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.