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Particle size distribution and mechanical analysis

of soil.

Major Soil Groups

Cohesive Granular soils or
soils Cohesionless soils

Clay Silt Sand Gravel Cobble Boulder

0.002 0.075 2.36 63 200

Grain size (mm)

Fine grain Coarse grain

soils soils
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Soil Particle Sizes, Shapes and Gradings

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Important terms to know

• Coarse – grained / Fine – grained soil

• Coarse – grained/ Granular soils
 Gravel and sand
 In general, exhibits desirable engineering properties
 Relatively large bearing capacity and small settlement
 Make good foundation materials
 Good for retaining wall backfill materials
• Fine – grained soils
 Silt and clays
 Clays in general, exhibits undesirable engineering properties
compared to granular soils
• Lower shear strength
• Compressible
• Expand (wetting) and shrink ( drying) when moisture level
varies
• Develop large lateral pressure and less permeability not good
for retaining walls
 Silts, in general, is on the border between clayey and sandy soils

Important terms to know

• Cohesive/ Cohesion less soil

• Cohesive soils
 Clay
• Cohesion less soils
 Gravel, sand, silt
 Clays in general, exhibits undesirable engineering properties
• Organic/Inorganic soil
• Inorganic soils
 Rock fragments
• Organic soils
 Spongy, crumbly and compressible
 Undesirable for engineering purpose

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Mechanical analysis
• Mechanical analysis is the determination of the size range of particles
present in a soil, expressed as a percentage of the total dry weight.
• Purpose : Determine the particle size distribution curve.
 sieve analysis—for particle sizes larger than 0.075 mm in diameter
 hydrometer analysis—for particle sizes smaller than 0.075 mm in
diameter.

Sieve analysis
100
US sieve Sieve opening Mass Mass passing Percent finer
number (mm) retained (g) (g) by weight 80
d M Mp p
4 4.750 0.00 190.20 99.53
60
10 2.000 2.10 188.10 98.43
20 0.850 4.60 183.50 96.02
35 0.500 15.80 167.70 87.76 40
60 0.250 40.90 126.80 66.35
100 0.150 122.00 4.80 2.51 20
200 0.075 4.70 0.10 0.05
pan 0.10 0.00 0.00 0
0.01 0.1 D60 1 10
Grain siz e (mm)

C c  D30
2
D60  D10 
Coefficient of curvature

Cu  D60 D10
Coefficient of uniformity

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Grading of different soil types

100

Dune sand
80
Cu = 1.8
D10 = 0.16 mm

60
% finer by weight

Cu = 1 => uniform soil, poorly

40
Glacial till graded soil
Cu = 16.2
D10 = 0.05 mm Large Cu => well graded soil.
20 e.g some glacial till Cu = 30

Gap graded soil

0
0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10
Grain Size (mm)

Example 3
The results of a dry-sieving test are given below. Plot the
particle size distribution curve and give a classification for the
soil.
Sieve size Mass retained (g) % retained % passing

4.75 mm 0 0 100.0

2.36 mm 2.6 1.2 98.8

1.18 mm 12.5 5.7 93.1

600 m 57.7 26.6 66.5

425 m 62..0 28.6 37.9

300 m 34.2 15.7 22.2

212 m 18.7 8.6 13.6

150 m 12.7 5.8 7.8

75 m 13.1 6.0 1.8

pan 3.9 1.8

Total 217.4

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Example 3
100

90

80

70

60
%

50

40

30

20

10

0
0.16 0.35 0.53
0.01 0.1 1 10
particle size (mm)

2
D30 0.35 2
D 0.53 cc    1.44  1  3
cu  60 
D10 0.16
 3.31  6 D10 D60 0.16 0.53

Particle Grading – hydrometer analysis

Hydrometer analysis is used to determine the grain size
distribution of fine-grained soils (< 75 m).

Uses Stoke’s Law

L  s  w 2
v  D
t 18

18 L
D
 s  w t

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Particle Grading – hydrometer analysis

Time Meniscus Tem Corrected % %
(min) corrected p Hydrometer Particl finer finer
Hydromete Reading e size by by
r reading mass total
(g/ml) F1 F2 F3 D mass
Rh (C) Rc (m) p K

0.5

15

30

60

240

300

Example

HYDROMETER ANALYSIS

Plot the particle size distribution curve for the soil from the results of the
hydrometer test shown below.

Analyst name: John

Test date: 5/3/2017
Sample description:
Mass in suspension M0 (g) = 45 g
Specific unit weight, Gs = 2.65
Dispersing agent correction Ca = 4 g/L
Meniscus correction Cm = 0.5 g/L

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Example
Time Meniscus Temp Corrected Particle % finer % finer
(min) corrected Hydrometer size by by total
Hydrometer Reading mass mass
reading
(g/l)

t Rh (C) Rc F1 F2 F3 D (m) p K

0.5
40.0 22.5
1
34.0 22.5
2
32.0 22.0
4
30.0 22.0
8
27.0 22.0
15
25.0 21.5
30
23.0 21.5
60
21.0 21.5
240
17.0 20.0
900
14.0 22.5

Example

Rh  Rh  C m is the hydrometer reading

Rc  Rh  C t  C a is the corrected hydrometer reading

Factor F1 relates to distance of falling particles (see chart)

Factor F2 relates to viscosity of fluid, soil density, fluid density

(see table)

Factor F3 relates to time (see table)

18 L
D  F1  F2  F3 D
 s  w t

0.623 Gs
p Rc  100
M0 Gs  1

mass of soil remaining in pan

K  p
total mass of soil used in sieving analysis

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Hydrometer Test - Procedures

1. Mix the fines collected in the pan with distilled water

using the Milk shake machine for 2 minutes

2. Pour suspension into 1000 ml cylinder. Add more

distilled water to make up to 1000 ml.

3. Palm over top of the cylinder and turn upside down for
about 5 times

4. Start taking hydrometer readings as soon as cylinder is

placed on the table.

Hydrometer Test - Procedures

5
Take readings at:
30 seconds With hydrometer left in cylinder

1 minute
2 minutes
4 minutes

remove and wash hydrometer after 4 mins

8 minutes - re-insert hydrometer into cylinder just prior to taking

reading

After this, remove, wash and re-insert hydrometer before taking

each reading

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Hydrometer Test - Procedures

. There are two types of hydrometer being used. Must

familarise yourself with hydrometer:

- first type measures fluid specific gravity (g/ml)

- second type measures grams of soil per litre (g/l)

Hydrometer type Capacity Accuracy Unit

Fluid specific gravity 0.995-1.04 0.001 g/ml

Grams of soil per litre 0.0-50.0 1.0 g/L

Hydrometer Test - Procedures

7. Corrections for hydrometer test: 3 corrections are

applied to the hydrometer reading Rh:

(a) ct – temperature correction

(b) ca – dispersion agent correction
(c) cm – meniscus correction

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Hydrometer Test - Procedures

Temperature correction ct

Hydrometer Test - Procedures

meniscus
correction reading

corrected
reading

meniscus correction cm

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Hydrometer Test - Procedures

.
8. Compute:

Rc  Rh  ct  c a

Rh  Rh  c m

9. Compute particle size (D): Stoke’s Law

D  F1  F2  F3 D
18 L
 s  w t

Hydrometer Test - Procedures

Grams Per Liter Hydrometer Calibration

. 4.4

4.2
Rh1
4.0 Rh2

3.8
Factor F1

3.6

3.4
Factor F1
3.2 (g/L)
3.0

2.8

2.6
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Hydrometer reading (g/l)

For each reading after 4 mins, remove and rinse the hydrometer before re-inserting to
take reading.
Rh1 = when hydrometer remains in suspension at start of test (up to 4 mins)
Rh2 = when hydrometer is inserted to take a single reading

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Hydrometer Test - Procedures

. Specific Gravity Hydrometer Calibration

4.4

4.2
Rh1
4.0 Rh2

3.8
Factor F1

3.6
Factor F1
3.4
(g/mL)
3.2

3.0

2.8
1000 1010 1020 1030

Hydrometer reading (graduat)

For each reading after 4 mins, remove and rinse the hydrometer before re-inserting to
take reading.
Rh1 = when hydrometer remains in suspension at start of test (up to 4 mins)
Rh2 = when hydrometer is inserted to take a single reading

Hydrometer Test - Procedures

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Hydrometer Test - Procedures

Hydrometer Test - Procedures

.
10 Computer p (% finer by mass)

0.623 Gs
p Rc  100%
M0 Gs  1

11 Computer K (% finer by total mass)

mass of soil remaining in pan
K  p
total mass of soil used in sieving analysis

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Hydrometer Test - Procedures

Time (min) Meniscus Temp temp Corrected Particle % finer by mass % finer by
corrected corrections Hydrometer size total mass
Hydrometer (g/L) Reading
reading (g/L)
t R' c (C) Rc F1 F2 F3 D (m) p K
1 40.0 22.5 0.80 36.8 3.41 1.324 10 45.15 81.82
2 34.0 22.5 0.80 30.8 3.58 1.324 7.07 33.51 68.48
3 32.0 22.0 0.65 28.7 3.62 1.332 6.04 29.12 63.70
4 30.0 22.0 0.65 26.7 3.64 1.332 5 24.24 59.26
8 27.0 22.0 0.65 23.7 3.52 1.332 3.54 16.60 52.59
15 25.0 21.5 0.50 21.5 3.65 1.356 2.58 12.77 47.81
30 23.0 21.5 0.50 19.5 3.7 1.356 1.83 9.18 43.36
60 21.0 21.5 0.50 17.5 3.75 1.356 1.29 6.56 38.91
240 17.0 20.0 0.00 13.0 3.85 1.364 0.78 4.10 28.91
900 14.0 19.0 -0.30 9.7 3.92 1.381 0.36 1.95 21.57

Hydrometer Test - Procedures

90
80
70
percentage finer

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1.00 10.00 100.00
particle size (m)

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Particle Shapes
• Particle shape has significant influence on the physical
properties of soil.
• Can be categorized into the following groups
– Bulky
– Flaky
– Needle shaped

• Shape of bulky particles

Particle Shapes
Gravel, Sand, silt - rounded or angular in shape
Clay – very thin plates

 r R  N
N
ri i
i 1

Roundness/angularity
R Dc
index

Dd/Dc

Roundness 0.09 Sphericity index

Roundness 0.48 Sphericity 0.35
Sphericity 0.81 Dd = equivalent
diameter of particle

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