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Sieve Analysis - Introduction

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Mechanical Analysis of Soil

Mechanical Analysis of Soil

As complex as it is, soil can be described simply. It consists of four major components: air, water, organic matter, and mineral matter.

Mechanical Analysis of Soil

The structure of soil determines its suitability for concrete, road subsurface, building foundation, or filter media. Soil has four constituent parts:
Sand is any soil particle larger than 0.06 millimeters (0.002 inches). Silt is any soil particle from 0.002--0.06 millimeters. Clay is any soil particle below 0.002 millimeters, including colloidal clay so small it does not settle out of suspension in water.

Mechanical Analysis of Soil

Mechanical Analysis of Soil

The percentage distribution of those parts determines soil structure. Mechanical analysis is the determination of the size range of particles present in a soil, expressed as a percentage of the total d weight. p t f th t t l dry i ht There are two methods generally used to find the particlesize distribution of soil:
1) sieve analysis for particle sizes larger than 0.075 mm in diameter, and (2) hydrometer analysis for particle sizes smaller than 0.075 mm in diameter.

Mechanical Analysis of Soil

Sieve analysis Hydrometer analysis

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Sieve Analysis - Introduction

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Sieve Analysis
Sieve analysis consists of shaking the soil sample through a set of sieves that have progressively smaller openings.

Sieve Analysis
Sieve analysis consists of shaking the soil sample through a set of sieves that have progressively smaller openings.

Sieve Analysis
Sieve Number 4 6 8 10 16 20 30 40 50 60 80 100 140 170 200 270 Opening (mm) 4.750 3.350 2.360 2.000 1.180 1 180 0.850 0.600 0.425 0.300 0.250 0.180 0.150 0.106 0.088 0.075 0.053

Sieve Analysis
First the soil is oven dried and then all lumps are broken into small particle before they are passed through the sieves After the completion of the shaking period the mass of soil retained on each sieve is determined

Sieve Analysis
The results of sieve analysis are generally expressed in terms of the percentage of the total weight of soil that passed through different sieves
Mass of soil Sieve # Di m t Si Diameter retained on t in d n Percent P nt Cumlative C ml ti Percent P nt (mm) each sieve (g) retained (%) retained (%) finer (%) 10 16 30 40 60 100 200 Pan 2.000 1.180 0.600 0.425 0.250 0.150 0.075 Sum = 0.00 9.90 24.66 17.60 23.90 35.10 59.85 278.99 450.0 0.00% 2.20% 5.48% 3.91% 5.31% 7.80% 13.30% 62.00% 0.00% 2.20% 7.68% 11.59% 16.90% 24.70% 38.00% 100.00% 100.00% 97.80% 92.32% 88.41% 83.10% 75.30% 62.00% 0.00%

Sieve Analysis
The results of sieve analysis are generally expressed in terms of the percentage of the total weight of soil that passed through different sieves
Mass of soil Sieve # Di m t Si Diameter retained on t in d n Percent P nt Cumlative C ml ti Percent P nt (mm) each sieve (g) retained (%) retained (%) finer (%) 10 16 30 40 60 100 200 Pan 2.000 1.180 0.600 0.425 0.250 0.150 0.075 Sum = 0.00 9.90 24.66 17.60 23.90 35.10 59.85 278.99 450.0 0.00% 2.20% 5.48% 3.91% 5.31% 7.80% 13.30% 62.00% 0.00% 2.20% 7.68% 11.59% 16.90% 24.70% 38.00% 100.00% 100.00% 97.80% 92.32% 88.41% 83.10% 75.30% 62.00% 0.00%

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Sieve Analysis - Introduction

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Sieve Analysis
The results of sieve analysis are generally expressed in terms of the percentage of the total weight of soil that passed through different sieves
Mass of soil Sieve # Di m t Si Diameter retained on t in d n Percent P nt Cumlative C ml ti Percent P nt (mm) each sieve (g) retained (%) retained (%) finer (%) 10 16 30 40 60 100 200 Pan 2.000 1.180 0.600 0.425 0.250 0.150 0.075 Sum = 0.00 9.90 24.66 17.60 23.90 35.10 59.85 278.99 450.0 0.00% 2.20% 5.48% 3.91% 5.31% 7.80% 13.30% 62.00% 0.00% 2.20% 7.68% 11.59% 16.90% 24.70% 38.00% 100.00% 100.00% 97.80% 92.32% 88.41% 83.10% 75.30% 62.00% 0.00%

Sieve Analysis
The results of sieve analysis are generally expressed in terms of the percentage of the total weight of soil that passed through different sieves
Mass of soil Sieve # Di m t Si Diameter retained on t in d n Percent P nt Cumlative C ml ti Percent P nt (mm) each sieve (g) retained (%) retained (%) finer (%) 10 16 30 40 60 100 200 Pan 2.000 1.180 0.600 0.425 0.250 0.150 0.075 Sum = 0.00 9.90 24.66 17.60 23.90 35.10 59.85 278.99 450.0 0.00% 2.20% 5.48% 3.91% 5.31% 7.80% 13.30% 62.00% 0.00% 2.20% 7.68% 11.59% 16.90% 24.70% 38.00% 100.00% 100.00% 97.80% 92.32% 88.41% 83.10% 75.30% 62.00% 0.00%

ParticleSize Distribution Curve

The results of mechanical analysis (sieve and hydrometer analyses) are generally presented by semilogarithmic plots known as particlesize distribution curves. Th particle diameters are plotted in log scale, and the The ti l di t l tt d i l l d th corresponding percent finer in arithmetic scale.

ParticleSize Distribution Curve

Particle diameter (mm)

Recommended Procedure
2. Select with care a test sample which is representative of the soil to be tested 3. Weigh to 0.1 a specimen of approximately 500 g of ovendried soil 4. Sieve the soil through a nest of sieves by hand shaking. At least 10 minutes of hand sieving is desirable for soils with small particles. 5. Weigh to 0.1 g each sieve and the pan with the soil retained on them. 6. Subtract the weights obtained in step 1 from those of step 5 to give the weight of soil retained on each sieve. The sum of these retained weights should be checked against the original soil weight.

Calculations
Percentage retained on any sieve:

1. Weigh to 0.1 g each sieve which is to be used

weight of soil retained 100% total soil weight

Cumulative percentage retained on any sieve:

Percentage retained
Percentage finer than an sieve size:

100% Percentage retained

Percent finer (% %)

Silt and clay

Sand

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Sieve Analysis - Introduction

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Effective Size, Uniformity Coefficient, and Coefficient of Gradation

Three basic soil parameters can be determined from these grainsize distribution curves:
Effective size Uniformity coefficient Coefficient of gradation

Reading Semi-Logarithmic Scales

In science and engineering, a semi-log graph or semilog plot is a way of visualizing data that are changing with an exponential relationship. One axis is plotted on a logarithmic scale. This kind of plot is useful when one of the variables being plotted covers a large range of values and the other has only a restricted range The advantage being that it can bring out features in the data that would not easily be seen if both variables had been plotted linearly.

The diameter in the particlesize distribution curve corresponding to 10% finer is defined as the effective size, or D10.

Reading Semi-Logarithmic Scales

To facilitate use with logarithmic tables, one usually takes logs to base 10 or e Lets look at the log scale:

Reading Semi-Logarithmic Scales

To facilitate use with logarithmic tables, one usually takes logs to base 10 or e Lets look at some values on a log scale and practice interpolation values: 0.24 0.82 4.9

0.8

0.9

0.1

0.2

0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7

1.0

6 7

10

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.8

1.0

0.9

10

Effective Size, Uniformity Coefficient, and Coefficient of Gradation

Find D10:

Effective Size, Uniformity Coefficient, and Coefficient of Gradation

Find D10:

Percent finer (%) (

0.9

1.0

Particle diameter (mm)

D10 = 0.093 mm

Particle diameter (mm)

Percent finer (%) (

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Sieve Analysis - Introduction

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Effective Size, Uniformity Coefficient, and Coefficient of Gradation

The uniformity coefficient is given by the relation:

Effective Size, Uniformity Coefficient, and Coefficient of Gradation

Find D60:

Where D60 is the diameter corresponding to 60% finer in the particle-size distribution D60 = 0.51 mm

Particle diameter (mm)

Effective Size, Uniformity Coefficient, and Coefficient of Gradation

The coefficient of gradation may he expressed as:

Effective Size, Uniformity Coefficient, and Coefficient of Gradation

Find D30:

Where D30 is the diameter corresponding to 30% finer in the particle-size distribution

D30 = 0.25 mm

Particle diameter (mm)

Effective Size, Uniformity Coefficient, and Coefficient of Gradation

For the particle-size distribution curve we just used, the values of D10, D30, and D60 are: D10 = 0.093 mm D30 = 0.25 mm D60 = 0.51 mm

Effective Size, Uniformity Coefficient, and Coefficient of Gradation

The particlesize distribution curve shows not only the range of particle sizes present in a soil but also the type of distribution of various size particles.
Percent finer (%)

Cu

D60 0.51mm 5.5 0.093mm D10

Cc

D302 (0.25mm )2 1.3 D10 D60 0.51mm 0.093mm

Particle diameter (mm)

Percent finer (%) (

Cc

D302 D10 D60

Percent finer (%) (

Cu

D60 D10

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Sieve Analysis - Introduction

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Effective Size, Uniformity Coefficient, and Coefficient of Gradation

This particle-size distribution represents a soil in which the particles are distributed over a wide range, termed well graded
Percent finer (%)

Effective Size, Uniformity Coefficient, and Coefficient of Gradation

This particle-size distribution represents a type of soil in which most of the soil grains are the same size. This is called a uniformly graded soil.
Percent finer (%)

Particle diameter (mm)

Particle diameter (mm)

Effective Size, Uniformity Coefficient, and Coefficient of Gradation

This particle-size distribution represents such a soil. This type of soil is termed gap graded.

Example Sieve Analysis

From the results of a sieve analysis, shown below, determine:
(a) the percent finer than each sieve and plot a grainsize distribution curve,

Percent finer (%)

(b) D10, D30, D60 from the grainsize distribution curve, (c) the uniformity coefficient, Cu, and (d) the coefficient of gradation, Cc.
Sieve Number 4 10 20 40 60 100 200 Pan Diameter (mm) 4.750 2.000 0.850 0.425 0.250 0.150 0.075 Mass of soil retained on each sieve (g) 28 42 48 128 221 86 40 24

Particle diameter (mm)

Example Sieve Analysis

Example Sieve Analysis

Sieve Number 4 10 20 40 60 100 200 Pan Mass of soil retained on each sieve (g) 28 42 48 128 221 86 40 24 617 Percent retained on each sieve (%) 4.54 6.81 7.78 20.75 35.82 19.93 6.48 3.89 Cumulative Percent percent finer (%) retained on each sieve (%) 4.54 11.35 19.13 39.88 75.70 89.63 96.11 100.00 95.46 88.65 80.87 60.12 24.30 10.37 3.89 0

Sieve Number 4 10 20 40 60 100 200 Pan

Diameter (mm) 4.750 2.000 0.850 0.425 0.250 0.150 0.075

Mass of soil retained on each sieve (g) 28 42 48 128 221 86 40 24

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Sieve Analysis - Introduction

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Example Sieve Analysis

Example Sieve Analysis

For the particle-size distribution curve we just used, the values of D10, D30, and D60 are:

D10 = 0.14 mm D30 = 0.27 mm D60 = 0.42 mm

Percent finer (%)

D10 = 0.14 mm

D30 = 0.27 mm

D60 = 0.42 mm

Cu

D60 D10

0.42mm 3.0 0.14mm

Particle diameter (mm)

Cc

D302 (0.27mm )2 1.2 0.42mm 0.14mm D10 D60

Mechanical Analysis of Soil

Any Questions?
Percent finer (%)
Particle diameter (mm)