Field Dry Density Test

Using Sand
Replacement Method
IS : 2720 – PART – 28

Prepared By:
Jassel Joi Jalandoni
Introduction 01 04 Procedure

Objective 02 05 Calculations

Apparatus 03 06 Results
 01
Introduction
This test is based on the Indian
Standard (IS) 2720 Part 28
INTRODUCTION
The dry density of the compacted soil or pavement
material is a common measure of the amount of the
compaction achieved during the construction.
Knowing the field density and field moisture
content, the dry density is calculated. Therefore,
field density test is as important as a field control test
for the compaction of soil or any other pavement
layer.

There are several methods for the determination of

field density of soils such as core cutter method, sand
replacement method, rubber balloon method, heavy
oil method, etc. One of the common methods of
determining field density of fine-grained soils is core
INTRODUCTION
cutter method; but this method has a major limitation
in the case of soils containing coarse-grained particles
such as gravel, stones and aggregates. Under such
circumstances, field density test by sand replacement
method is advantageous, as the presence of coarse-
grained particles will adversely affect the test results.

The basic principle of sand replacement method is

to measure the in-situ volume of hole from which the
material was excavated from the weight of sand with
known density filling in the hole. The in-situ density
of material is given by the weight of the excavated
material divided by the in-situ volume.
 02
Objective
To determine field density
by sand replacement method
 03
Apparatus
APPARATUS

● Sand-pouring cylinder equipment: SAND POURING

a. Small-pouring cylinder: suitable for CYLINDER
METAL TRAY WITH A
fine and medium grained soils. This
HOLE
consists of a metal cylinder of CYLINDRI
capacity 3 liters, 100 mm in diameter CAL
and 380 mm length with an inverted CALIBRAT
funnel or cone at one end and a ING
shutter to open and close the entry of CONTAIN
sand and a cap on the other end. ER
Metal tray to excavate the hole with
suitable shape and size. Calibration
container of the small pouring
cylinder (size 100x150 mm)
APPARATUS

b. Large-pouring cylinder: suitable for SAND POURING

fine, medium and coarse grained CYLINDER
METAL TRAY WITH A
soils. This consists a metal cylinder
HOLE
of capacity 16.5 liters, 200 mm in CYLINDRI
diameter and 610 mm length with all CAL
arrangements mentioned above. CALIBRAT
Calibration container size 200x250 ING
mm CONTAIN
c. Medium-pouring cylinder: suitable ER
for fine, medium and coarse grained
soils. This cylinder with 150 mm
diameter and length 450 mm. The
calibration container size is 150x200
mm.
APPARATUS SCRAPE
R

● Tools for leveling and excavating: holes

TROWEL
Hand tools such as scraper with handle for
DIBBER
leveling the surface; a dibber or an
elongated trowel for digging and excavating
the material
● Container: Metal containers of any
convenient size (about 150 mm diameter
and 200 mm depth) with removable lid for
collecting the excavated material.
● Glass Plate

GLASS
PLATE
APPARATUS

● Sand: Dry and clean test sand of uniform

gradation, passing 1 mm and retained 600-
micron sieve.
● Balance: A suitable balance of capacity 15
or 30 kg accuracy 1 gram and necessary set
of weights.

BALANCE
 04
Procedure
The test may be conducted in 2 stages:
1. Calibration of Apparatus
2. Measurement of Field Density
PROCEDURE

Stage 1: Stage 2:
Calibration of Apparatus Measurement of Field Density
 PROCEDURE

STAGE 1:
Calibration of Apparatus:
●
1.  Clean and dry test sand passing 1 mm sieve and
retained 600-micron sieve is collected in
sufficient quantity required for at least 3-4 sets of
tests.
2. Remove the top cap of the sand-pouring cylinder
and close the shutter.
3. Fill the cylinder with dry test sand up to about 10
mm from the top. The weight of the cylinder
with the sand is determined accurate to 1 gram
and recorded as . Its total initial weight () should
be maintained constant throughout the tests.
 PROCEDURE

STAGE 1:
Calibration of Apparatus:
●
4.  Then, place the sand pouring cylinder on a clean
glass plate. The shutter should be opened till
there is no visible movement of sand taking place
in the cylinder. Remove the cylinder carefully
and the cone-type heap of sand left on the glass
plate is carefully collected and weighed as .
5. Repeat Step 4 for at least three times and
determine the mean value of
 PROCEDURE

STAGE 1:
Calibration of Apparatus:
●
6.  The sand pouring cylinder is refilled with sand
such that the initial weight is again . Now, the
cylinder should be placed concentrically on the
top of the calibration container. Open the shutter
and allow the sand equal to the volume of the
calibration cylinder of the excavated test hole to
flow out. Close the shutter when the flow stops.
Take the weight of the pouring cylinder with the
remaining sand record as
 PROCEDURE

STAGE 1:
Calibration of Apparatus:
●
7.  Repeat Step 6 for at least three times and
determine the mean value of
8. Determine the volume of the calibrating
container (V) by measuring its internal
dimensions or by filling with water and
weighing.
 PROCEDURE

STAGE 2:
Measurement of Field Density:
●
1.  The site where the field density test is to be
conducted must be cleaned and leveled using a
scraper for an area of about 450 mm square.
2. Place the metal tray with a central hole on the
prepared surface.
3. Using this central hole as pattern, the
soil/material is excavated using a dibber or a
trowel up to a required depth. The loose
soil/material removed is carefully collected in the
metal container and is weighed as .
 PROCEDURE

STAGE 2:
Measurement of Field Density:
●
4.  The sand-pouring cylinder is refilled with sand
such that its weight is again
5. The metal tray with central hole is removed and
the sand-pouring cylinder is placed centrally
over the excavated hole.
6. The moisture content of the excavated soil (w)
must be determined by placing the entire
excavated soil collected from the hole (of
weight ) in the oven at 110˚C and finding its dry
weight ()
 PROCEDURE

STAGE 2:
Measurement of Field Density:
●  
7. Open the shutter and allow sand to fall into the
hole and fill it completely. When no movement
of sand is observed, close the shutter and remove
the cylinder. Take the weight of the pouring
cylinder with the remaining sand record as
 05
Calculations
 CALCULATIONS
Let: ●  
= weight of sand pouring cylinder and sand filled up to 10 mm from top edge

= weight of sand on the glass plate, taking its mean value

= weight of cylinder and remaining sand after pouring into the calibration container,
taking its mean value

= weight of cylinder and remaining sand after pouring into the excavated hole

= volume of the calibrating container

= weight of the soil from the excavated hole

= oven dry weight of the soil excavated from the hole

= moisture content of the soil in percent

CALCULATIONS
i. The weight of sand ()● in  gram, required to fill the
calibrating container should be calculated from the
formula:

ii. The bulk density of the sand () in should be

calculated from the formula:

iii. The weight of sand () in gram, required to fill the

excavated hole should be calculated from the
formula:
CALCULATIONS
iv. ● is,  the weight of the wet soil
The bulk density (), that
per cubic meter should be calculated from the
formula:

v. Moisture content of soil in percent:

vi. The dry density (), that is, the weight of dry soil per
cubic meter should be calculated from the formula:
 06
Results
RESULTS
The following values should be reported:

1 2 3
Wet density of soil
  in , correct   in , correct Moisture content of the soil in
Dry density of soil
to the second decimal place or to the second decimal place or percent, correct to first decimal
in , correct to the nearest whole in place or two significant figures.
number
RESULTS
A sample proforma for the record of
the test results is given below:
References

● http://www.prbdb.gov.in/files/Quality%20Control%20Training/Tests%20on%20Soils/Field
%20Density%20Test%20by%20Sand%20Replacement%20Method.pdf

● https://www.engineeringcivil.com/determine-the-in-situ-dry-density-of-soil-by-sand-replac
ement-method.html

● https://helptheengineer.com/determination-of-dry-density-of-soils-sand-replacement-metho
d/

● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5Z2l9RFumo
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