for the determination of the
soil’s water content. The simplest way to do it is to take a soil sample, measure and
take its weight, place it in the oven to dry, and measure its weight after drying it. In
(𝑊1 −𝑊𝑐 )−(𝑊2 −𝑐 )
the laboratory manual, the equation used was 𝑊 = [ (𝑊2 −𝑊𝑐 )
] × 100. On the

other hand, the equation used by the National Institute of Technical Teachers’
𝑊 −𝑊
Training and Research Chandigarh (NCTEL) was 𝑊 = [𝑊2−𝑊3] × 100.
3 1

Based on the video presentation showed to us, the researches took a soil
sample and used it in the experiment without the process of using the sieve unlike
what’s stated and suggested in the laboratory manual. The reason behind this is
maybe there would not be any big difference if the soil is sieved or not. If given the
chance that this would be done in face to face, the soil samples will then be sieved
so that the size of the soil particles will be constant and somewhat equal to it to quickly
dry inside the laboratory oven. The drying in the video took twenty-four (24) hours. If
the sieved soil sample (sandy) is to be dried, the laboratory manual only requires two
(2) hours for a twenty-five (25) gram sample. In the laboratory manual, it is stated that
the soil samples should undergo two (2) standard sieves which include sieve no. 4
which has a maximum particle size of 4.75 mm, and sieve no. 10 which has a
maximum particle size of 2 mm.
In the experiment done by the NCTEL, it was noticeable that the same
procedures were observed and followed as what is stated in the laboratory manual
of Mapua University except that NCTEL collected soil sample without considering the
time constraints. In the manual, it was indicated that the soil sample to be collected
and dried is twenty-five (25) grams. The temperatures for both experiment
presentation and manual are the same which is (110 ± 5ºC). This was done so that
the soil vaporized the crystalline structure of the soil particles will remain intact, since
higher temperatures may cause the chemically bonded water to also vaporize.
Organic soil type – those with a significant level of gypsum need lower temperatures
in order to prevent organic oxidation in the soil.
In addition to this, the experiment led by NCTEL and the ones stated in the
laboratory manual is quite similar with the process that involves desiccators. For this
experiment, desiccators are necessary to prevent the absorption of moisture from the
sample. This is particularly important when the soil is very plastic with a high humidity
in the air. It is not advisable to weigh hot containers since they impact the precision
of the tests.
 ANSWER TO QUESTIONS

1. Why is it not recommended to leave an oven-dried sample in the open air for
a long time before measuring its dry weight?
In the experiment shown, the removal of oven-dried sample from the oven
was made as quick as possible. This was done quickly so that the sample will not
be exposed for a long time in an open air before measuring its dry weight. This is
recommended in conducting the experiment. The reason behind this is because of
the possibility that the sample may absorb moisture present in the air which may
lead to a false reading and may affect the data for measuring the completely dry
soil. This will give a little error in the experiment.

2. Excluding oven drying, are there other methods to determine the water
content of soils?
Yes, there are other methods to determine the water content of soils aside
from oven drying. These include the following: near-infrared method, sand-bath
method, pycnometer method, calcium-carbide method, torsion balance moisture
meter method, alcohol method, and rapid moisture method.

3. Is it possible to measure the water content of sands?

The water content of sand can be determined and measured. The water
content drains from its saturated state due to its gravity. This is why the moisture
content of sand is much smaller than most other form of soil. In fact, the water
content of sand can be determined as a surface of large particle sizes of
approximately 0.002 to 0.05 mm in diameter. It can be calculated by soil process
influences that it is subject to variability in the structures of soil as granular material,
shape and water content.
4. Why do we use a fixed temperature range to dry soils? What is the effect on
soils of microwave drying?
A definite fixed temperature must be provided because if the temperature is
too high, it may influence the weight of the firm portion of the soil. The water within
the soil cannot evaporate easily when the temperature is too low. The
microwave drying process makes the water evaporate in the soil, thereby making
the soil more compact and harder which is easier for the voids to be replaced and
be filled with air. A fixed temperature range is thus important for the drying and
weight of the soil.

5. What is the function of the container lid and desiccator when determining the
water content of soil?
The container lid and desiccator were two of the materials used in the
experiment. In determining the water content of the soil, the purpose of the
container lid and desiccator is to avoid absorption of moisture from air by soil
samples. The unexpected temperature influences the behavior of the soil samples
if not measured immediately after drying induces moisture in the soil samples. That
is why the samples are put in a desiccator that contains dryers which maintain the
dryness of the samples in the soil.
REFERENCES
• Determination of Soil Moisture Content. Retrieved August 28, 2020 from
https://www.civilengineeringforum.me/soil-moisture-content/
• Determining Water Content in Soil – Oven Drying Method. Retrieved August 28,
2020 from https://www.engineeringcivil.com/determining-water-content-
in-soil-oven-drying-method.html
• Soil Water Content. Retrieved August 28, 2020 from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-
sciences/soil-water-content
• Water Content. Retrieved August 28, 2020 from
https://www.geoengineer.org/education/laboratory-testing/water-content-
w