FACULTY OF CIVIL ANG ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND GEOMETIC

LAB GEOTECHNIC

FULL REPORT

Subject Code BFC 31703

Code & Experiment Title U5 – DETERMINATION OF FIELD DENSITY OF SOILS BY

SAND REPLACEMENT & CORE CUTTER METHOD

Course Code 2 BFF

Date 3RD

MAY 2012

Section / Group SECTION 9 / GROUP 7

Name MUHAMMAD IKHWAN BIN ZAINUDDIN (DF100018)

Members of Group 1. NUR EZRYNNA BINTI MOHD ZAINAL (DF100118)

2. MUHAMMAD HUZAIR BIN ZULKIFLI (DF100040)

3. NUR EEZRA ATHIRLIA BINTI GHAZALI (DF100147)

4. MUHAMMAD NUH BIN AHMAD ZAIRI (DF100093)

5. ZIRWATUL FAUZANA BINTI CHE JEMANI (DF100027)

Lecturer/Instructor/Tutor EN. MOHD FAIZAL BIN PAKIR

Received Date 10TH

MAY 2012

Comment by examiner

Received

STUDENT CODE OF ETHIC

(SCE)

DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND GEOMETIC

FACULTY OF CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

UTHM

We, hereby confess that we have prepared this report on our effort. We also admit not to receive

or give any help during the preparation of this report and pledge that everything mentioned in

the report is true.

___________________________

Student Signature

Name : MUHAMMAD IKHWAN BIN ZAINUDDIN

Matric No. : DF100018

Date : 10/05/2012

_______________________

Student Signature

Name : MUHAMMAD NUH BIN AHMAD ZAIRI

Matric No. : DF100093

Date : 10/05/2012

___________________________

Student Signature

Name : NUR EEZRA ATHIRLIA BINTI GHAZALI

Matric No. : DF100147

Date : 10/05/2012

___________________________

Student Signature

Name : MUHAMMAD HUZAIR BIN ZULKIFLI

Matric No. : DF100040

Date : 10/05/2011

___________________________

Student Signature

Name : NUR EZRYNNA BINTI MOHD ZAINAL

Matric No. : DF100118

Date : 10/05/2012

_______________________

Student Signature

Name : ZIRWATUL FAUZANA BINTI CHE JEMANI

Matric No. : DF100027

Date : 10/05/2012

B) FIELD DENSITY OF SOILS BY CORE CUTTER METHOD

1.0 INTRODUCTION

In-situ density of soil is an important parameter for soil engineers. This is needed for

determination of bearing capacity of soils, stability analysis, and natural slopes and for

determining degree of compaction of fills.

Density is used in calculating the stress in the stress in the soil due to its overburden

pressure. It is needed in estimating the bearing capacity of soil foundation system, settlement of

footings, earth pressures behind the retaining walls, dams, embankments. Stability of natural

slopes, dams, embankments and cutis checked with the help of deity of these soils. It is the

density of controls the field of soils. Permeability of soils depends upon its density. Relative

density of cohesion less soils is determined by knowing by knowing the dry density of that soil

in natural, loosest and densest states. Void ratio, porosity and degree of saturation need the help

of density of soils.

This method consists of driving a core cutter of known volume into the soil after placing

it on a cleaned surface. The cutter filled with soil is removed and excess soil trimmed off. The

cutter with soil is weighed which is divided by volume of cutter and hence the in-situ unit weight

is determined. The core cutter is dug out, trimmed and the soil inside, weighed and dried for

moisture and density determination.

2.0 OBJECTIVE

To determine in-situ density of fine-Grained natural or compacted soils free form

aggregate using a core cutter.

3.0 THEORY

Core cutter method is used for finding field density of cohesive/clayey soils placed as fill.

It is rapid method conducted on field. It cannot be applied to coarse grained soil as the

penetration of core cutter becomes difficult due to increased resistance at the tip of core cutter

leading to damage to core cutter.

A cylindrical core cutter is a seamless steel tube. For determination of the dry density of

the soil, the cutter is pressed into the soil mass so that it is filled with the soil. The cutter filled

with the soil is lifted up. The mass of the soil in the cutter is determined. The dry density is

obtained as

Where M = mass of the wet soil in the cutter

V = internal volume of the cutter

w = water content.

Core cutter method in particular, is suitable for soft to medium cohesive soils, in which

the cutter can be driven. It is not possible to drive the cutter into hard, boulder or marrowy soils.

In such case other methods are adopted.

4.0 EQUIPMENTS

i) Cylindrical core cutter seamless steep tube, 130mm long 10cm internal diameter with

wall thickness of 3mm, bevelled at one end; giving a volume of 1000cm3.

ii) Steel dolly, 2.5cm high and 10cm internal diameter with wall tickness of 7.5mm with a

lip to enable it to be fitted on top the core-cutter.

iii) Steel rammer with solid mild steel foot 14cm diameter and 7.5cm height with a

concentrically screwed 2.5cm diameter solid mild steel staff

iv) Balance.

v) Palette knife having balde approx. 20cm long and 3cm wide

vi) Steel rule.

vii) Container for determination of water content.

viii) Soil sample = Fine grained soil where 90% of soil passes through 4.75mm I.S Sieve

Figure 1 – The dimention of cylindrical core cutter

Figure 2 - Steel dolly Figure 3 – Oil Figure 4 - Hammer

Figure 5 - Weighing scale Figure 6 – Palette knife Figure 7 – Steel Ruler

5.0 PROCEDURE

1) The internal volume of core cutter is calculated.

2) The weight of the empty core cutter is recorded

3) The oil is applied on inner surface of core cutter

4) The core is placed on a freshly prepared plain ground with dolly on it; and gently

hammer it so that the cutter will get pushed in the soil completely

5) The side material is removed and taken out from the field of core cutter gently

and properly trim the top and bottom surface and weight it

6) The soil core will be removed from the cutter and a representative sample will be

placed in an air tight container to determine water content

Figure 8 - Soil core in cutter Figure 9 - Sample for core cutter

6.0 RESULT

a) Determination of bulk and dry density of soil.

b) Determination of water content of soil

Determination No.

1 Mass of empty core-cutter (M1) g 930

2 Mass of core - cutter + wet soil (M2) g 2911

3 Mass of wet soil (M2-M1) g 1981

4 Volume of core-cutter (V) cm3 988.09

5 Bulk density ρb = g/cm3 2.00

6 Dry density of soil ρd = g/cm3 1.65

Container No.

1 Mass of empty container with lid (M1) g 9.8

2 Mass of container with lid and wet (M2) g 54.30

3 Mass of container with lid and dry soil (M3) g 46.40

4 Water content, w = = x100 % 21.58

7.0 DATA ANALYSIS

a) Determination of bulk and dry density of soil.

i. Mass of empty core-cutter (M1) = 930g

ii. Mass of core - cutter + wet soil (M2) = 2911g

iii. Mass of wet soil (M2-M1) = 2911 - 930 = 1981g

iv. Bulk density ρb = = 2911 – 930

988.09

= 2.00 g/cm3

v. Dry density of soil ρd = = 2.00 .

1 + (21.58/100)

= 1.65

b) Determination of water content of soil

i. Mass of empty container with lid (M1) = 9.8g

ii. Mass of container with lid and wet (M2) = 54.3g

iii. Mass of container with lid and dry soil (M3) = 46.4g

iv. Water content, w = = x100 = 54.3g – 46.4g

46.4g – 9.8g

= 21.58 %

8.0 DISCUSSION

Core cutter method is used for finding field density of cohesive or clayey soils placed as

fill. The result of this experiment, that bulk density, dry density and water content it is shown

that the soils is cohesive and clayey soils. From the experiment, the result that we got are :

Core Cutter Method Sand Replacement Method

Bulk density of soil, (g/cm3) 2.00 1.90

Dry density of soil, (g/cm3) 1.65 1.61

The data is acceptable because the density value between the core cutter method and sand

replacement method have small different. The different exist come from error balance reading

and the hole for the test core cutter and sand replacement method were make far from each

other. Type of error factors affect soil permeability it is from when doing the test is

environmental error, systematic or equipment error and parallax error.

9.0 CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the relationship between compaction effort and the density of soil are the

compaction is a process of increasing soil density and removing air. The size of the individual

soil particles does not change, neither is water removed. There is usually no change in water

content. The degree of compaction is measured by dry unit weight and depends on the water

content and compactive effort. The factors will effect the compaction and density are nature and

type of soil such as sand, clay, grading or plasticity; water content at the time of compaction, site

conditions include with weather, type of site, layer thickness; and compactive effort.

The other two methods that can be used are sand replacement method and water

displacement method. Each method is selected based on the type of soil to be tested, as well as

the limitation or restriction that may be present in the soil sample to be tested.

10.0 REFERENCES

i. Holtz, Robert D. (1981), “An Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering”,Prentice Hall,

United States of America.

ii. John N. Cernica (1995), “Geotechnical Engineering Soil Mechanics”, John Wiley &

Sons, Inc.