Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering

September 21, 2016

EXPERIMENT#1

CALIBRATION OF SPEEDY MOISTURE METER

ASTM D2216, ASTM D4944-04

OBJECTIVE

To compare the moisture contents obtained from oven dry method with the
moisture contents find out by speedy moisture meter.
To find some relation with the moisture contents obtain from oven dry and
speedy moisture meter.

APPARATUS

Speedy moisture meter

Two 1.25-inch steel balls
Cleaning brush and cloth
Scoop for measuring calcium carbide reagent
Calcium carbide reagent
Container
Balance sensitive to 0.01gm
Oven with accurate temperature.

RELATED THEORY
MOISTURE CONTENT (W)
It is defined as the rate of the weight of water in a given volume of soil to the weight of
the solid particles in that same volume.
W=

100

Where

Ww = Weight of soil water in grams

Ws = Weight of soil in grams (oven dried weight of soil)

LIMITATIONS
This test method requires specimens consisting of soil having all particles
smaller than the No. 4 sieve size.
This test method may not be as accurate as other accepted methods such as
oven dry method.
Inaccuracies may result because specimens are too small to properly represent
the total soil, from clumps of soil not breaking up to expose all the available

The University of Lahore

Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering

September 21, 2016

water to the reagent and from other inherent procedural, equipment or process
inaccuracies.
Therefore, other methods may be more appropriate when highly accurate
results are required, or when the use of test results is sensitive to minor
variations in the values obtained.

PROCEDURE
We performed the experiment in two main steps. In first step we find the moisture
content by speedy moisture meter and for this we performed the experiment in the
following sequence:

Weigh a 6g soil sample on the tarred scale and place in the cap of the tester.
Place three scoops of calcium carbide and two 1.25-inch steel balls in the larger
chamber of the moisture tester.
With the pressure vessel in an approximately horizontal position insert the cap
in the pressure vessel and seal it by tightening and clamp, taking care that no
carbide comes in contact with the soil until a complete seal is achieved.
Raise the moisture meter to the vertical position so that the soil in the cap will
fall into the pressure vessel.
Shake the instrument vigorously so that all the lumps are broken up to permit
the calcium carbide to react with all available free moisture.
When the needle stops moving, read the dial while holding the instrument in a
horizontal position at an eye level.
Record the dial reading.
The dial reading is the percent of moisture by wet mass and must be converted
to dry mass.
=

sp
100 %
1 sp

Then in second steps we find the moisture content by an oven dry method. For this
we performed the remaining experiment in the following sequence

We took a container which had been marked with a specific number, and placed
some soil in the container and weighed it.
Then we placed this container in the oven for 24 hours.
After 24 hours we weigh the container again, and find the weight of the water.
Then find the moisture content by applying the following formula:
W=

100 %

At the end, we plot the graph between moisture content obtained by speedy moisture
and oven dry method. And we find a relation between these two moisture contents.

The University of Lahore

Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering

September 21, 2016

OBSERVATION & CALCULATIONS

group#

can#

Empty
weight of
can

Wet
weight
of soil &
can

Dry weight
of soil & can

Moisture
content

Wet

Dry

M.C

Moisture content from speedy

moisture meter (%)

R5

11.04

34.76

31

18.84

15.4

18.20

18.20

C6

12.37

37.49

32

27.97

18

21.95

21.95

R6

11.53

35.35

32.5

13.59

11.6

13.12

13.12

R2

11.72

31.61

30

8.81

7.6

8.23

8.23

Calibration Graph
25.00
y = 0.7106x + 3.0808

M.C from oven dry (%)

20.00

15.00

10.00

5.00

0.00
0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

30.00

Wsp (%)

Calibration equation
= 0.716 + 3.0808

The University of Lahore

Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering

September 21, 2016

REFERENCE

ASTM D2216-98

Standard Test Method for Laboratory Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of

Soil and Rock by Mass

ASTM D4944-04

Standard Test Method for Field Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of Soil by
the Calcium Carbide Gas Pressure Tester

COMMENTS
This test method is not intended as a replacement for oven drying method; but as a
supplement when rapid results are required, when testing is done in field locations, or
where an oven is not practical for use.
Oven drying method is to be used as the test method to compare for accuracy checks
and correction
The speedy moisture meter/tester is basically used to calculate the moisture content
of soil in field. But some time speedy moisture meter does not give the correct moisture
content and we perform its calibration and get calibration equation for the correct
result.
In our result the Calibration equation is
= 0.716 + 3.0808
The above equation shows that to get the correct M.C we put the value of moisture
content obtained from speedy moisture meter in above equation.

The University of Lahore